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Agricultural situation

While the situation of African agriculture is quite critical overall, there is nevertheless a certain disparity of situations between countries or groups of countries. Thus, during the decade 1960-70, of 50 countries, 17 increased their per capita food production, with increases ranging from about 5% to 50%. The most striking performances were achieved by Swaziland (over 50% increase), Tanzania (over 40%), Burundi, Libya, Malawi, Sudan, Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Zaire and Cameroon. Over the same decade 20 countries experienced significant declines in production varying from 5% to 35%. The most significant declines were recorded in Senegal (a decline of almost 35%), Chad 25%, Congo 20%, Mali, Nigeria, Algeria (about 15%). Thirteen countries remained relatively unchanged.

Table 5. Africa's Share in World Production of Food and Export Crops (in %)

 

1948-52

1971-72

Maize

7

10

Millet and sorghum

17

13

Wheat

2.7

2.6

Rice

2.1

2.5

Barley

6

3

Potatoes

0.5

0.8

Sweet potatoes and yams

23

16

Cassava

50

40

Coffee

12.5

27

Cocoa

65

72

Tea

3

9

Tobacco

5

6

Cotton

9

11


Sources: Calculated by the author from data in FAO production yearbooks.

During the decade 1970-80, the situation deteriorated sharply. Of 47 countries for which statistics were available, only seven had increases in per capita production ranging from 5% to 30% approximately: Tunisia, Libya, Cameroon, Zambia, Sudan, Burundi, Ivory Coast. Twenty-nine countries had declines of between 5% and 25%.

The worst performances were recorded in the following countries: Mauritania, Ghana, Togo, Morocco, Nigeria, Algeria, Ethiopia, Niger, Angola, Mali, Uganda (see FAO yearbooks).

Table 6 summarizes the evolution of the main sectors of the economy by country for the periods 1960-70 and 1970-76. It shows the annual average growth rates by sector as well as the contribution to GDP. This table confirms the deterioration of the situation during the 1970s compared to the 1960s. Of the 37 countries listed in the table about 20 saw their average annual agricultural production growth rate fall from one period to the other which resulted to some extent in a smaller contribution by the agricultural sector to GDP, whereas the considerable proportion of the population working in the sector remained almost unchanged. This fall led in most countries to a significant gap between production and consumption of agricultural products, as Table 7 shows for cereals. It can be observed that for all the countries mentioned, between 1969-71 and 1978, self sufficiency in cereals was generally not achieved. Thus net imports of cereals for the countries of the region were considerable, as Table 8 shows with data for 1969-71 to 1978.

Table 6. Evolution of the Main Sectors of the Economy by Country (1960-70, 1970-76) Average annual growth rate - Contribution to GDP by sector

 

