Background and Context
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security 2012/13 Third Round Agricultural Production Estimates Survey (APES) is indi-cating that the country will register some increases in produc-tion in most of the crops except for wheat, potatoes and cotton. Cotton production has decreased drastically (31%) be-cause of the late delivery of inputs (seed and pesticides) and water logging conditions that affected some parts of country.
Maize production has been projected at 3,639,866 MT. This represents a slight increase of 0.44% from last season’s final round estimate of 3,623,924 MT. Rice production is estimated at 125,156 MT from 110, 405 MT which represent 13% increase over last season’s final estimates. Groundnut production is esti-mated at 380,787 MT from 368, 082 MT from last season’s final estimates representing a 3% increase. Pulses production (beans, pigeon peas, cow peas, field peas, grams, soya beans and chick peas) has been estimated at 660,655 MT from 581, 373 MT for last season; representing a 14% increase. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security further estimates that the total national food requirement for 2013/2014 con-sumption season will be 2,461,054 MT. Owing to the FISP and other interventions by government and its partners, the coun-try is expected to still produce a maize surplus of 194,340 MT (total cereal surplus is pegged at 271,842 MT ) despite some areas experiencing floods and dry spells when the maize crop was at its critical stage.