FAO reports overall improvement in food supply

A FAO special report on Liberia published this month said crop and food supply figures indicated a “significantly improved overall food situation”. The report was based on a FAO mission to Liberia last month. The report sent to IRIN however stressed that data from the INGO’s Bulk Seeds and Tools Committee would only be available next month and its finding might therefore need to be revised. The report estimates paddy (rice) production in 1998 at 210,100 mt, an increase of 25 percent on the estimate for 1997 and about 70 percent of the pre-civil strife 1986/90 average. Cassava production is estimated at 313,300 mt (fresh weight), which is 96 percent of the pre-crisis average. Rice and cassava are the two most important staple foods in Liberia. The main factors contributing to the increases in paddy and cassava production include an expansion in planted area as a result of the return of large numbers of farm families to their homes after the war, and increased yields due to greater access to NGO-supplied inputs, especially seeds and tools. Based on an estimated population of about 2.8 million in 1999, the report says that Liberia will need to import 155,000 mt of cereals to meet its consumption requirements. Commercial imports are estimated at 100,000 mt of rice and 5,000 mt of wheat. The remaining 50,000 mt will need to be covered by food aid, estimated at 30,000 mt of wheat and 20,000 of maize meal, the report adds. (The full report is available on: http://www.fao.org/giews)