Agriculture

Industry

Services

Growth rate

Cont. GDP

Growth rate

Cont. GDP

Growth rate

Cont. GDP

1960-70

70-76

60-70

70-76

60-70

70-76

60-70

70-76

60-70

70-76

60-70

70-76

1. Ethiopia 2.2 0.9 65 50 7.4 1.6 12 15 7.3 4.4 23 35
2. Mali 1.3 -0.8 55 38 4.0 8.9 10 17 4.4 5.5 35 45
3. Rwanda - 3.3 81 52 - 8.4 7 22 - 3.5 12 26
4. Somalia -1.5 -1.2 45 31 3.3 10.3 17 8 2.1 8.0 38 61
5. Burkina Faso 0.0 3.2 55 34 3.8 7.0 13 19 2.3 1.8 32 67
6. Burundi - 1.0 - 64 - 4.3 - 15 - 1.1 - 21
7. Chad 1.8 - 1.3 55 52 3.9 8.1 12 14 2.9 -0.6 33 34
8. Benin - -0.3 - 39 - 9.8 - 20 - 6.0 - 41
9. Malawi 2.9 5.5 58 45 13.9 12.4 11 22 8.9 11.4 31 33
10. Zaire 3.9 1.9 30 16 35.9 5.0 27 30 -2.5 5.0 43 54
11. Guinea 2.1 10.2 - 43 6.2 3.9 - 33 2.2 3.2 - 24
12. Niger 3.3 -4.0 66 47 11.1 10.0 10 24 0.6 0.8 24 29
13. Lesotho - - 73 38 - - - 8 - - - 54
14. Mozambique 2.1 2.1 55 45 10.8 -3.8 9 15 5.8 -2.1 36 40
15. Tanzania 3.7 2.5 57 45 8.0 2.9 11 16 5.3 2.8 32 32
16. Madagascar - 1.2 37 29 - 2.0 10 20 - 4.5 53 51
17. Sierra Leone 1.4 2.0 - 32 2.7 -30 - 23 4.2 4.0 - 45
18. Central Afr. Rep. 0.8 1.9 45 37 5.5 4.7 12 23 0.1 -1.8 43 40
19. Kenya 5.9 1.6 38 30 7.5 9.8 18 23 7.9 5.1 44 47
20. Uganda 2.8 1.3 52 55 7.8 -6.7 13 8 8.3 -3.2 35 37
21. Togo 4.3 3.0 55 25 7.3 7.0 16 21 8.8 3.7 29 54
22. Egypt 2.9 3.0 30 29 5.4 4.3 24 30 6.1 13.4 46 41
23. Cameroon 6.5 3.4 48 33 7.7 3.3 10 20 11.1 0.7 42 47
24. Sudan 3.3 8.8 58 41 1.7 2.8 15 16 -2.2 7.5 27 43
25. Angola 4.0 -0.7 50 29 9.8 11.6 8 27 3.9 3.0 43 44
26. Mauritania 2.4 -2.1 57 35 15.8 7.1 21 37 13.0 -1.0 22 28
27. Nigeria -0.5 -0.2 63 23 13.8 12.6 11 50 5.2 9.5 26 27
28. Senegal 1.9 3.4 30 28 3.7 3.9 20 24 2.5 -0.1 50 48
29. Zambia 2.0 3.2 11 14 -0.1 3.4 63 41 8.1 4.4 26 45
30. Liberia 6.3 4.9 40 29 7.8 0.3 37 37 2.6 9.4 23 34
31. Congo 4.6 -7.2 16 15 7.6 22.6 18 43 2.4 7.0 68 42
32. Morocco 4.2 0.6 29 21 4.2 7.8 24 31 3.9 5.5 47 48
33. Zimbabwe - - 18 16 - - 35 40 - - 47 44
34. Ghana 3.7 1.3 41 49         - 1.4 3.8 40 26
35. Ivory Coast 4.2 3.5 43 25 11.6 7.9 14 20 10.0 7.7 43 55
36. Tunisia 2.0 9.2 24 21 8.7 10.1 18 30 2.9 9.7 58 49
37. Algeria - 1.6 -8.7 21 7 10.5 16.4 24 57 2.3 -4.6 55 36

Table 7 Africa: Visible Per Capita1 Production and Consumption of Cereals in Certain Countries

 

Production

Visible consumption

Sub-region and country

1969-71

1972-74

1975-77

1978

1969-71

1972-74

1975-77

1978

Average Figure (kg./p.a.)

Average Figure (kg./p.a.)

North Africa
  Algeria

141

118

101

146

177

254

224

281

  Morocco

300

266

226

246

321

312

298

344

  Total

187

172

161

184

215

231

226

266

Sahel
  Mali

197

138

191

220

205

165

204

227

  Niger

317

181

261

298

305

190

262

311

  Burkina Faso

187

171

193

186

191

181

198

206

  Total

196

143

174

194

214

174

198

233

West Africa
  Guinea

175

141

142

140

185

156

157

159

  Togo

151

109

114

132

159

119

122

147

  Total

118

102

106

106

127

113

120

131

Central Africa
  Angola

101

85

79

79

90

93

98

92

  Central Afr. Rep.

58

64

49

42

65

73

55

45

  Total

42

38

38

34

48

54

54

49

East and Southern Africa
  Lesotho

199

170

154

172

234

229

202

271

  Tanzania

104

82

92

97

107

97

106

108

  Total

151

154

145

141

158

162

154

150

Other countries2
  Egypt

196

190

186

186

230

272

277

313

  Libya

56

89

104

113

239

252

277

325

  Total

181

178

173

173

222

260

268

298


1Food and non-food uses.

2Invited members of the UN Economic Commission for Africa but not belonging to the regional conference.

Source: United Nations.

For the period under review imports of cereals more than tripled in North Africa. Those of Morocco and Algeria quadrupled. They quadrupled in the Sahel zone. Those of Chad increased almost ninefold. Niger, which exported almost 49,000 tons in 1969-71, imported 64,000 tons in 1978. For the rest of West Africa excluding the Sahel countries, imports tripled.

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