GHANA (30 May)
First rains in the south in late February/early March permitted land preparation and planting of the first maize crop. They progressed to the north in April, allowing plantings and emergence of millet and sorghum crops. However, satellite images show that precipitation decreased in late April and remained below average in May.
Aggregate 2002 cereal production is estimated at about 1.62 million tonnes, 5 percent below the average of the last five years. The cereal import requirement for 2003 is estimated at 520 000 tonnes of which about 460 000 tonnes are anticipated to be covered by commercial imports. The government has increased import duty on rice from 20 percent to 25 percent this year, in order to support domestic rice production and reduce reliance on imported rice.
The effects of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire on Ghana have mainly been an influx of third-country nationals in transit to their countries of origin, Ivorians seeking asylum and the return of Ghanaian nationals. An estimated 70 000 people have entered Ghana from Côte d’Ivoire since September 2002. The capacity of the government, the humanitarian community and host communities to respond to their needs is reported to be under heavy strain. The country is a beneficiary of WFP’s Regional EMOP launched in May for Côte d’Ivoire and neighbouring affected countries.