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afrol News, 16 March - There have been unusually dry weather conditions affecting crop production in the northern regions of Ghana from September 2001 and onwards, believed to have affected the food security of the zone severely. As the food supply situation at the national level in Ghana is normal, only the worst affected areas would require food assistance, experts however conclude. A food assessment mission from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) on a government invitation has travelled around three northern regions of Ghana found some localised food shortages, which could deteriorate in the coming months. Although the Ghanaian government had been alarmed by the reports of long-lasting unfavourable whether conditions in the north, the FAO mission concluded that "production of cereals (except rice) in northern Ghana as a whole was below average due to late start and early cessation of rains. However, in some locations production was above average and better than 2000." At the national level, the food supply situation in Ghana was assessed to be "close to normal." The reduction in the production of cereals in northern regions would be "covered by adequate availability of other foodcrops, anticipated commercial imports and food aid already pledged" amounting to 89,000 tonnes, the FAO mission tranquillised the concerned Ghanaian government. Nevertheless, the worst affected areas and vulnerable groups would require food assistance estimated at about 5,000 tonnes to compensate for their reduced harvests, the report concludes. Evolution of grain prices in the three northern regions needed to be closely monitored in order to "determine the necessity or otherwise for market interventions." However, vulnerable households which lost crops should be targeted for assistance. Pasture and livestock conditions were only marginally worse than normal for the time of year, FAO concluded after having assessed livestock and pasture condition on several localities. Pasture was "rapidly becoming depleted" in most areas "but not to the extent" that it was causing concern to livestock owners. However, water supplies were lower than normal at watering points for this time of the year. The mission thus concluded that the 2001 season was worse than that of 2000 in the three northern regions and that there were already some localised food shortages by February 2002. However, the situation was not considered to be an emergency, but rather a poor year following a good year. "If some rain falls during the month of April the situation should not be serious, but it might become so if the rains are delayed beyond the end of April," the mission reported. Sources: Based on FAO
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