The FAO’s latest assessment shows that 39 countries are facing food emergencies and require external assistance. Among them, the most pressing humanitarian problem remains the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. The already precarious food supply situation may worsen if deteriorating security disrupts the main harvest due to start in the coming few weeks. Prospects for the 2006 world cereal harvest have deteriorated further since July. Exceptionally hot and...

2004 was declared the International Year of Rice by the United Nations General Assembly, a tribute to a commodity that is the staple food for about half of the world’s population and also a major income earner in developing countries. Because of its strategic importance, rice has been subject to a host of policy interventions that have made it feature among the most distorted of all agricultural commodities. For this...

An FAO/GIEWS team travelled to Uganda to review the overall food situation and establish/strengthen contacts with relevant institutions (both government and non-government) to streamline the flow of food security related information to GIEWS. The team reviewed data and information available from various sources, including Government, UN agencies, donors and NGOs at central, district and local level and travelled to selected districts in all four regions of the country, including the...

FAOs forecast for global paddy production in 2006 has been downgraded by 2 million tonnes from last report and now stands at 635 million tonnes, marginally above the 2005s level. Much of the downward revision reflects adverse weather conditions, which have led to much less buoyant crop prospects in Bangladesh, China and Nepal.

2005 was a record breaking year for the world rice economy. For the third consecutive season, global paddy production experienced a brisk expansion, which lifted it to an all time high of 628 million tonnes. Growth reflected relatively favourable weather conditions in Asia, western Africa and South America and the positive effects of high prices in 2004, which had fostered a general increase in plantings. Tight domestic supplies in a...

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.