The 2015 aggregate food production is estimated at 5.42 million tonnes, 9 percent less than in 2014, due to poor rains and low availabilities of water for irrigation. This is the first reduction since 2010 and follows a stagnant output in 2014. Production of paddy rice, the country’s main staple, dropped by 26 percent and output of maize also decreased, but to a lesser extent. By contrast, the output of...

Prospects for continuing large global supplies kept international prices of wheat and maize under downward pressure in March. Export prices of rice in Asia generally firmed, but they were still down in March compared to the same period last year. In East Africa, coarse grain prices rose further in March, sustaining the already high levels, particularly in South Sudan. In Southern Africa, despite some declines in South Africa, prices remained...

The Mission estimated the 2015 net cereal production in the traditional sector at about 921 000 tonnes, about 9 percent below the 2014 very good output, but still about 16 percent above the last five-year average production. Despite some dry spells between May and August, seasonal rains in 2015 have been generally abundant and prolonged until December. Major reductions in output have been reported in Western Bahr el Ghazal and...

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited Myanmar from 24 November to 10 December 2015 at the invitation of the Myanmar’s Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MoAI) to forecast the 2015 cereal production (2015 main monsoon and ongoing 2015 secondary summer season) and to evaluate the prospective food security and nutrition situation. The invitation was prompted by the extensive severe flooding caused by heavy rains and the...

FAO’s first forecast for global wheat production in 2016 points to a small decrease, with lower outputs expected in Europe and the United States of America. COUNTRIES IN NEED OF EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE: FAO estimates that, globally, 34 countries, including 27 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food. Civil conflicts continued to severely affect the food security of a number of countries, while adverse weather, in some cases...

International wheat prices declined in February as a result of reduced trade activity, while maize quotations were firmer on stronger demand. International prices of rice followed mixed trends depending on the origin. Overall, cereal quotations remained lower than in the corresponding period last year. In Southern Africa, maize prices continued to increase in February, although at a slower rate, and were at record highs. Prices increased also in several East...

This report is based on information available as of February 2016.