EST- The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2008-2017
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This is the fourth time that the Agricultural Outlook report has been prepared jointly by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. The report draws on the commodity, policy and country expertise of both Organisations in providing a longer-term assessment of future prospects in the major world agricultural commodity markets. - GIEWS Special Report on Zimbabwe is now available.
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/alert/index.htm
For a second consecutive year the combined impact of adverse weather, lack of timely availability of inputs and severe economic constraints in Zimbabwe have induced hardship and food insecurity among both rural and urban populations.
National production of main season maize in 2008 is estimated at 575 000 tonnes, some 28 percent lower than the production in 2007 (using the CFSAM estimate of 800 000 tonnes) which in itself was some 44 percent below 2006 government estimate. The Mission estimates the total domestic cereal availability for 2008/09 marketing year at 848 000 tonnes, about 40 percent below last year’s domestic supply. This includes a forecast production of winter wheat and additional production of maize from winter/early, peri-urban/urban and seed crops... - The Food Outlook June 2008 is now available
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/fo/index.htm
In recent weeks, international prices of many agricultural commodities have started to fall and early indications do not preclude further declines in the coming months, however, prices are unlikely to return to the low levels of previous years due to a host of reasons, including the escalated cost of inputs. Moreover, a number of demand factors such as the need to replenish stocks and expected increases in utilization are keeping prices high despite a favourable global production outlook.The most influential development in pushing up international prices of basic foods has been the low level of exportable supplies, resulting from utilization outstripping production for several crops in a number of major exporting countries. Rising utilization levels would necessitate more than one good season to bring about a meaningful replenishment of stocks and hence a reduction in price volatility. - World Food Situation
http://www.fao.org/worldfoodsituation/
Consumers are feeling the impact of food price increases. It is the poor who are hardest hit.
High prices and market uncertainties are of major concern.
This portal offers latest information on food commodity prices, supply and demand and factors that affect world food markets. - GIEWS April 2008 (No.2) Crop Prospects and Food Situation is now available
http://www.fao.org/giews/english/cpfs/index.htm
World cereal production in 2008 is forecast to increase 2.6 percent to a record 2 164 million tonnes. The bulk of the increase is expected to be in wheat following significant expansion in plantings in major producing countries. Coarse grains output is tentatively forecast to remain around the bumper level of last year. Rice production is foreseen to increase slightly reflecting production incentives in several Asian countries. However, much will depend on climatic conditions in the coming months.
Should the expected growth in 2008 production materialize, the current tight global cereal supply situation could ease in the new 2008/09 season.... - Commodity Market Review 2007-2008
http://www.fao.org/es/esc/en/378/384/highlight_526.html
The biennial publication Commodity Market Review (CMR) analyses important agricultural commodity market developments likely to have significant implications for FAO member countries, both developed and developing. This issue of the Review is devoted to exploring in depth a variety of issues related to global agricultural commodity value chains. Value chains have become more complex as production and processing activities turn out to be increasingly fragmented. Moreover, concentration and the prospective of market power, as well as the emergent scope of food standards add to this complexity. This issue includes articles that focus on both cross-commodity issues, such as strategic trade, foreign direct investment and the effectiveness of technical regulation, as well as on characteristics of individual commodity value chains, such as coffee, cocoa and frozen concentrated orange juice, which are of particular interest in terms of industrial organization.
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