GIEWS Update - Burkina Faso, 17 July 2019
17/07/2019
In northern areas, an upsurge of violence by armed groups since early 2019 is severely damaging rural livelihood systems and driving widespread internal displacements. The number of displaced people is currently estimated at about 220 000, almost five times the caseload in late 2018, and is expected to further escalate in the coming months.
Special Report - The 2018 FAO/WFP agriculture and food security mission to Rakhine State, Myanmar
12/07/2019
Following an official request from the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation (MoALI) of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar on 4 December 2017, a joint FAO/WFP Agriculture and Food Security Mission visited Yangon, Nay Pyi Taw and Rakhine State between 23 April and 15 May 2018. The Mission gathered impressions on the 2017/18 cropping season and the overall food security situation as well as observed preparations and conditions for the 2018/19 season.
Pilot project on the implementation of the OECD-FAO Guidance for Responsible Agricultural Supply Chains
11/07/2019
This final report presents the key findings of the pilot project for testing the practical application of the OECD-FAO Guidance. It includes progress made over the pilot timeline, and summarizes the key lessons learned, good practices and challenges highlighted through the activities implemented with pilot participants throughout the duration of the pilot project. It provides conclusions and recommendations for various categories of staekholders.
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #6, 10 July 2019
10/07/2019
Weather-driven factors pushed up the United States of America export prices of maize to a five-year high in June. International prices of wheat also rose, while those of rice remained generally stable. In East Africa, the ongoing harvests and beneficial late season rains, which improved crop prospects, halted the increasing trend of maize prices registered over the past several months. Prices, however, remained generally well above those a year earlier. In Southern Africa, cereal prices in Zimbabwe surged in May, following a hike in fuel prices, triggered by a weakening currency weakness, coupled with a sharply reduced 2019 harvest. In South America, domestic prices of yellow maize increased in June in key producing and exporting countries, Argentina and Brazil, due to unusually strong international demand and despite the ongoing harvests, expected at a bumper level.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation - Quarterly Global Report, No. 2, July 2019
04/07/2019
FAO assesses that globally 41 countries, of which 31 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food. Continuing conflicts remain the primary driver of high levels of severe food insecurity. Also adverse weather conditions and consequent impacts on agricultural production have acutely affected food availability and access.
Major tropical fruits market review 2017
02/07/2019
A comprehensive analysis of production, trade, and prices of major tropical fruits
GIEWS Update - East and Southeast Asia, 2 July 2019
02/07/2019
African Swine Fever continues to spread within East and Southeast Asia, leading to the death and the culling of millions of pigs. The disease poses a serious threat to the livelihood and food security of large numbers of people relying on the production and processing of pigs.
OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028 - Main publication
24/06/2019
The Agricultural Outlook 2019-2028 is a collaborative effort of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. It brings together the commodity, policy and country expertise of both organisations as well as input from collaborating member countries to provide an annual assessment of the prospects for the coming decade of national, regional and global agricultural commodity markets.This year's Special Feature will focus on agricultural development in Latin America.
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #5, 11 June 2019
11/06/2019
Export prices of maize from the United States of America increased in May, underpinned by the impact of heavy rains in key growing areas, which also limited the decline in the export prices of wheat. International prices of rice remained generally stable. In East Africa, severe early and mid-season dryness affecting production prospects for the 2019 harvests continued to support the increases in prices of maize in several countries of the subregion. In the Sudan and South Sudan, a halt in currency depreciations contributed to a softer tone in prices of coarse grains in the past month. In Southern Africa, prices of maize came under general downward pressure in May with the start of the 2019 harvests. By contrast, in Zimbabwe, retail prices of maize and wheat flour spiked after upward price revisions by the milling industry, reflecting the continuing depreciation of the country’s currency as well as the sharply reduced production prospects for the 2019 cereal crops.
GIEWS Special Alert No. 346 - Somalia, 15 May 2019
15/05/2019
Between July and September 2019, 2.2 million people, almost 18 percent of the total population, are expected to face severe food insecurity. The projected food insecure caseload is 40 percent higher than the estimate at the beginning of 2019, as drought conditions are severely affecting crop and livestock production and disrupting livelihoods. Household resilience has been undermined by recurrent climatic shocks, overstretched social support networks and declining humanitarian assistance. Urgent life saving and livelihood support, including cash and food assistance, are needed to prevent a further worsening of the current humanitarian situation.
Food Outlook - May 2019
14/05/2019
Food markets in 2019/20 are bracing for some additional uncertainties beyond their own fundamentals. A fast-changing trade environment and the rapid spread of African Swine Fever constitute important challenges to overcome. However, prospects point to generally well supplied markets, which is seen to contribute to a lower food import bill in 2019.
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #4, 13 May 2019
13/05/2019
International prices of wheat and maize declined further in April, mostly on account of abundant exportable supplies and the good 2019 global production prospects. International prices of rice remained generally stable. In East Africa, concerns over the impact of severe dry and hot weather conditions on the 2019 crops underpinned the sharp increases of maize prices registered in several countries in April. In the Sudan and South Sudan, prices of coarse grains continued to rise, mainly supported by the depreciation of the countries’ currencies. In Southern Africa, sharply diminished 2019 crop prospects and tight supplies continued to sustain increases in the prices of maize, which were at levels well above those a year earlier in most countries of the subregion.
