Report of the fourth session of the joint conference of African planners, statisticians and demographers (Addis ababa, ethiopia, 3-12 march 1986)

Abstract

The food supply situation which was so critical in the previous years due tb drought and other calamities, except in a few countries returned to normal in 1985. In spite of the recorded increase in value added of agriculture which rose by 3.2 per cent, still about 17 to 19 million Africans will require assistance this year:at a cost estimated at at $US 800 million. However; the recovery of agriculture is of a short-term character and was only due to better weather conditions rather than substantive increases in the level of productivity. Similarly, industrial crops suffered from slackening international demand. Crude oil production which represents a sizable share of the regional output was also constantly under pressure from a depressed, market. The manufacturing sector, while enjoying some kind of a recovery in 1985, was impeded by fundamental problems relating to capacity utilization, management, input and power supplies.