No Thumbnail Available

FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO PAKISTAN - 11 July 2001

Year of publication 2001

Author Trade and Markets Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Special Reports and Alerts

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) As part of a wider regional weather phenomenon which has affected a number of countries in South Asia and the Near East, a prolonged drought has seriously affected crop and livestock production in Pakistan. Last year, Balochistan and parts of Sindh and Cholistan in Punjab Province were particularly affected with serious consequences on the food security of a large segment of the population. The Government's extensive efforts to reduce the effects of the drought by providing extra resources for f ood and feed rations, water and veterinary supplies have helped avert a humanitarian disaster, so far. However, continued extended drought conditions in the first half of this year have increased the scale and severity of the problem raising humanitarian concerns that require urgent attention. Against this background an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission, funded by UNDP, was fielded to the country from 23 May to 18 June 2001 to assess the impact of the drought and review agric ultural and food supply prospects for the current marketing year. The Mission's findings are based on discussions with Federal, Provincial and District Authorities, UN agencies and NGOs based in the country, and field visits to all the provinces, particularly extensively in the drought affected Provinces of Balochistan, Sindh and Cholistan in Punjab.

Language English

Also available in:

Related items

Showing items related by metadata.

  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA - 27 July 2001 2001
    Also available in:
    Following the coldest winter in decades, DPR Korea was hit by a prolonged severe drought in the spring of 2001. By May, it was clear that the drought had ravaged the winter/spring wheat, barley and potato crops and that the consequent production shortfall would have dire consequences for the food security of the population, particularly in the lean supply months of June to October. This would further aggravate the already precarious food situation caused by successive natural hazards in recent y ears and persistent economic problems facing the country. Against the backdrop of this unfavourable outlook, FAO and WFP jointly mounted a mid-year Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission to DPR Korea in June 2001. The Mission visited the country from 23 June to 3 July to review the food supply situation for the current marketing year (Nov. 2000 to Oct. 2001) and assess early prospects for the 2001 main crops, including paddy, maize, and potatoes. The Mission held discussions with concerned Government authorities, UN and bilateral aid agencies, international NGOs and made field trips to observe standing crop, and irrigation reservoirs in four provinces and one municipality (North and South Hwanghae, North and South Pyongon and Pyongyong). In the field, the Mission interviewed staff of cooperative farms and local Flood Damage Rehabilitation Committees (FDRC) as well as managers of irrigation reservoirs. Vegetation index (NDVI) images at one kilometre resolution from the SPOT-4 sate llite since 1998, which depict vegetation vigour and extent, were used to compare vegetation conditions for the current growing period to those of recent years.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO THE BALUCHISTAN PROVINCE OF PAKISTAN - 19 June 2000 2000
    Also available in:
    Following severe drought in Baluchistan, an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission supported by UNDP visited the province in May to estimate the extent of the problem, the repercussions on food production and supply and the need for food assistance in 2000/01. Mission findings are based on field visits to worst affected areas and discussions with government and UN officials, farmers and representatives of various NGOs. The mission found that almost the complete failure of rainfall this year, seriously undermined crop and livestock production, compromising both the livelihood and food security of large numbers of vulnerable people. The situation being made much worse as this was the third drought year in succession, and many farm families had still not recovered from last two years events. Rainfed wheat failed almost entirely, whilst yields of irrigated wheat were seriously reduced. The outlook is also poor for this year's kharif (monsoon) crops and the rice harvest. The Mission, therefore, estimates cereal output at 1.2 million tonnes, 20 percent below average. Against this the province requires a total of 1.293 million tonnes to cover utilisation needs, leaving an overall deficit of 93 000 tonnes for the 2000/01 marketing year.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    Book (stand-alone)
    FAO/WFP CROP AND FOOD SUPPLY ASSESSMENT MISSION TO AFGHANISTAN - 7 July 1999 1999
    Also available in:
    Following similar Missions in 1997 and 1998, an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission, supported by UNDP, was fielded to Afghanistan from 22 May-23 June 1999 to estimate the 1999 cereal harvest and cereal import requirement, including food aid needs, for 1999/2000. The Mission visited Kabul and Herat regions, while WFP-funded six survey teams of national agronomists covered most of the accessible regions of the country, including Faizabad, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Herat and Mazar-i- Sharif. The Mission benefited from discussions with UN agencies, multilateral and bilateral donors, Afghan authorities, ICRC and many NGOs. Available relevant reports and documents were reviewed. Area and yield estimates for various crops in different regions were based on field visits, data generated by survey teams, and discussions with farmers and UN and NGO personnel knowledgeable about particular regions and areas. Relative peace in most parts of Afghanistan, in recent years, has bolst ered agricultural activities and local trade with increased private sector participation. However, the country's cereal production suffered a setback in 1999, compared to the very strong recovery in 1998, due to shortage of irrigation water as a result of the mildest winter in 40 years with very low snowfall, late and erratic spring rains and high incidence of yellow rust and sunnpest that damaged crops in the north and west of the country. In addition, there is a trend in gradually diverting ir rigated wheat land to such cash crops as onion, potato, poppy, and tree crops, particularly almonds and apricots.
Show more

Users also downloaded

Showing related downloaded files

No results found.