Africa report 05/96 af605p.htm

COMOROS

Area:	2 000 sq.km
Climate:	Tropical wet-dry; one hot rainy season with cyclone probability; June-October dry and cool
Population:	0.65 million (1996 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: U.S.$ 520 (1993)
Specific characteristics of the country:	Low-income food-deficit country; archipelago of four small islands
Logistics:	-
Major foodcrops:	Rice, roots, tubers, bananas and coconuts
Marketing year:	January/December
Share of cereals in total calorie intake:	44 percent

CURRENT SITUATION

Most of the country's agricultural land is planted to cash crops, bananas and root crops. Only one-quarter of the cereal requirement is produced locally and, consequently, there is a structural deficit of some 44 000 tons of cereals, largely covered by commercial imports. Food aid needs are estimated at 10 000 tons.

CEREAL SUPPLY/DEMAND BALANCE FOR THE 1996 MARKETING YEAR (in thousand tons)

	Wheat	Rice	Coarse grains	Total
Normal production	-	10	4	14
Normal imports (incl. re-exports)	3	38	2	43
of which: Structural food aid	2	5	1	8
1995 Production	-	10	4	14
1996 Utilization	4	50	4	58
Food use	4	48	2	54
Non-food use	-	2	2	4
1996 Import Requirement	4	40	-	44
Anticipated commercial imports	3	31	-	34
Food aid needs	1	9	-	10
Current Aid Position
Food aid pledges	-	-	-	-
of which: Delivered	-	-	-	-
Estimated per caput consumption (kg/year)	6	74	3	83
Indexes
1995 production as % of normal:				100
1996 import requirement as % of normal:				102
1996 food aid requirement as % of normal (including refugee needs):				125

FAO/GIEWS - April 1996