Foodcrops and Shortages January/February 1996

AFFECTED COUNTRIES

UNFAVOURABLE PROSPECTS FOR CURRENT CROPS 1/

Country	Harvest date	Main contributory factors
Argentina	Nov./Jan.	Reduced plantings, insufficient rains
Burundi*	May/June	Insecurity, shortages of inputs
Chile	Dec./Feb	Insufficient rains
Cuba	Aug./Dec.	Reduced plantings, shortages of inputs
Grenada	Jan./Dec.	Pest infestations
Kyrghyz Republic	July/Aug.	Reduced plantings, shortage of seeds and inputs
Mexico	Oct./Dec.	Reduced plantings, insufficient rains
St. Kitts & Nevis	Jan./Dec.	Hurricane floods; pest infestations
Sri Lanka	Mar./Apr.	Insufficient rainfall
Tajikistan*	July/Aug.	Reduced plantings, shortage of seeds and inputs

1/ Main crop unless otherwise indicated.

SHORTFALLS IN FOOD SUPPLIES IN CURRENT MARKETING YEAR
REQUIRING EXCEPTIONAL AND/OR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE
- Afghanistan* (July/June), Angola* (Apr./Mar.), Armenia* (July/June), Azerbaijan (July/June), Bosnia-Herzegovina* (July/June), Burundi* (Jan./Dec.), Eritrea (Jan./Dec.), Ethiopia* (Jan./Dec.), Georgia* (Jan./Dec.), Haiti* (July/June), Iraq* (July/June), Korea, D.P.R.* (November/October), Laos* (Jan./Dec.), Lesotho (Apr./Mar.), Liberia* (Jan./Dec.), Malawi* (Apr./Mar.), Mongolia* (Oct./Sept.), Mozambique* (May/Apr.), Rwanda* (Jan./Dec.), Sierra Leone* (Jan./Dec.), Somalia* (Sept./Aug), Sudan* (Nov./Oct.), Tajikistan* (July/June), Zaire* (Jan./Dec.), Zambia (May/Apr.)

DISTRIBUTION OF LOCAL AND/OR EXPORTABLE SURPLUSES
REQUIRING EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE:
- Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Uganda

NOTES:
(i) New countries included in this report compared to last month's report, are underlined.
(ii) Countries with unfavourable prospects for current crop and/or uncovered shortfalls are marked in bold.
(iii) Countries affected or threatened by successive bad crops or food shortages are marked with an asterisk (*).

"Unfavourable Prospects for Current Crops": Refer to prospects of a shortfall in production of current crops as a result of a reduction of the area planted and/or adverse weather conditions, plant pests, diseases and other calamities which indicate a need for close monitoring of the crops for the remainder of the growing season. Return

"Shortfalls in Food Supplies in Current Marketing Year Requiring Exceptional External Assistance": Refer to an exceptional shortfall in aggregate supplies or a localized deficit as a result of crop failures, natural disasters, interruption of imports, disruption of distribution, excessive post-harvest losses, other supply bottlenecks and/or an increased demand for food arising from population movements within the country or an influx of refugees. In the case of an exceptional shortfall in aggregate food supplies, exceptional and/or emergency food aid may be required to cover all or part of the deficit. Return

"Distribution of Local and/or Exportable Surpluses Requiring External Assistance": Refers to a situation of an exceptional surplus existing in a particular area of a country which needs to be transported to deficit areas in the same country or the neighbouring countries for which purpose external assistance is required. Return