NIGERIAN GRAIN OUTPUT SEEN DECLINING
Due to rising insecurity in grain-producing regions and higher input costs affecting planting decisions, corn, and rice production in Nigeria is projected to decline in the 2024-25 marketing year, according to a report from FAS. The “bandit” conflict in northwestern Nigeria has caused some farmers to be displaced, forced to pay for protection, and have their harvests taxed by extralegal actors. This is part of the reason the FAS forecasts corn production to decline by 8% in the upcoming marketing year to 11 million tonnes and rice output to decrease by 7% to 4.8 million tonnes.
Another factor hindering the production of those crops is widespread inflation on items such as wholesale commodities, animal feed, food, fuel, energy, and agricultural inputs, which has led to reduced planting intentions, the report noted. The only major crop expected to buck this downward trend is wheat, with output forecast to increase by 5% in 2024-25 to 126,000 tonnes. Because of numerous economic challenges, including food inflation, grain consumption in Nigeria is projected to decline in 2024-25, with utilization of corn and wheat each projected to decrease by 9% to 11.5 million and 4.2 million tonnes, respectively, the report said.
(Link: WorldGrain)
INDONESIA DRY SEASON TO BE LESS SEVERE THIS YEAR, WEATHER AGENCY SAYS
The dry season will start later than usual in May and June for the island of Java and parts of Borneo and Sulawesi, and it will peak in July-August, BMKG’s head, Dwikorita Karnawati, said. From September, the weather will start to be affected by a weak La Nina weather pattern. A La Nina pattern typically brings more rainfall to the archipelago. Last year’s El Nino pattern had an impact that stretched into 2024, with planting delays causing early-year rice harvests to slump, although agriculture authorities have said food production is expected to recover later this year. Some areas in Indonesia’s Sumatra and Java are currently being hit by floods amid heavy rains.
(Link: Reuters)
