Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop, Livestock and Food Security Assessment Mission to Namibia
14/07/2009
The Mission was in the country from 24 May to 17 June 2009. It spent a few days in Windhoek, the capital city, holding discussions with and receiving briefings from various Government departments, particularly divisions of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF), as well as parastatal bodies such as Namibia Agronomic Board. The Mission then split into three groups and spent 10 days in the affected northern regions accompanied by national experts from the National Early Warning Unit (NEWU), whose assistance and contributions to the work of the Mission are hereby gratefully acknowledged. The first team covered the regions of Kunene North, Omusati and Oshana, the second covered Ohangwena and Oshikoto (and one region in the centre– Otjozondjupa – at the request of MAWF even though the region had not been affected by the flood emergency), while the third assessed Kavango and Caprivi.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #3, July 2009
09/07/2009
Domestic food prices in developing countries mostly remain much higher than before the soaring food price crisis despite a sharp decline in international prices since their peaks in 2008. This situation continues to give rise to concern for the food security of low-income vulnerable populations who spend a large share of their incomes on food. FAO’s latest forecast points to a 3.4 percent reduction in world cereal production in 2009, mostly on account of lower plantings and yields among developed countries. In developing countries, output is expected to remain unchanged from last year.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.3, June 2009
30/06/2009
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 Zimbabwe - 22 June 2009
22/06/2009
Zimbabwe faced uncontrollable and ever-escalating hyperinflation, a sustained period of negative economic growth, massive devaluation of the currency, reduced productive capacity with significant de-industrialization and resulting widespread poverty and food shortages during much of the last year. Against this backdrop a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) was requested by the Government. The Mission visited the country from 24 April to 15 May 2009 to carry out an independent assessment of the 2009 production of the main cereals, assess the overall food security situation and determine the food import requirement, including food assistance needs, for the current marketing year 2009/10 (April/March). The primary purpose of a CFSAM is to provide an accurate picture of the extent and severity of crisis-induced food insecurity, existing or expected, in the country (and in specific areas) so that timely and appropriate actions can be taken by the government and the international community to minimize the impact of the crisis on affected populations.
Rice Market Monitor - June 2009
16/06/2009
Food Outlook - June 2009
03/06/2009
In spite of strong gains in recent weeks, international prices of most agricultural commodities have fallen in 2009 from their 2008 heights, an indication that many markets are slowly returning into balance, in sharp contrast to what was witnessed this time last year. The apparent easing of market conditions is reflected in the benchmark FAO Food Price Index, which has fallen by one-third from last June’s peak.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #2, April 2009
09/04/2009
High food prices persist in developing countries despite an improved global cereal supply situation and sharp decline in international prices. This is affecting access to food of large numbers of low-income vulnerable populations. A recent analysis of domestic food prices for 58 developing countries shows that latest prices are higher than a year earlier in 78 percent of the cases, and in 43 percent of the cases are higher than 3 months earlier. Mostly affected are sub-Saharan African countries. Global cereal stocks are anticipated to increase sharply at the end of 2008/09 season mainly reflecting the record cereal output in 2008. World cereal production in 2009 is forecast by FAO to fall by 3 percent from the record level of last year. However, the supply outlook for 2009/10 is still satisfactory due to ample carryover stocks. In the Low-Income Food-Deficit countries as a group, the 2009 cereal production could remain around the good level of 2008. Food emergencies persist in 31 countries worldwide despite good 2008 cereal crops in many of the countries normally most at risk from food insecurity.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.2, March 2009
31/03/2009
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 - February 2009
10/02/2009
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to Southern Sudan - 6 February 2009
06/02/2009
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) worked in Southern Sudan from 2 to 26 October 2008 to estimate cereal production and assess the overall food supply situation. The Mission included representatives from the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MoAF) and the Southern Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Commission (SSRRC), the European Union’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) FEWSNet, WFP and FAO.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #1, February 2009
05/02/2009
Early indications point to a reduction in global cereal output in 2009 from the previous year’s record. Smaller plantings and/or adverse weather look likely to bring grain production down in most of the world’s major producers. In Low-Income Food-Deficit countries, prospects for the early 2009 cereal crops point to a lower output. Good crops are expected in North Africa. Although the early outlook has improved in southern Africa a lower maize crop is still expected; prolonged dry weather is adversely affecting wheat prospects in most of Asia, where much depends on the rice crop yet to be planted. Latest information confirms an easing of the cereal supply/demand situation in the Low-Income Food-Deficit countries as a group in 2008/09, following above-average harvests in 2008.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to Myanmar - 22 January 2009
