FAO/GIEWS: Africa Report 02/97

ERITREA

CURRENT SITUATION

A recent FAO Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission found that although there are signs that the economy is now recovering after several decades of armed conflict and consequent neglect, agriculture and the capacity of the country to meet food requirements through its own resources, remain weak and highly unstable. Agriculture is still based on subsistence farming, where input use and the adoption of yield enhancing technologies remain extremely low, even by standards in other sub-Saharan countries. On most farms, output barely meets subsistence requirements in good years, whilst in bad years, pest infestation and drought significantly erode the capacity of the household to react to food shortages.

In the 1996 crop year, although rainfall at the beginning of the season in April was favourable, encouraging an expansion in area cultivated, a subsequent drought in July/August, in many areas, severely affected crops at a critical stage in growth. Production of cereals and pulses this year is, therefore, estimated at approximately 132 000 tons, some 11 percent lower than 1995 and 29 percent lower than the average for the preceding four years. Taking into account opening stocks of 60 000 tons would give an overall availability of 192 000 tons in 1997. Against this the country requires some 395 000 tons for food alone and 481 000 tons for total utilization, leaving an overall import requirement of over 289 000 tons. Assuming that 120 000 tons would come in the form of commercial imports (including cross border transactions) and a further 25 000 tons as pledged food assistance, the remaining deficit for 1997, to be covered by food assistance, amounts to 144 000 tons.