20111225
AFP
More than half of Niger's farming villages face food shortages in the next few months after poor harvests, Agriculture Minister Oua Seydou told parliament Saturday.

Residents of 6,981 villages, or 58 percent of the total, could have trouble feeding themselves after a 27 percent fall in grain production over last year.

At 3.8 million tonnes, the harvest was also 11 percent down on the average for the past five years, he said.

Taking into account wastage and seed grain for next season, there would be an estimated 3,239,825 tonnes available for consumption, compared with 3,759,464 tonnes required, a shortfall of 14 percent, Seydou added.

He blamed the poor harvest on drought and attacks by locusts and caterpillars.