World cereal production in 2008 is forecast to increase 2.8 percent to a record 2 180 million tonnes. Most of the increase is in wheat following significant expansion in plantings in all regions. Coarse grains output is expected around the bumper level of last year but lower than earlier anticipated due to severe floods in the United States, the world’s largest producer and exporter. Rice is tentatively forecast to increase...

An FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited Swaziland from 5 to 16 May 2008 at the invitation of the government to estimate the 2007/08 maize harvest, stocks in the country, and import requirements - including food assistance - for the 2008/09 marketing year (April/March). Maize production was extremely low in 2006/07, and it was feared that poor rainfall at the beginning of 2008 might result in similarly...

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...

Zimbabwe experienced incessant rains in the first half of the 2007/08 cropping season during DecemberJanuary causing severe water logging followed by prolonged dry spells, through much of the country compounding the devastating effects of a decade-long economic decline. Against this backdrop an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM) was invited by the Government. The Mission visited the country from 29 April to 23 May 2008 to carry out...

All agricultural commodities covered in this report are of critical importance to global food and feed markets. They constitute much of the world’s food consumption, generate income to farmers and represent the largest portion of food import expenditures across the world. The analysis in the report puts in perspective market developments in recent months with a view to providing some insights into how the outlook might unfold for the commodities...

Una Misión conjunta FAO/PMA de evaluación de los cultivos y suministro de alimentos visitó Bolivia del 4 al 18 de abril de 2008 a fin de evaluar la producción de cereales y tubérculos de 2008, que fue severamente afectada por una serie de eventos climáticos adversos tales como sequías, heladas e inundaciones, y estimar las necesidades de importación para la campaña comercial 2008/09 (julio/junio).

Short term supply and demand imbalances, along with a weak US dollar, low world rice reserves, rising production costs and higher prices of competing agricultural and substitute food commodities help explain the recent tendency for international rice prices to move up, but they do not fully justify the extent and the suddenness of the surge. In recent months, rice export prices staged a remarkable increase, reaching unprecedented high levels in...

World cereal production in 2008 is forecast to increase 2.6 percent to a record 2 164 million tonnes. The bulk of the increase is expected to be in wheat following significant expansion in plantings in major producing countries. Coarse grains output is tentatively forecast to remain around the bumper level of last year. Rice production is foreseen to increase slightly reflecting production incentives in several Asian countries. However, much will...

A joint CILSS/FAO/FEWSNET/SIMA/WFP Market Assessment Mission visited key cereal markets in Benin, Niger and Nigeria from 13 February- 9 March to assess the current stock and price levels as well as trade flows within and between countries, and analyze the food security implications in more vulnerable countries.