FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops and Shortages 06/02 - GUINEA (3 June)
The first rains were registered in the south in March where they permitted land preparation and first plantings. However, the weather remains mostly dry in the centre and the north. The overall food supply situation is satisfactory following satisfactory harvests in 2000 and 2001. Markets are well supplied, except in the south-east where recurrent rebel incursions from Sierra Leone have severely affected agricultural and marketing activities.
The presence of a large refugee population and the persistent instability in the sub-region have exacted a heavy toll on the country. Armed clashes in and around the country have also resulted in increasing numbers of internally displaced persons (IDPs). UNHCR is preparing to open a new camp for Liberian refugees in Laine, about 76 km from the border after the two other camps had become full.
Cereal import requirement for the 2002 marketing year is estimated at 330 000 tonnes.