Based on the 1997-1999 Food Balance Sheet (FBS) publication of the NSCB, an uptrend in the daily per capita food supply was noted for the period 1997 to 1999, growing at 4.7 percent in 1999, thereby offsetting the negative 3.2 percent recorded in 1998.

Higher growths were apparent in the per capita supply of energy, protein and fats during the two-year period.

The annual expansion of 2.3 and 1.7 percent in the energy and protein contents, respectively, of the daily per capita food supply was attributable to the increase in the net domestic food supply of cereal and cereal products and miscellaneous foods, the most significant sources of energy and protein. The two commodities provided around 65 percent of the total energy supply and approximately 54 percent of the total daily per capita protein supply in 1999.

Fats supply, another important nutrient in the diet, exhibited a 4.5 percent growth during the 1997 to 1999 period. Majority of fats was provided by the vegetable-based food groups such as fats and oils, though significant contributions also came from animal-based food groups like meat and meat products.

The 1997-1999 FBS is now available at the National Statistical Information Center (NSIC). The FBS is a regular publication of the Economic and Social Statistics Office (ESSO) of the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB).

The FBS presents a comprehensive picture of the country's pattern of food supply and utilization during a specified period. It also gives an indication of the adequacy of food supply relative to nutritional requirements of the population. As such, it is a useful tool in the formulation of policy and trade programs to improve the nutrition of the populace.

The 1997-1999 FBS publication is composed of five major sections:

• executive summary of the food supply situation;

• the total domestic supply by major food group;

• net available food supply and per capita food supply;

• the FBS summary tables; and

• the detailed tables on the annual food balance sheets of the country.

The revisions made on the FBS estimates were due to the more updated data provided by the different source agencies. The publication also includes a section on technical notes describing how the FBS variables were estimated.