TANZANIA, UNITED REPUBLIC OF (15 October)
Planting of the 2005 main season cereal crops in the unimodal central and southern areas, as well as that of 2004/05 short season ("Vuli" ) crops in bi-modal northern areas, is underway. With normal to above normal rainfall predicted in September to December in most parts of the country, prospects are generally favourable.
The 2003/04 cereal crop, mainly maize, is estimated at about 4.9 million tonnes, more than 20 percent above last year’s crop and the previous five years average. The overall food supply situation is satisfactory with stable or declining cereal prices in central, east coast, lake and northern Tanzania. However, sharp price increases were observed in southern highlands and southern coast areas due partly to the increased cereal demand from neighbouring countries like Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi which saw major deficits due to adverse weather or insecurity. Furthermore, some 12 districts in northern and central Tanzania, mainly in the regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Dodoma, Morogoro, Shinyanga and Singida are reported to face varying degrees of food insecurity.