BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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.$ 510 (1994)
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.
| 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 | |||