Area:
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72 000 sq.km
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Climate:
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Mostly tropical wet-dry; extreme south tropical wet; rainy season: March-October
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Population:
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4.84 million (1999 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$ 200 (1997)
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Specific characteristics of the country:
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Low-income food-deficit country; coastal country
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Logistics:
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Roads inadequate
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Major foodcrops:
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Rice, roots and tubers
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Marketing year:
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January/December; Lean season: July-August
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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57 percent
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Growing conditions are adequate and allow a good development of rice crop and tubers. However, despite the recent peace agreement, insecurity in the major part of the country during the beginning of the growing season has prevented the delivery of agricultural inputs, and disrupted most agricultural activities. The implementation of the recently signed peace plan could allow emergency distributions of seeds and tools but might not be sufficient to allow a real recovery of the agricultural production.
Food distributions are underway but are insufficient to cover the needs of the large number of displaced persons. Current estimates point to about 700 000 to 1 million people displaced within the country, including an estimated 150 000 in Freetown, 25 000 in Waterloo, 30 000 in Lungi, 55 000 in Kenema, 4 000 in Bo, 13 000 in Blama, 17 000 in Kambia. The nutritional status of IDPs remains precarious and food shortages have been reported in various places in the country, including in the areas of Kambia, Bo, Kenema, Makeni and Daru. Food prices are still extremely high. Despite the recently signed cease fire and the control by ECOWAS forces of the main roads to Bo and Kenema areas, poor infrastructures and the start of the rainy season have made road travels very difficult and are hampering the delivery of substantial quantities of food in these areas where large numbers of internally displaced persons have settled. Food aid deliveries to the north of the country are organized from neighbouring Guinea. Significant improvement of the food supply situation is expected as a result of the implementation of the peace process and the desarming of fighters, which allows humanitarian agencies to reach regions where no assistance could be provided during the last six months. FAO estimates Sierra Leone's cereal import requirement for 1999 at about 290 000 tonnes, including 140 000 tonnes of food aid. As ofmid-July, only 24 000 tonnes of food aid, mainly in the form of bulgur wheat, had been delivered.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Normal Production | - | 390 | 57 | 447 |
| Normal Imports | 60 | 110 | 15 | 185 |
| of which: Structural food aid | 40 | 10 | 15 | 65 |
| 1999 Domestic Availability | - | 210 | 53 | 263 |
| 1998 Production (rice in paddy terms) | - | 350 | 53 | 403 |
| 1998 Production (rice in milled terms) | - | 210 | 53 | 263 |
| Possible stock drawdown | - | - | - | - |
| 1999 Utilization | 100 | 350 | 103 | 553 |
| Food Use | 94 | 280 | 93 | 467 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | - | - |
| Non-food use | - | 70 | 10 | 80 |
| Exports or Re-exports | - | - | - | - |
| Possible stock build up | 6 | - | - | 6 |
| 1999 Import Requirement | 100 | 140 | 50 | 290 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 40 | 110 | - | 150 |
| Food aid needs | 60 | 30 | 50 | 140 |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | 16 | 3 | 6 | 24 |
| of which: Delivered | 16 | 3 | 6 | 24 |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year) | 19 | 58 | 19 | 96 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 1998 production as % of normal: | 90 | |||
| 1999 import requirement as % of normal: | 157 | |||
| 1999 food aid requirement as % of normal: | 215 |