22/01/2009
At the request of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation of Myanmar (MOAI), a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM)) team visited the country from 5 October to 4 November 2008. The main objective of the Mission was to analyze the food supply situation for the forthcoming year at the national and subnational levels (particularly in Cyclone Nargis-affected areas) and estimate food and agricultural assistance needs. Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar on 2 and 3 May 2008, affecting the food security of approximately 2.4 million people in Ayeyarwady and Yangon Divisions, through damage to agricultural land, destruction of the livestock and fishery sectors and depletion of food markets. The Mission assessed the 2008 main-crop harvest, forecasted 2008/09 production of secondary crops, and estimated food aid requirements and agricultural assistance for the 2008/09 marketing year (November/October). This assessment also ascertained whether transport and marketing infrastructures have recovered from the disaster.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.1, January 2009
22/01/2009
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 Ethiopia (Phase 1)
21/01/2009
An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission visited Ethiopia from 16 November to 12 December 2008 to estimate the 2008 main meher season cereal and pulse production; review the 2008 secondary belg season harvests; forecast the 2009 belg season production; and assess the overall food supply situation for the 2009 marketing year (January/December). Accompanied by experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Central Statistics Authority (CSA) and by observers from USAID/FEWSNet and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-JRC), the Mission mobilised seven teams and visited, over an 18-day period, 63 zones and special woredas (districts) covering all the grain producing regions and the marginal areas.
GIEWS Updates - Volume 2009
09/01/2009
The GIEWS Updates are issued by FAO’s Global Information and Early Warning System (GIEWS) from mid-2004. The updates focus on developing anomalous conditions aimed at providing early warnings, as well as latest and more elaborate information than other GIEWS regular reports on the food security situation of countries, at both national and sub-national levels.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #5, December 2008
11/12/2008
As the year draws to a close, FAO’s latest estimates confirm that a new record high level of global cereal production was achieved in 2008, sufficient to cover the expected increase in utilization in 2008/09 and also allow for a moderate replenishment of world reserves. Most of the increase in production this year has been among the developed countries, with that in the developing countries rising just marginally. In the developing group, outputs rose somewhat more among the Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries, especially in countries where agriculture production support was provided by governments.
Special Report - FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - 8 December 2008
08/12/2008
FAO and WFP conducted a Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) in the Democratic People’s Republic of (DPRK) from 9 through 24 October 2008. This was the first such exercise since 2004; in late 2005 the DPRK Government had decided to sharply curtail humanitarian assistance after a short series of good agricultural years. Until 2008, food aid operations by WFP and other actors had thus reduced considerably, and further CFSAMs were not deemed necessary by the DPRK Government. The relative improvement in the food balance, however, proved short-lived, especially since the country suffered severe flooding in 2007. As of early 2008, the terms of a new agreement between the DPRK Government and various parties included up to half a million tonnes of food aid from the United States, a Rapid Food Security Assessment (RFSA) to be conducted in June 2008 and a CFSAM scheduled for October.
Cereal supply and demand balances for sub-Saharan African countries - No.5, November 2008
28/11/2008
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.
Food Outlook - November 2008
03/11/2008
The previous (June 2008) issue of Food Outlook foresaw world prices of major agricultural commodities declining from the record levels they had just reached, amidst favourable prospects for global supplies. Since then, prices have indeed fallen, but farther and faster than can be explained through production gains alone. Underlying the price slide, in excess of 50 percent from their recent peaks, are other important factors, including the financial crisis, the halving of world crude oil prices and the appreciation of the US Dollar. And uncertainty is emerging as a dominant feature of world agricultural markets, as many of them are entering or about to enter a new season.
Crop Prospects and Food Situation #4, October 2008
09/10/2008
World cereal production in 2008 is forecast to increase 4.9 percent to a record 2 232 million tonnes, considerably up from earlier predictions after better than expected results from the major harvests gathered in the past two months. Based on the latest production forecast, a significant improvement in the global supply and demand balance for cereals in the 2008/09 season can be expected. Even allowing for a larger increase in utilization than was reported in July, an 8 percent increase in world cereal stocks could be possible. International prices of most cereals have continued to fall in the past two months, largely in response to favourable prospects for 2008 harvests and thus an improvement in the supply outlook for 2008/09, but also reflecting the influence of falling crude oil prices and financial turmoil in world economies.