Sudan: Early Warning and Emergency Information Center (EWIC) - Monthly Bulletin Vol XVI 1/07
Attachments
Highlights
Joint Crop Food Supply Assessment Mission (CFSAM)
The year 2006/07 is forecast to produce Sudan's largest cereal harvest on record at 6.64 million tonnes. This represents a 36 percent increase on the average production of the previous five years, and an increase of 22 percent on the previous year's good crop. The largest increases were in the north of the country. This record cereal crop will result in ample supplies in the2006/07 (November/October) marketing year. Prices of cereals, mainly sorghum, have shown a sharp decline in major producing areas and are expected to fall further with the arrival of the bulk of the harvest on local markets.
Strategic Reserve Corporation (SRC)
Given the large sorghum surplus in the country for 2006/2007, it is recommended that well-timed local purchases be made by the Sudan Strategic Reserve Corporation (SRC) and for WFP, in order to meet food aid requirement so as to prevent domestic food market distortions and ensure locally- acceptable varieties of cereals. In addition, timely assistance is required to support the agricultural sector, including emergency support to returnees and other vulnerable farming communities, before the start of the next cropping season in April/May in the south, and June/July in the north.