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Congo + 2 more

GIEWS Country Brief: The Republic of the Congo 04-December-2019

Attachments

FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT

  • Favourable weather conditions benefitting 2019 main maize crops - Inflation rate forecast to remain at low levels in 2019 - Increased assistance needed due to growing influx of refugees from Democratic Republic of Congo

Favourable weather conditions benefitting 2019 main maize crops

Agriculture only contributes to a small portion of the national GDP and the country produces a very limited quantity of cereals, mainly maize, largely used for the production of livestock feed.
Harvesting of the 2019 main season maize, planted between September and early October, is expected to begin by mid-December. A timely onset of seasonal rains in September favoured land preparation activities and, as of November, remote sensing images show that vegetation conditions were near the average level in most cropping areas.

Import requirements in 2019 forecast slightly above average

Domestic crop production covers a small proportion of the consumption requirements and imports, mainly sourced through commercial channels, and account for approximately 90 percent of the total cereal utilization.

With a population of about 5.5 million, the total cereal import requirements for the 2019 marketing year (January/December) are forecast at about 395 000 tonnes, including 230 000 tonnes of wheat and 160 000 tonnes of rice.

Inflation rate forecast to remain low in 2019

The annual inflation rate is expected to remain below 1.5 percent in 2019, but to slightly increase compared to 2018 as a result of increased domestic demand and a weakening of the CFA franc against the US dollar.

Increased assistance needed due to growing influx of refugees from Democratic Republic of the Congo

Conflicts in neighbouring Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo resulted in an influx of people into northern and eastern areas of the country, where host communities face food shortages and livelihood opportunities are limited. Refugees’ food security is essentially guaranteed by continued humanitarian assistance.

Since December 2018, when clashes erupted in Yumbi and Mai-Ndombe regions in western Democratic Republic of the Congo, the number of refugees has been increasing. As of July 2019, the Congo hosted about 20 000 asylum seekers, mainly in the Plateaux Region.

According to the UNHCR, as of September, the country also hosts about 22 000 refugees from the Central African Republic, mainly located in Likouala and Brazzaville provinces.