Global food commodity markets are broadly stable, supported by adequate supplies. Prospects for continued stability remain favourable also for 2016/17. Despite larger volumes of imports, the world food import bill is set to decline by 9 percent to a 7-year low in 2016, on expectation of lower international prices and freights. The International Year of Pulses 2016 presents a unique opportunity to bring to the fore the challenges faced by the...

FAO fielded a Mission to the country between 14 February and 2 March 2016 to assess the state of food availability and the stability of markets at the national level. The Mission was composed of FAO, CNSA and the Sub-structure for Agricultural Statistics and Informatics (SSSAI), both agencies of the Ministry of Agriculture of Haiti, Natural Resources and Rural Development (MARNDR). The WFP and Famine Early Warning System also collaborated...

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

International prices of wheat showed mixed trends in April, but remained lower than a year earlier mostly reflecting good prospects for 2016 production. By contrast, maize export quotations generally increased, supported by solid export demand and concerns about 2016 production prospects in South America. In Asia, rice prices increased in exporting countries in April amid expectations of reduced 2015 secondary crops, due to dry weather associated with the El Niño...

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...