KEY MESSAGES
↗ Export prices of wheat and maize were mostly higher in January, mainly underpinned by a strong trade activity. International prices of rice edged up on easing harvest pressure and concerns over the potential impact of unfavourable weather on exporters’ outputs.
↗ In East Africa, prices of coarse grains in January persisted at relatively high levels across the subregion, due to an overall year-on-year reduction in the 2019 cereal output, further exacerbated by a difficult macro-economic situation in the Sudan and South Sudan. Heavy rains late last year, disrupting agricultural and marketing activities, contributed to sustaining the high level of prices in several countries.
↗ In Southern Africa, amid weak production prospects for the 2020 crops, prices of maize continued to increase underpinned by tight supplies and weak currencies, particularly in Zimbabwe.
