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Dear All,

We are pleased to share the latest issue of the Crop Prospect and Food Situation quarterly report that focuses on developments affecting the food situation of developing countries and Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries (LIFDCs). The report also includes an overview of global cereal production prospects and a table highlighting countries that require external assistance for food, identifying the primary causes of the local food crises.




Crop Prospects and Food Situation


2 March 2017

HIGHLIGHTS


FAO’s first forecast of global wheat production in 2017 points to an above-average output, but down from the record high of 2016, mostly reflecting expectations of reduced crops in North America.

COUNTRIES IN NEED OF EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE: FAO estimates that 37 countries, including 28 in Africa, are in need of external assistance for food. Conflicts and weather-related shocks are the main drivers of food insecurity. The food security situation is of grave concern in northern Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen, where over 20 million people are facing severe food insecurity due to the protracted conflicts compounded by droughts in some cases. Famine was already officially declared in South Sudan.

AFRICA: Dry weather-reduced outputs in North and Southern Africa drove the 2016 regional output downwards to a below-average level; however production in these subregions are expected to recover in 2017 due to overall beneficial weather. Conflicts in parts of Central, East and West Africa continue to severely stress food security conditions and undermine the agriculture sector, while drought in parts of East African has also intensified food insecurity.

ASIA: Early prospects for the 2017 winter wheat crop are generally favourable, following an above-average regional cereal output in 2016. Conflicts continue to acutely impact agriculture, livelihoods and food security in the Syrian Arab Republic, Yemen and Iraq, resulting in low harvests and increased humanitarian needs.
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: A record cereal crop in Mexico and production recoveries elsewhere in Central America, after last year’s drought-reduced harvests, resulted in a bumper 2016 cereal output in the subregion. Prospects for the 2017 maize harvest in South America are overall favourable, mainly reflecting price‑induced expansion in plantings in the main producing countries Argentina and Brazil.





[web_CPFS - March 2017 I6903EN.jpg]<http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6903e.pdf>

[cid:image003.jpg@01D22E18.73410720]  Go to report<http://www.fao.org/3/a-i6903e.pdf>
[cid:image003.jpg@01D22E18.73410720]  Go to other reports<http://www.fao.org/giews/reports/crop-prospects/en/>



Enquiries may be directed to:
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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00153 Rome, Italy
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