International prices of most agricultural commodities have increased in recent months, some sharply. The FAO Food Price index has gained 34 points since the previous Food Outlook report in June, averaging 197 points in October, only 16 points short from its peak in June 2008. The upward movements of prices were connected with several factors, the most important of which were a worsening of the outlook for crops in key...

Une Mission FAO/PAM d’évaluation des récoltes et de la sécurité alimentaire a séjourné en Haïti du 16 juin au 13 juillet 2010 pour estimer la production vivrière de la saison de printemps 2010 et les prochaines récoltes des saisons d’été et d’automne/hiver ainsi que les besoins d’importations céréalières pour l’année commerciale 2010/11. Les techniciens du Ministère de l’agriculture, des ressources naturelles et du développement rural (MARNDR) ont prêté leur concours...

International prices of grain have surged since the beginning of July in response to drought-reduced crops in CIS exporting countries and a subsequent decision by the Russian Federation to ban exports. In September wheat prices were 60 to 80 percent higher than at the beginning of the season in July. However, prices are still one-third below their peaks in 2008. In the same period, the price of maize increased by about...

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...

Following reports of poor harvest expectations in central and southern provinces due to a prolonged dry spell, an FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited the country from 6 to 29 May 2010. The Mission evaluated food crop production in the 2009/10 agricultural season, assessed the overall food supply situation, forecast cereal import requirements and possible exports in marketing year 2010/11 (April/March) and determined the eventual food aid...

Following a period of unfavourable rainfall distribution in December and January, particularly in the eastern and central parts of country, the Government of Zimbabwe requested a FAO and WFP independent evaluation. In response, a joint FAO/WFP Crop and Food Security Assessment Mission (CFSAM) visited the country between 14-18 June 2010, to conduct a condensed assessment of the 2009/10 cereal production and evaluate the overall food security situation to determine the...

As this report goes to print, concerns over macroeconomic prospects and global financial markets are once more gaining the headlines. Changes in the economic environment, including continuing fluctuations in exchange rates and high unpredictability have a strong influence on agricultural commodity markets. From the supply side, however, the 2008-2009 price boom spurred plantings and production of many food crops, resulting in a recovery in inventories and boosting stocks-to-use ratios, a...

FAO’s first forecast for world cereal production in 2010 is 2 286 million tonnes, 1.5 percent up from last year and similar to the record level of 2008. However, with some major crops yet to be planted, much will depend on climatic conditions in the coming months. In Low-Income Food-Deficit countries, early prospects for the 2010 crops are mixed. In Southern Africa, smaller maize outputs are anticipated in several countries....

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...