Seasonably dry conditions prevail. A joint FAO/CILSS Crop Assessment Mission which visited Senegal in mid-October estimated 1996 aggregate cereal production at 1 066 900 tons of cereals. This is close to the 1995 level and above average. Production of rice and sorghum increased, while that of maize decreased. Compared with last season's results, cropped areas estimated at a total of 1 300 000 hectares have increased by 7 percent. An estimated 28 000 tons of recession crops should be added to this forecast, which gives a total of about 1 095 000 tons. Rice and fonio production has increased by 10 and 12 percent respectively. Maize production is expected to fall by 8 percent.
The overall food supply situation is satisfactory. Markets are generally well supplied except for maize. Prices of cereals have declined following the harvest but they remained slightly above 1995 level for millet and sorghum in the north. The country imports large quantities of rice to cover its consumption requirement. External assistance may be required for the mobilization of cereals in the south and their transfer to northern deficit areas.