FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report No.3 - December 2002 p.58
| Area: | 886 000 sq km |
| Climate: | Tropical wet-dry climate with two rainy seasons in north (November-December and March-May) and one in south (November-April) |
| Population: | 34.77 million (2002 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$270 (2001) |
| Specific characteristics of the country: | Low-income food-deficit country; cereal surplus production in south and south-west; cereal deficit in central and north-west. Distribution difficulties |
| Logistics: | Serious shortage of rolling stock, fuel and spare parts |
| Major foodcrops: | Maize, roots, tubers, sorghum, pulses, plantains, rice |
| Marketing year: | June/May; Lean season: February-April |
| Share of cereals in total calorie intake: | 60 percent |
Planting of the 2002/03 short season “vuli” crops in the bi-modal northern areas is underway. The 2002 total cereal production (maize, rice, wheat, sorghum and millet) at 4.3 (milled basis) million tonnes, is about 10 percent above last year's harvest due to favourable rains. Similarly, production of non-cereal crops (pulses, potatoes, cassava and plantains) is reported to be good.
The overall food situation remains satisfactory with increased on-farm stocks and market supplies. However, current wholesale prices for maize in major maize producing regions (including Rukwa, Mbeya, and Iringa in the Southern Highlands, and Dodoma in central Tanzania) were higher this month than the previous five-year average. Also, on some other markets such as Kilimanjaro and Tanga (northern Tanzania), wholesale prices for maize have already started to rise at earlier dates relative to their five-year average trends.
WFP distributed over 3 900 tonnes of food in end-October to early-November to almost 529 000 refugees in Ngara, Kibondo, Kasulu and Lugufu camps.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Previous five years average production | 89 | 788 | 3 135 | 4 012 |
| Previous five years average imports | 278 | 72 | 92 | 442 |
| 2002/03 Domestic Availability | 179 | 507 | 3 704 | 4 390 |
| 2002 Production (rice in paddy terms) | 79 | 780 | 3 704 | 4 563 |
| 2002 Production (rice in milled terms) | 79 | 507 | 3 704 | 4 290 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 100 | - | - | 100 |
| 2002/03 Utilization | 299 | 587 | 3 774 | 4 660 |
| Food use | 271 | 537 | 3 304 | 4 112 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | 60 | 60 |
| Non-food use | 8 | 50 | 370 | 428 |
| Exports or re-exports | 20 | - | 50 | 70 |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | 50 | 50 |
| 2002/03 Import Requirement | 120 | 80 | 70 | 270 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 117 | 80 | 20 | 217 |
| Food aid needs | 3 | - | 50 | 53 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | 3 | - | 14 | 17 |
| of which: delivered | 3 | - | 14 | 17 |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | 19 | 19 |
| of which: for local use | - | - | 19 | 19 |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/year) | 8 | 15 | 95 | 118 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 2002 Production as % of average: | 114 | |||
| 2002/03 Import requirement as % of average: | 61 |