Banana Statistical Compendium 2018
09/05/2019
The Banana Statistical compendium, issued once a year, contains information on global banana trade. Its sources include information provided by FAO member nations, traders, news bulletins and the opinions of commodity specialists and represents the most authoritative and up-to-date source of information on the world banana economy.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Joint Rapid Food Security Assessment to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
03/05/2019
At request of the government, a joint FAO/WFP rapid Food Security Assessment Mission (rFSA) visited DPRK from 29 March to 12 April 2019. The overall objective of the joint FAO/WFP mission was to conduct an independent assessment of the 2018 production shortfall and the food security situation in the country. Provision of accurate, timely and credible information through this exercise is critical to inform appropriate interventions by the government, the international community, and others to mitigate the impact of the reported drops in harvest output.
GIEWS Update - Central America, 30 April 2019
30/04/2019
In Central America, the El Niño phenomenon is generally associated with below-average rains and prolonged dry spells. The 2019 January-March dry season in the subregion was drier than usual due to the presence of El Niño, which affected production of the 2018 third season maize crop in Guatemala.
GIEWS Special Alert No. 345 - East Africa, 23 April 2019
23/04/2019
Severe dryness prevailed in March 2019 and in the first half of April in large parts of Eastern Africa, as the Tropical Cyclone “Idai” redirected precipitations away from the subregion. Weather forecasts previously pointed to average to above-average March-May rains, but subsequent updates predicted dry conditions in April and a mixed performance of rains in May depending on the locality. The current dry weather conditions are severely affecting pastoral areas, compounding the impact of the poor 2018 October-December rains and raising major food security concerns. The severe dry conditions impacted planting and germination of crops in several areas, and crop production is expected at well below-average levels. Major areas of concern are northern and eastern Kenya, Somalia, southeastern Ethiopia, Uganda and northeastern United Republic of Tanzania. Recurrent climatic shocks have undermined household resilience. Urgent support to agricultural livelihoods is critically needed.
Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin #3, 10 April 2019
10/04/2019
International prices of wheat and maize fell in March, mostly on account of abundant export supplies. International prices of rice were only mildly firmer, as weak demand by a number of countries capped increases in the Japonica and lower quality Indica markets. In Southern Africa, extensive damage to cropped land and infrastructure caused by Cyclone Idai could trigger temporary food price spikes in Malawi and Mozambique, as well as Zimbabwe, where the unstable economic situation and unfavourable production prospects for the 2019 crop had already underpinned the sharp price increases between October 2018 and February this year. In East Africa, in the Sudan and South Sudan, prices of coarse grains increased in March and reached exceptionally high levels, underpinned by the further depreciation of the countries’ currencies on the parallel market and high production and transport costs.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation - Quarterly Global Report, No. 1, March 2019
29/03/2019
FAO assesses that globally 41 countries, of which 31 are in Africa, continue to be in need of external assistance for food. Conflict remains the main driver of high levels of severe food insecurity. Weather‑induced production declines and economic instability have also adversely impacted on food availability and access.
Dairy Market Review - Overview of global dairy market developments - March 2018
29/03/2019
Global milk output in 2018 is estimated at 842 million tonnes, an increase of 2.2 percent from 2017, driven by production expansions in India, Turkey, the EU, Pakistan, the United States and Argentina, but partially offset by declines in China and Ukraine, among few others.
Meat Market Review - Overview of global meat market developments, March 2019
22/03/2019
Global meat output in 2018 is estimated at 336.4 million tonnes, up 1.2 percent from 2017, principally originated in the United States, the EU, and the Russian Federation, but partially offset by a decline in China and stagnation in Brazil, two of the world’s largest meat producers. Meat output volumes expanded in all major regions in the world, especially in Europe and North America. Productivity improvements, as countries introduced better management practices, more streamlined production systems and new technology, were largely behind the output expansion. Moreover, droughts in some parts of the world, including in the United States in the first half of the year, in the EU during the summer months, and Australia almost throughout the year, led to higher animal slaughter. Across the various meat sub-sectors, bovine meat output (refer to meat derived from ruminant mammals including cows, ox and buffalos) registered the highest expansion (+2.1 percent), followed by poultry meat (+1.3 percent), but remained stable for ovine meat (meat derived from sheep and goats) (+0.6 percent) and pigmeat (+0.6 percent). World meat exports in 2018 is estimated at 33.8 million tonnes, up 2.9 percent from 2017, principally driven by increased shipments from the United States, Australia, Argentina and the EU, but retreated in India, China and Brazil. China, the world’s largest meat importer, increased its purchases significantly, as consumer demand for meat continued to rise amid a contraction in pigmeat output, partly due to the onset of the African swine fever. Elsewhere, imports increased in the Republic of Korea, and Viet Nam, while the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia and the United States have cut back on imports. Across meat categories, world meat exports expanded at faster rates for ovine (+9.4 percent) and bovine (+6.1 percent) than for pigmeat (+1.6 percent) and poultry (+1.0 percent). The annual average value of world meat prices in 2018, measured by the FAO Meat Price Index, was 2.2 percent lower than in 2017, reflecting the declines in prices of pig (-8.1 percent) and poultry (-4.8 percent) meats and stability of bovine meat prices (+0.2 percent). Ovine meat prices increased by as much as 17 percent, but did not affect the average index value significantly because of its low weightage in the index. The spread of the African Swine Fever (ASF) and associated import restrictions weighed on international pigmeat price quotations while generally sluggish poultry import demand caused its prices to weaken. Abundant export supplies and robust demand from across the world characterized the global bovine market, keeping its prices stable. Price strength of ovine meat during the whole year was a result of strong import demand, combined with limited supplies from Oceania.