nd barley production is forecast slightly higher than in 2013, mainly due to favourable weather during the growing season.Plantings of the 2014 maize crop was completed in March, while that of rice and millet started in early May and will continue into August. FAO preliminarily forecasts the 2014 maize and rice outputs at 82,000 and 90,000 tonnes, respectively, slightly above last year’s good harvests, mainly due to an estimated expansion in area planted of both crops.
Below average cereal imports in the 2013/14 marketing year (July/June)
Following higher production levels in 2013, the cereal imports in the nearly-completed 2013/14 marketing year (July/June) are anticipated at 66,100 tonnes, nine per cent below the previous year’s average level. Imports consist mainly of rice and wheat, forecast in the current marketing year at 58,000 and 6,000 tonnes, respectively.
Food insecurity persists in certain districts
Food insecurity persists in certain districts, particularly in the eastern and southern parts of the country. According to the latest UNICEF report, the under-five mortality rate decreased from 131 per 1000 in 1990 to 45 in 2012. UNHCR information indicates that, as of mid-2013, some 34 000 Bhutanese citizens of Nepalese origin are still living in two refugee camps in eastern Nepal. More than 83,000 refugees have been resettled in third countries, following the major resettlement programme launched in November 2007.
