Rice Market Monitor - April 2012
10/04/2012
GIEWS Special Alert No. 331 - Syrian Arab Republic, 14 March 2012
14/03/2012
Continued civil unrest in the Syrian Arab Republic since midMarch 2011 has raised serious concern over the state of food security, particularly for vulnerable groups. Following the unrest, a contraction is forecast in the 2011 real GDP and the downturn is expected to continue in 2012. Economic and trading sanctions together with the strong depreciation of the local currency (Syrian pound) are expected to negatively affect the country’s commercial import capacity, including food commodities. The imposition of an additional 30 percent tax by the Syrian Arab Republic on goods imported from Turkey is expected to put further pressure on domestic prices and hence reduce access to food particularly for poorer households. According to the Syrian Central Bureau of Statistics, inflation increased between June and December 2011 by about 15 percent, mainly driven by sharp increases in food prices and by fuel shortages that are impacting on transportation costs.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #1, March 2012
08/03/2012
FAO’s first forecast for world wheat production in 2012 stands at 690 million tonnes, 10 million tonnes less than last year’s record high, but still the second largest crop. Plantings remain high in response to favourable price prospects but yields are assumed to return to average after bumper levels last year in some countries. International prices of cereals firmed in recent weeks with tightening wheat supplies and concerns over the impact of severe cold weather in Europe and the CIS. Maize prices also rose, mainly driven by stronger import demand in Asia, supported by a weaker dollar as well as concerns about crop prospects in South America. Rice prices, however, remained under downward pressure on generally weak import demand and stiff competition among exporters. The cereal import bill of Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs) as a group is anticipated to increase in 2011/12 mainly due to a decline in production and rise in import requirements in the major importing countries.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.1, February 2012
29/02/2012
The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements of each country. This report is complement ary to the FAO/GIEWS report Crop Prospects and Food Situation and is published four times a year, with the same schedule.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to South Sudan - 8 February 2012
08/02/2012
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited South Sudan from 16 October to 10 November 2011 to estimate cereal production and assess the overall food-security situation. The mission was requested following the findings of the Rapid Crop Assessment (RCA) conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) in August in collaboration with FAO, WFP, FEWSNet and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). Based on the RCA scenario analysis, cereal production in 2011 was forecast to decline by between 30 and 60 percent relative to 2010, if the prevailing conditions at the time of the assessment persisted.
Rice Market Monitor - January 2012
10/01/2012
The development of global diets since ICN 1992
01/01/2012
The scope of this report is to discuss dietary and nutritional changes and their causes since the International Conference on Nutrition (ICN) 1992, with particular reference to developments on international food markets and policies. While the proportion of chronically hungry has been falling over the last two decades, the absolute number has remained stable at about 800m, and has been overtaken by the increasing numbers of overweight and obese individuals. Many developing and middle incom e countries are experiencing a nutrition transition characterized by a movement from diets associated with undernutrition to diets associated with overnutritrion. Overweight and obesity are prevalent among low socio-economic groups in middle-income and developed countries and among the better off in poorer countries.
FAO Rice Market Monitor - November 2012
01/01/2012
Global food price monitor - Volume 2011
08/12/2011
The Global food price monitor was issued by GIEWS from 2010 until the end of 2014, reporting on food price developments at world, regional and country level with focus on developing countries. From January 2015 this report was replaced by the Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Bulletin.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #1, December 2011
08/12/2011
As the year draws to a close, FAO’s latest estimate confirms a record high global cereal production in 2011, which should be sufficient to cover the expected increase in utilization in 2011/12 and also allow a moderate replenishment of world reserves. International grain prices remained mostly under downward pressure in November, reflecting the confirmation of a strong recovery in production amid deteriorating world economic prospects and a stronger US dollar. Based on the estimated increase in import requirements, the cereal import bill of LIFDCs for 2011/12 marketing season is forecast by FAO at a record level.
