BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Area: 246 000 sq.km
Climate: Tropical wet-dry; one rainy season: March/June to October/November
Population: 6.7 million (1995 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: U.S.$ 510 (1994)
Specific characteristics of the country: Low-income food-deficit country; mountainous coastal country
Logistics: Ports and roads inadequate
Major foodcrops: Rice, roots and tubers, coarse grains
Marketing year: January/December; Lean season: July-September
Share of cereals in total calorie intake: 52 percent
CURRENT SITUATION
Rainfall was abundant in July, decreased during the first and second dekads of August, notably in the east, and became very heavy during the third dekad over the entire country. Millet, sorghum and maize are flowering/heading in the north and rice is maturing in the south.
There are approximately 605 000 Liberian and Sierra-Leonean refugees in Guinea, of whom 536 000 receive food aid. The cereal import requirement for 1996 (including re-export) is estimated at 300 000 tons mostly wheat and rice.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Normal production | - | 423 | 250 | 673 |
| Normal imports (incl. re-exports) | 100 | 190 | - | 290 |
| of which: Structural food aid | 2 | 35 | - | 37 |
| 1996 Domestic availability | 10 | 477 | 253 | 740 |
| 1995 Production | - | 467 | 253 | 720 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 10 | 10 | - | 20 |
| 1996 Utilization | 110 | 677 | 253 | 1 040 |
| Food use | 107 | 567 | 215 | 889 |
| Non-food use | 3 | 70 | 38 | 111 |
| (Re)exports | - | 40 | - | 40 |
| 1996 Import Requirement | 100 | 200 | - | 300 1/ |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 98 | 160 | - | 258 1/ |
| Food aid needs | 2 | 40 2/ | - | 42 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | 3 | 10 | - | 13 |
| of which: Delivered | - | 5 | - | 5 |
| Donor-financed local purchases | - | 1 | - | 1 |
| Estimated per caput consumption (kg/year) | 15 | 85 | 32 | 132 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 1995 production as % of normal: | 107 | |||
| 1996 import requirement as % of normal: | 103 | |||
| 1996 food aid requirement as % of normal (including refugee needs): | 114 | |||