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Togo: Togo Agriculture Profile

2012/04/05

TOGO AGRICULTURE

Despite erratic rains in parts, an above‑average cereal crop was gathered in 2013

Harvesting of the 2013 second season maize crop is nearly complete in the South. In the North, which has only one rainy season, harvesting of coarse grains was completed in November. In spite of erratic precipitation in parts of the country, preliminary estimates indicate that cereal production expanded by 8 percent in 2013, over the average of the previous five years to about 1.15 million tonnes. However, this level of production is 5 percent below the 2012 bumper crop. Production of maize, the main staple cereal, was estimated at about 693 000 tonnes, 16 percent lower than the previous year’s record crop but similar to the five‑year average.

Cereal production has been increasing steadily over the past few years, reflecting mostly stable weather conditions, and a record crop was gathered in 2012. Cereal production expanded by 12 percent in 2012, over previous year’s level, to about 1.2 million tonnes

Maize prices exhibit mixed trends

Reflecting several years of good harvests, markets remain generally well supplied. However, maize prices exhibit mixed trends, dropping significantly in cereal producing regions while increasing in the capital city. For example, maize prices increased by 9 percent in Lomé between October and December 2013. In Cinkassé and Korbongou, located in the northern part of the country, prices declined by 23 percent and 24 percent, respectively, over the same period. By contrast, prices of imported rice, mainly consumed in urban centres, remained stable across the country in recent months, in line with trends in international markets.
A substantial section of the population are exposed to chronic food insecurity

Despite the satisfactory food supply situation, large numbers of people are exposed to chronic food insecurity and malnutrition, notably in the northern part of the country. According to the WFP’s latest detailed survey of food security and vulnerability, about 50 percent of the population of Kara and Savanes regions suffers from food insecurity. The North of Togo includes the poorest zones where malnutrition levels are the highest.