|
Area: |
30 000 sq.km |
|
Climate: |
Highland rainy climate with mild winter. One rainy season Oct.-April. Cool temperatures |
|
in May-September with frost hazard | |
|
Population: |
2.1 million (excluding migrant labour force)(1996 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: U.S.$ 660 |
|
(1993) | |
|
Specific characteristics of the country: |
Low-income food-deficit country; land-locked country |
|
Logistics: |
All imports through South Africa |
|
Major foodcrops: |
Maize, sorghum, vegetables |
|
Marketing year: |
April/March; Lean season: February-April |
|
Share of cereals in total calorie intake: |
75 percent |
CURRENT SITUATION
Rains in November/December favoured seeding and germination of recently planted mountain coarse grain crops. Light to moderate rains since January continue to provide favourable conditions for crop development. The recently harvested 1995/96 winter wheat is expected to be above-average. This confirms the upwards revision in the official estimates of 1996 cereal production which is now nearly five times output in the previous year.
As a result of the bumper crop, the overall food supply situation in the 1996/97 marketing year is expected to improve considerably. The cereal import requirement is now estimated at about 145 000 tons, most of which would be covered by commercial imports.
|
Wheat |
Rice |
Coarse grains |
Total |
|
|
Normal Production (rice in paddy terms) |
23 |
- |
155 |
178 |
|
Normal Imports |
55 |
10 |
150 |
215 |
|
of which: Structural food aid |
15 |
2 |
20 |
37 |
|
1996/97 Domestic Availability |
30 |
- |
222 |
252 |
|
1996 Production (rice in paddy terms) |
30 |
- |
222 |
252 |
|
1996 Production (rice in milled terms) |
30 |
- |
222 |
252 |
|
Possible stock drawdown |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
1996/97 Utilization |
81 |
- |
315 |
396 |
|
Food Use |
78 |
- |
293 |
371 |
|
of which: local purchase requirement |
- |
- |
3 |
3 |
|
Non-food use |
3 |
- |
22 |
25 |
|
Exports or Re-exports |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
Possible stock build up |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
1996/97 Import Requirement |
51 |
- |
93 |
144 |
|
Anticipated commercial imports |
41 |
- |
53 |
94 |
|
Food aid needs |
10 |
- |
40 |
50 |
|
Current Aid Position | ||||
|
Food aid pledges |
- |
- |
32 |
32 |
|
of which: Delivered |
- |
- |
32 |
32 |
|
Donor-financed local purchases |
- |
- |
3 |
3 |
|
Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year) |
37 |
- |
139 |
176 |
|
Indexes | ||||
|
1996 production as % of normal: |
142 |
|||
|
1996/97 import requirement as % of normal: |
67 |
|||
|
1996/97 food aid requirement as % of normal: |
135 |