At the invitation of the Government, an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited Angola from 1 to 21 May 2006. The Mission’s primary objective was to assess the country’s production of staple crops for the 2005/06 cropping season and estimate its import requirements, including food aid if necessary, for the marketing year 2006/07 (April/March).

The world cereal balance will tighten in 2006/07: the latest forecast for cereal production in 2006 continues to show a slight decrease in global output, while utilization is expected to grow significantly. With a recovery in feed use and an expansion of industrial uses, world stocks are expected to be drawn down sharply. International prices of most cereals remained firm or rose further in recent months, supported by strong demand...

The recent months saw commodity markets as a whole becoming more volatile with a steady upward trend in prices. In agricultural markets, some important food and feed commodities gained on supply tightness and stronger demand while in the energy complex and metals, the tighter supply and demand balance resulted in a steep increase in prices. Amid political uncertainties and surging energy prices, agricultural markets over the past year have also...

A post-harvest FAO/WFP CFSAM visited Sudan from 24th February to 12th March 2006 to review the final Ministry of Agriculture estimates of the coarse grains harvest, estimate this season’s wheat production and provide a consultative update on the current national food supply situation with concomitant adjustments to the cereal supply/demand balance produced by the Crop and Food Supply Assessment (CFSAM) in November 2005. Some concerns were raised late last year...

World cereal production in 2006 is forecast to decline marginally from last year’s good level. Wheat output is expected to decrease reflecting smaller crops in the United States and the CIS in Europe, due to adverse weather. Production of coarse grains is tentatively forecast to decline mostly as a result of reduced plantings anticipated in the United States. Rice output may increase as very early prospects are favourable.

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited Ethiopia from 12 November to 11 December 2005 to estimate the main meher season cereal and pulse production; review the final estimates of the 2004 meher and 2005 secondary belg season harvests; forecast the 2006 belg season production; assess the overall food supply situation; and estimate cereal import requirements, including food aid needs, for the 2006 marketing year (January/December). Accompanied by...

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.

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission visited southern Sudan from 8 to 27 October 2005 and northern Sudan from 12 November to 6 December 2005 in order to assess the current season’s cereal production, forecast wheat production from areas prepared for planting, and estimate cereal import requirements for the marketing year 2005/06 (November-October). The Mission in both northern and southern Sudan received the full cooperation of the Federal...

During the 1980s and 1990s least developed countries (LDCs) encountered increasing difficulties in maintaining national food security. By the turn of the century commercial food import bills reached unprecedented heights in terms of domestic food consumption. The already precarious state of food security has been aggravated by occasional “spikes” in food import prices. Additionally, food aid has been reduced substantially by the donor community. The combination of these three developments...

he African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries are facing several major sets of closely interlinked forces that are likely to have significant impact on the development of their agriculture (including fisheries) sectors and their food security situation. The possible conclusion and outcome of both the negotiations for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) under the Cotonou Agreement (with the EU) and the WTO Doha Round pose serious concerns on the future of...