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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
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Production
Estimates and Crop Assessment Division |
October 24, 2002
Below-average rainfall during the main meher growing season from June-October and lower rain during February-May have created extremely dry conditions at harvest. Corn and sorghum account for more than 40 percent of the country’s total cereal production and they are the main staple foods for a large portion of the population, especially for the lowland pastoralists who are most vulnerable to famine during drought years. Due to poor meher harvest conditions, both the Government of Ethiopia and the United Nations have appealed for international food aid, with the peak number of people requiring food assistance occurring slightly before the secondary belg harvest next June.
The harvest for Ethiopia's important meher season began this month which accounts for 90-95 percent of the country’s cereal production. Current harvest prospects are poor due to the late start of the meher rains and below average rainfall for the entire season. In addition, the secondary belg rains (February-May) were below average this year so that corn and sorghum production were below average for both the main meher and secondary belg growing seasons.
The belg rains are also important for replenishing water sources and providing pasture for the lowland pastoral areas, and for the past two years these pastoral areas have received less than average rainfall (refer to PECAD Highlights in 2001 and 2002). Pastoralists are thus suffering from losses of livestock due to poor pasture and limited water resources for the past three years, and low corn and sorghum production this year greatly decreases their food availability.
Crop
Production Zones
Agro-ecological Zones
Annual Rainfall and
Three Major Rainfall Regimes
Geography and Landsat-5
Mosaic
Crop Calendar
Northern Belg
Regions
Drought during Belg (March-May 2002) Rains
Horn of Africa (2001): Average Corn Harvest, But Severe Drought in Pastoral
Regions
Ethiopian Drought of 2000
Ethiopian Government and United Nations Appeal for Ethiopian
Food Aid
http://www.unfoundation.org/unwire/util/display_stories.asp?objid=29478
Ethiopian Use of ENSO Information in Its Seasonal Forecasts
http://www.bradford.ac.uk/research/ijas/ijasno2/bekele.html
Reducing the Impact of Environmental Emergencies
http://www.unu.edu/env/govern/ElNIno/CountryReports/inside/ethopia.html
UNDP
Emergencies Unit for Ethiopia
http://www.africa.upenn.edu/eue_web/eue_mnu.htm