Price Volatility in Agricultural Markets (No. 12)
01/12/2011
Recent bouts of extreme price volatility in global agricultural markets portend rising and more frequent threats to world food security. To reduce countries’ vulnerability, policies should improve market functioning and equip countries to better cope with the adverse effects of extreme volatility.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
25/11/2011
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited DPRK at the request of the Government from 3 to 17 October to assess the 2011 main-crop harvest, forecast the 2012 production of winter and spring crops, estimate cereal import requirements for the 2011/12 marketing year (November/October), to assess the household food security situation and estimate food assistance needs.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.4, November 2011
17/11/2011
The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements of each country. This report is complement ary to the FAO/GIEWS report Crop Prospects and Food Situation and is published four times a year, with the same schedule.
Rice Market Monitor - November 2011
15/11/2011
Food Outlook - November 2011
03/11/2011
In spite of improved supply prospects and weakening demand, agricultural commodity market conditions remain fairly tight, which is the major factor underpinning prices. Production forecasts for nearly all key food crops in 2011 have risen steadily since the previous report in June. For cereals, while the forecast for ending stocks in 2012 has also been revised up significantly, larger anticipated inventories reflect not only improved production prospects but also expectations of a slowing demand growth because of the unfavourable macroeconomic environment. In spite of these developments, however, international prices of all commodities covered in this report continue to be high and, in most cases, above the previous year. Strong underlying demand in certain countries, where economic growth is robust, is price supportive. Aside from being high, most prices are also extremely volatile, moving in tandem with unstable financial and equity markets. Fluctuations in exchange rates and uncertainties in energy markets are also contributing to sharp price swings in agricultural markets.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to Lao People's Democratic Republic
27/10/2011
Prompted by concerns about a very weak start to the rainy season in parts of Lao PDR (and in much of the surrounding region) which was then followed by excessive rainfall and flooding in several areas later in the season, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) requested a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to evaluate the 2010 main paddy crop, forecast the 2011 irrigated crop and assess the overall food situation, import requirements and food aid needs, if any, for the 2010/11 marketing year (January/December). The last such mission had taken place in 2001, following serious regional flooding.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #3, October 2011
06/10/2011
Prospects for global cereal production in 2011 have improved since September, following better expectations for rice and wheat. At the expected record level of 2 310 million tonnes, world cereal production would be 3 percent, or 68 million tonnes, above the reduced 2010 level. In September, international prices of all cereals with the exception of rice fell sharply, triggered by global economic slowdown and the strengthening of the US dollar as well as large export supplies from the Black Sea region. The expected slower recovery in the world economy will bring more uncertainty to the food security situation. The aggregate cereal imports of LIFDCs in the 2011/12 are estimated to increase after declining for the previous two years.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.3, September 2011
22/09/2011
The FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance System (CCBS) is a database of annual supply and utilization balances for main cereals, covering all countries of the world. It has been maintained by FAO/GIEWS since 1980 and is updated on a continual basis. This statistical report, which is a subset of CCBS data, presents the current-year cereal supply and demand balances for all sub-Saharan African countries, highlighting cereal import and food aid requirements of each country. This report is complement ary to the FAO/GIEWS report Crop Prospects and Food Situation and is published four times a year, with the same schedule.
Rice Market Monitor - July 2011
12/07/2011
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #2, June 2011
09/06/2011
FAO’s latest cereal production forecast for 2011 stands at 2 302 million tonnes, nearly 3 percent higher than in 2010, but 13 million tonnes lower than the forecast published in Food Outlook on 7 June. At this revised level, world cereal production would now be slightly below overall utilization, leading to a further decline in world stocks. The revision largely reflects a downward adjustment to this year’s official maize production forecast in the United States, released on 9 June by USDA. International grain prices remained high in the first half of June. Cereal prices continue to rise in several developing country regions, particularly in import-dependent CIS, Central America and drought-affected Eastern Africa. Staple food prices, however, have remained low and relatively stable in southern and western Africa due to relatively good domestic production in 2010, and in most countries of North Africa due to government interventions. The aggregate cereal output of LIFDCs is forecast to increase by about 2 percent in 2011. However, excluding India, the production of this group is anticipated to remain around the level of 2010.