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Africa Report - No. 3 December 2005

Year of publication 2005

Pages 69

Author Trade and Markets Division

Product type Book (stand-alone)

Series title Food Supply Situation and Crop Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa. Special Report

Edition 1

Synopsis (short abstract) Eastern Africa Harvesting of the 2005 main season cereal crops is underway in northern parts of the subregion while it has been completed in southern parts. A generally better 2005 harvest compared to 2004 is expected to improve food availability in most countries of the subregion. The overall food situation, however, remains precarious with high malnutrition rates reported in several countries arising from effects of war, displacement and past droughts. In Somalia, below av erage 2005 main “gu” season harvest in the south and an upsurge in civil strife have exacerbated the already precarious food situation. Nearly one million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. The food situation in Sudan is also alarming due to continued conflict and population displacement that have resulted in serious food insecurity, especially in Darfur and southern Sudan. Southern Africa There are delays in planting of main season crops due to inadequate rainfall so far in most countries in the subregion. Food insecurity is worsening during this lean period and nearly 12 million people, mainly in Zimbabwe and Malawi, are in need of emergency food assistance. Shortages of key farm inputs such as seed, fertilizer and draft power are reported in Zimbabwe. High inflation coupled with fuel and transport problems are exacerbating food insecurity. In Malawi, markets continue experiencing escalating prices of maize, the main staple food. So far, co mmercial imports and food aid deliveries have been meagre in spite of the significant amounts pledged by international donors. South Africa’s record maize harvest of 12.4 million tonnes is estimated to result in a potential exportable surplus of about 4.66 million tonnes, more than enough to cover the subregion’s import requirements. Western Africa Good harvests are expected in the Sahel, following generally favourable weather conditions throughout the growing season. Howeve r, the severe food crisis that hit the subregion in 2004/05 had serious income, livelihoods and nutrition effects and resulted in depletion of household assets including animals, as well as high levels of indebtedness, notably in Niger and parts of Burkina Faso, Mali and Mauritania. In spite of the improved food supply situation in these countries, assistance is still needed for income generating and asset reconstitution activities in order to strengthen access to food for vulnerable househ olds. In Côte d’Ivoire, insecurity and the de facto partition of the country continue to disrupt agricultural production and marketing activities. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, food assistance continues to be needed for internally displaced people and refugees. Central Africa Crop prospects and food security outlook are unfavourable in several countries due mainly to civil strife and insecurity. Overall crop prospects are favourable in Cameroon, but food insecurit y persists in Chari and Logone Division of the Extreme North which experienced a severe food crisis in 2005. The National Early Warning System in Burundi has warned of serious food insecurity beginning December 2005 due to a prolonged dry spell. A similar weather pattern is expected to affect the 2006 A season crops.

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    Africa Report - No. 2 September 2005 2005
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    Eastern Africa: Prospects for the 2005 main season cereal crops have improved in some major producing areas of the subregion due to favourable rains. The overall food situation, however, remains precarious with high malnutrition rates reported in several countries in the subregion due to the effects of war, displacement and earlier droughts. Currently, more than 18 million people in the subregion depend on humanitarian assistance. The situation in Sudan is particularly alarming due to con tinued conflict that has resulted in a serious food situation, especially in Darfur and southern Sudan. In Somalia, recent assessments indicate severe food insecurity in several parts of the country. Below average 2005 main “gu” season harvest in southern Somalia coupled with an upsurge in civil strife have exacerbated the situation. Nearly one million people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Recent food aid pledges for Eritrea and Ethiopia have boosted the food aid pipeline, but deliv eries need to be accelerated. Southern Africa: About 12 million people in the subregion, two-thirds of them in Zimbabwe and Malawi, are in need of emergency food assistance in the current marketing year. The situation is expected to worsen during the lean months until the next harvest in April-May, unless international relief is provided urgently. Most countries of the subregion including Zimbabwe, Botswana, Malawi, Namibia, Lesotho, Zambia and Swaziland have gathered below average main s eason cereal harvests in 2005. In Zimbabwe, high inflation coupled with shortages of maize grain and fuel as well as transport problems are causing serious food insecurity. For the same reasons, prospects for 2006 are dire, regardless of rainfall. In Malawi, about 4.6 million vulnerable people are facing severe food shortages and require an estimated 414 000 tonnes of cereals in emergency assistance. Current high maize prices are exacerbating the situation. Above average cereal harvests ha ve been estimated for South Africa, Angola, Mozambique and Madagascar. South Africa’s record maize harvest of 12.4 million tonnes is estimated to result in an exportable surplus of about 5 million tonnes, more than enough to cover the subregion’s import requirements. WFP’s regional Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation has so far received only 30 percent of the 704 000 tonnes requirement over a three-year period (2005-07). Western Africa: The Sahel and northern parts of coastal countrie s continue to face a difficult lean season, due to depleted household food stocks and unusually high food prices. However, current season crop development in the Sahel has been satisfactory so far in main producing zones, due to favourable growing conditions. In Niger, the food situation remains critical, and WFP has expanded its emergency operation to assist 2.5 million people until the end of the lean season in October. In Côte d’Ivoire, insecurity, labour shortages and the de facto partit ion of the country continue to disrupt agricultural production and marketing activities. In Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, food assistance continues to be needed for internally displaced people and refugees. Central Africa: Cereal harvests of the main season (2005B) were favourable in Rwanda and Burundi with improvements in the order of 33 percent and 7 percent above the five-year averages in the two countries, respectively. Food insecurity persists in the violence-prone eastern part of DRC and in pockets of chronically vulnerable districts in Burundi and Rwanda.
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