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afrol News, 5 March - This year, Burkina Faso's final grain balance sheet shows a large grain surplus of 547,000 metric tons. This means that the Sahelian country will be able to contribute to food aid programmes and export a significant amount of grain. Though the final grain balance sheet shows a surplus, the Burkinabe government is mounting a food aid program for twenty-two departments in the northern, Sahelian and north-central regions of the country. It will also have to cover the needs of some 125,000 Burkinabe nationals returning from Côte d'Ivoire, where they had become a target in the civil war. Still, the latest estimations by Burkinabe authorities foresee a total of 523,000 tons of grain that could be exported. Humanitarian organisations and agencies already have stated their interest, given local food crises in neighbouring countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Guinea and Mauritania. The sizable grain surplus comes after two succeeding favourable harvests and good rainfall. Burkinabe stocks had thus been relatively full before this season's harvest. Both this year and last year, Burkina Faso's total grain production reached over 3 million tons, which is 22 percent above the average for the past five years. Indeed, food prices are slowly dropping on markets all over Burkina Faso, illustrating the limited needs. A drop in local food prices most certainly will promote exports of grain to nearby markets in Côte d'Ivoire and Mali, where prices are higher. The good harvests and exportable surplus comes at a time when it is most needed by the Burkinabe. The conflict in Côte d'Ivoire has been costly for both households and the national economy, given the large number of Burkinabe normally serving as permanent of temporal wage earners in the southern neighbour country. Targeted by southern troops and civilians, most Burkinabe have returned home. As the politico-military crisis in Côte d'Ivoire is dragging on, so are its effects on the economy of Burkina Faso, particularly with respect to food security conditions. A slump in animal sales continues as the livestock market in Côte d'Ivoire remains closed. Supplies are growing, reflecting the need for cash on the part of livestock producers, as prices continue to fall. This only serves to complicate the situation of those few northern parts of the country where harvests failed and whose population mainly consists of herders. The steady influx of returning refugees from Côte d'Ivoire further is bumping up grain requirements. Most of these refugees are penniless and many are in poor health. The suspension of cash remittances and imports of foodstuffs from Côte d'Ivoire is making it increasingly difficult for certain households to make it on their own. The overall situation in Burkina Faso however is positive after two years of large grain surpluses. The food insecure areas in the north are receiving government food aid and most rural societies can rely on significant grain sales. If the crisis in Côte d'Ivoire goes on for a long time or results in permanent evacuation of Burkinabe citizens, the economy of Burkina Faso however risks being severely hurt on a long term.
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