Land preparation and planting of the first maize crop are starting in the south with the arrival of the rains. Elsewhere, seasonably dry conditions prevail.
The food supply situation is going to be somewhat tight in the traditionally deficit areas of the north. The government has launched an appeal for international assistance to cover the needs of populations affected by a poor crop in late 1997 following drought conditions and attacks by African Migratory Locusts. The cereal import requirement for 1997/98 (July/June) is estimated at 250 000 tonnes of wheat and rice and 10 000 tonnes of coarse grains.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC (2 April) )
Reflecting favourable growing conditions, the 1997 cereal production is estimated at about 140 000 tonnes which is above average. Cassava production is estimated at 580 000 tonnes.
Refugees from Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo are housed in the Central African Republic. There are also Sudanese and Chadian refugees in the country. For the 1998 marketing year (January/December), the cereal import requirement is estimated at about 40 000 tonnes, mainly wheat and rice.
CONGO, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF * (15 April) UNF/FS
The food supply situation is critical in the east where insecurity persists and severe malnutrition is reported among the remaining refugees. In South Kivu, the recently harvested A-season bean crop is reported to be well below average while prospects for the next crop now being planted are unfavourable due to a shortage of seed. Increased civil strife in both North and South Kivu has resulted in considerable population displacements, while recent flooding has impeded the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Food prices have increased sharply in Uvira due to the difficulty in transporting goods along the traditional supply line which has been partially blocked by floods.
Torrential rains since January have caused flooding and landslides in several regions, leading to an outbreak of cholera in North and South Kivu. A second outbreak of cholera has been reported in the Kasindi area of Mutwanga near the Ugandan border. Flooding has also affected the towns of Mbandaka in the north and Kalemie in the southeast, as well as Kinshasa in late March.
Between May and November 1997, civil strife severely disrupted food marketing activities and caused large-scale displacement of the population, especially from urban to rural areas. In March 1998, new civil disturbances interrupted rail traffic between Pointe Noire and Brazzaville, affecting food supply to the capital.
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment team, which visited the country as part of an inter-agency mission in January 1998, estimated that food production in cerealequivalent terms will fall short of utilization requirements in 1998 by 118 000 tonnes. Normally, such a deficit would be covered commercially as the country has the requisite import capacity. However, due to the disruption of trading activities particularly in Brazzaville, it is estimated that for 1998, commercial food imports will reach only 80 percent of the 1995/96 level which amounts to 72 000 tonnes. This leaves an import gap of 46 000 tonnes which is expected to be filled by a variety of coping mechanisms and food aid targeted at vulnerable groups such as IDPs, refugees, victims of floods, unaccompanied children and others. Food prices are high because of transport and marketing constraints.
The staple foodcrops are sweet potatoes, cassava and plantains. Some 10 000 tonnes of wheat and rice are imported annually. The food aid requirement in 1998 is estimated at 2 000 tonnes of wheat.
The staple foodcrops are cassava and plantains, the production of which is estimated at about 330 000 tonnes. Production of cereals in 1997, mainly maize, is estimated at around 25 000 tonnes. The country imports the bulk of its wheat and rice requirement which is estimated at 82 000 tonnes. No food aid is necessary