Cereal deficit to prevail

NAMIBIA will experience a cereal shortage of around 158 400 tons because of the late onset of productive rains and reduced areas under cultivation in most parts of the country.

The latest Namibia Early Warning and Food Information System (Newfis) warns that distress signals were also already obvious in the Caprivi and Kavango regions where farm cereal stocks have diminished and food security worsened. Tentative projections by Newfis indicate that commercial farmers will only be able to supply 147 000 tons of cereal at the end of the 2005-2006 year compared to the 305 400 tons Namibia needs.”To cover this shortfall the commercial millers have so far imported 33 000 tons, comprising 25 100 tons of wheat and 8 200 tons of white maize,” Newfis said.A further 90 400 tons will have to be imported by commercial millers.The bulletin says the crop outlook for Caprivi this year is poor “because of persistent drought during the first half of the 2005/06 rainy season.The drought left the soil moisture levels drier than usual between October and December 2005.”This could cause maize production to drop for the second consecutive season.However, assuming that some significant showers might yet arrive, planting could resume significantly during January 2006,” the bulletin said.In the Kavango Region sporadic plantings of grain crop were under way as of end of November last year but output was expected to decrease as a result of inadequate soil moisture.Elsewhere in the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, where the bulk of the country’s pearl millet is produced, the cropping season has just started.However, the bulletin said early prospects were “unfavourable” due to poor rainfall.In the commercial sector, mainly the Maize Triangle of Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein, maize and wheat production is also expected to decrease.The bulletin also said a greater part of Namibia will receive normal to above normal rainfall between January and March this year.It said rainfall over the southern, southeastern and western parts of Namibia was likely to be normal to above normal over the same period.Tentative projections by Newfis indicate that commercial farmers will only be able to supply 147 000 tons of cereal at the end of the 2005-2006 year compared to the 305 400 tons Namibia needs.”To cover this shortfall the commercial millers have so far imported 33 000 tons, comprising 25 100 tons of wheat and 8 200 tons of white maize,” Newfis said.A further 90 400 tons will have to be imported by commercial millers.The bulletin says the crop outlook for Caprivi this year is poor “because of persistent drought during the first half of the 2005/06 rainy season.The drought left the soil moisture levels drier than usual between October and December 2005.”This could cause maize production to drop for the second consecutive season.However, assuming that some significant showers might yet arrive, planting could resume significantly during January 2006,” the bulletin said.In the Kavango Region sporadic plantings of grain crop were under way as of end of November last year but output was expected to decrease as a result of inadequate soil moisture.Elsewhere in the Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena and Oshikoto regions, where the bulk of the country’s pearl millet is produced, the cropping season has just started.However, the bulletin said early prospects were “unfavourable” due to poor rainfall.In the commercial sector, mainly the Maize Triangle of Otavi, Tsumeb and Grootfontein, maize and wheat production is also expected to decrease.The bulletin also said a greater part of Namibia will receive normal to above normal rainfall between January and March this year.It said rainfall over the southern, southeastern and western parts of Namibia was likely to be normal to above normal over the same period.