Rainfall started in mid-August, became abundant over the north and the centre in late August, and reached the south in early October, allowing the planting of maize. As the main growing season starts in September in the north and the centre, agricultural activities and particularly the planting of maize, might have been affected by insecurity, the presence of high numbers of refugees, and the lack of seeds and other inputs usually coming from Brazzaville or Pointe Noire. This might affect the cereal output, but only marginally as regards root and tuber production which forms the bulk of foodcrops production. Fishing activities on the Congo river, which represent a substantial part of household income, are also hampered by the decrease of trading activities with these two main cities.

It is estimated that about 600 000 people left Brazzaville during the civil disturbances, of whom some 450 000 went into rural areas and have substantially increased the demand on the available resources. This may hamper normal agricultural activities in many areas and could limit the output of the main growing season which is starting now. Food assistance is being provided in Brazzaville to about 55 000 refugees from Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as displaced Congolese. In Loukolela and Bilolo, close to 10,000 Rwandan refugees continue to receive food assistance. About 40 000 Congolese people fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo and are being housed in a refugee camp near Kinshasa. Before the fighting, the overall food supply situation was satisfactory, with production of staple foodcrops (roots, tubers and plantains) amounting to about 650 000 tons. Markets were well supplied with these staples. For the 1997/98 marketing year (July/June), the cereal import requirement is estimated at 113 000 tons, mostly wheat, including a structural food aid requirement of 2 000 tons.