Attachments
FOOD SECURITY SNAPSHOT
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Rice production in 2019 expected at above‑average level
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Cereal import requirements in 2019/20 marketing year anticipated at high level
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In September, prices of maize and beans lower than one year before
Rice production in 2019 expected at above‑average level
Harvesting of the second 2019 rice crop is ongoing and production is expected at an above-average level mainly due to enlarged plantings, instigated by high prices, as well as high yields due to beneficial rains in September. Outputs gathtered in the January‑September 2019 period, mostly grown under irrigation, are officially estimated 642 000 tonnes, about 15 percent higher than the five‑year average. As a result, aggregate rice production in 2019 is anticipated at 1.12 million tonnes, about 17 percent above the five‑year average.
Maize is produced throughout the year and 2019 production is foreacast at an above‑average 51 000 tonnes, mainly reflecting an increase in plantings, following the sharp increase in prices in the first half of 2019.
Cereal imports in 2019/20 marketing year anticipated at high level
Cereal imports in the 2019/20 marketing year (July/June) are anticipated at 2 million tonnes, about 10 percent higher than the five‑year average. Imports of yellow maize, which account for about 70 percent of all cereal imports, are forecast at 1.45 million tonnes due to high demand by the feed sector.
Prices of maize and beans lower year on year in September
Prices of maize decreased since June 2019, reflecting improved supplies from the main season harvest and, in September, they were slightly lower than a year earlier due to the increase in imports. Prices of red beans strengthened seasonally since August and were well below their year‑earlier levels, due to carryover stocks from 2018 and good harvests this year.
In most retail markets, despite the above‑average domestic production, prices of rice rose since June 2019, mainly due to high production costs, and were at all‑time highs in September.