Ministers in emergency meeting over food crisis in west Africa

West African ministers will meet today in the Togolese capital of Lome to tackle a food and nutritional crisis in the region, an official statement said.

Ministers responsible for agriculture and livestock development, trade and humanitarian affairs from the 15 member nations of the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) are expected to attend the meeting, the statement said.

They will "consider issues relating to the food and nutritional crisis in west Africa, agree on regional measures and promote community solidarity," the Ecowas statement said.

The meeting will help address the crisis in the Sahelian Ecowas member states, including Mali and Burkina Faso where 18 provinces are said to experiencing major difficulties due to floods, drought and early cessation of rainfall, it stated.

Specifically, the ministers will get a presentation from the Ecowas Commission on the crisis in the Sahelian countries and its implications for the region.

A two-day experts' meeting on the crisis began on Monday, it said.

The food shortage been aggravated by a pastoral crisis which has compelled increased nomads' migration southward and increased conflicts between them and farmers, the text said.

An Ecowas report said that the 2009-April 2010 harvest year indicated a significant fodder production deficit in the pastoral areas of the eastern region of Ecowas. For Niger, the deficit amounted to some 16 metric tons, it added.

It also stated a two per cent decrease in cereal production in the entire region... and a 31 per cent decrease for Niger alone.

Niger's transitional government at the weekend announced the launch of a food distribution operation for nearly 1.5 million people facing severe shortages.

According to the United Nations around 7.8 million Nigerians are in need of food, out of the around 10 million affected by the crisis in the Sahel region.

An Ecowas delegation gave Niger financial support of $550,000 last month, the statement said.

Regional bloc Ecowas has its headquarters in Abuja.