BURKINA FASO (11 September)
Good growing conditions in July were followed by abundant and well-distributed rains in August. The rains were particularly abundant and well above normal during the last dekad. Despite localized floods in the south and southeast, growing conditions are generally adequate for crop development. Millet and sorghum are generally in the heading and early maturation stages. Pastures are abundant. The overall pest situation is calm.
Following the 2002 record harvest, the overall food supply situation is satisfactory. However, the returnees and refugees from Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the people living in the food-deficit northern and Sahelian zones, will continue to need food assistance. Pastoralists are particularly affected in these zones as livestock prices continue to drop.