Area:
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911 000 sq.km
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Climate:
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Mostly tropical wet-dry, south-west tropical wet, extreme north semi-arid
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Population:
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111 million (2000 estimate); G.N.P. per caput: US$ 300 (1998)
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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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Ports adequate, roads inadequate during rainy season
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Major foodcrops:
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Roots and tubers, coarse grains, rice
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Marketing year:
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January/December; Lean season: April-May
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Share of cereals in total calorie intake:
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43 percent
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First rains started in the south during the second dekad of March, allowing land preparation and planting of the first maize crop. Rains progressed northwards in April. Precipitation remained well below average during the first dekad of May. Rainfall improved in the south in mid-May and in the west and the centre in late May. Rains remained generally widespread and abundant in June, except in the north-east but they increased over the entire country in early July.
The overall food supply situation is satisfactory. Some population, however, remain vulnerable following flooding in late 1999 in five States (Sokoto, Adamwara, Borno, Kwara and Niger). New recent flooding inundated hundreds of hectares of farmland in Sokoto area in the north-west. The government decided in February to remove import duties and value-added tax on all agricultural inputs, including fertilizer. The government will no longer be involved in the importation and distribution of fertilizer.
| Wheat | Rice | Coarse grains | Total | |
| Previous five years average production | 58 | 2 937 | 18 470 | 21 465 |
| Previous five years average imports | 1 153 | 400 | 85 | 1 638 |
| 2000 Domestic Availability | 158 | 2 138 | 19 712 | 22 008 |
| 1999 Production (rice in paddy terms) | 58 | 3 397 | 19 712 | 23 167 |
| 1999 Production (rice in milled terms) | 58 | 2 038 | 19 712 | 21 808 |
| Possible stock drawdown | 100 | 100 | - | 200 |
| 2000 Utilization | 1 358 | 2 338 | 19 782 | 23 478 |
| Food Use | 1 286 | 1 931 | 15 643 | 18 859 |
| of which: local purchase requirement | - | - | - | - |
| Non-food use | 52 | 408 | 3 869 | 4 329 |
| Exports or Re-exports | 20 | - | 120 | 140 |
| Possible stock build up | - | - | 150 | 150 |
| 2000 Import Requirement | 1 200 | 200 | 70 | 1 470 |
| Anticipated commercial imports | 1 200 | 200 | 70 | 1 470 |
| Food aid needs | - | - | - | - |
| Current Aid Position | ||||
| Food aid pledges | - | - | - | - |
| of which: Delivered | - | - | - | - |
| Donor-financed purchases | - | - | - | - |
| of which: for local use | - | - | - | - |
| for export | - | - | - | - |
| Estimated Per Caput Consumption (kg/Year) | 12 | 17 | 140 | 169 |
| Indexes | ||||
| 1999 production as % of average: | 108 | |||
| 2000 import requirement as % of average: | 90 |
