ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA (22 February)
The country was severely affected by hurricane �Georges� in late September, resulting in extensive damage to housing and to the agricultural and livestock sectors. As a result of the extensive damage, in particular to fruits, roots and vegetable crops, a programme for the immediate rehabilitation of agricultural activities with the assistance from the international community has been initiated.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season cereal and bean crops is about to be completed. Despite damage caused by hurricane �Mitch� heavy rains and flooding, aggregate 1998/99 maize and paddy outputs are expected to be at average and above-average levels respectively. The bean crop is also expected to be an above-average 25 000 tonnes, a recovery from the 1997/98 El Ni�o affected crop. By contrast, the important foreign exchange earners sugar and coffee crops suffered the effects of the hurricane. About one-third of the sugar planted areas were affected, while some 5 percent of the anticipated production of coffee in 1999 was lost. Damage to banana, the main foreign exchange earner, was minimal.
Land is being prepared for planting of the 1999 first season maize and paddy crops to be started from April.
Planting of the winter paddy crop continues while harvesting of the potato crop is about to start under dry conditions. The aggregate 1998/99 paddy output is expected to be below average. Prospects are likely to worsen as the dry season has only started and moisture deficits have accumulated since November in the province of La Habana, parts of the province of Matanzas, the province of Camaguey and most of the eastern provinces which were affected by a prolonged drought in 1998. Harvesting of the 1998/99 sugar cane crop is underway. Despite damage incurred to plantations by hurricane �Georges� in late September, output is officially forecast to increase from last year�s 3.2 million tonnes, one of the lowest harvests in 50 years, to 3.6 million tonnes. This level of production is still less than half the output in the 1980s as the sugar cane industry, continues to be affected by shortages of farm inputs, fuel and spare parts.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (22 February)
f Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season maize and sorghum crops has been recently completed and aggregate coarse grain output for the whole year is provisionally estimated at a below average 56 000 tonnes, reflecting damage caused to the second season crops by hurricane �Georges� in late September. The paddy crop was also affected by the hurricane and subsequently by pests. Output in 1998 (January/December) declined from the previous year�s 487 000 tonnes to a slightly below-average 440 000 tonnes. Food assistance is still being provided to hurricane affected farmers.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season coarse grain and bean crops and planting of the small third season maize and bean crops have been recently completed. Aggregate 1998/99 maize output, the main cereal, is expected to be about 554 000 tonnes, an improvement over last year�s El Ni�o affected crop of only 508 000 tonnes, but significantly lower than an anticipated 682 000 tonnes. This is the result of the damage by hurricane �Mitch� in late October 1998. Below-average sorghum and paddy outputs of 169 000 tonnes and 54 000 tonnes respectively, for the whole year, are expected. Production of beans was also seriously affected. Output is estimated at about 46 500 tonnes from an earlier anticipated output of 68 000 tonnes. Last year�s bean output was 67 000 tonnes. Severe damage was inflicted to important foreign exchange earning crops, such as coffee, sugar cane and cotton. Food assistance is still being provided by the international community to the affected population. About 60 000 persons are benefiting from this emergency operation. Programmes for the rehabilitation of agricultural activities and major infrastructure have been initiated.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season cereal and bean crops is about to be completed. Latest official forecasts put aggregate coarse grain production, mostly maize, at a below- average 1.1 million tonnes, mainly due to reduced plantings coupled with the effects of hurricane �Mitch� in late October. This is nevertheless a recovery from last year�s El Ni�o affected crops, when only 920 000 tonnes of coarse grains were harvested. (About 85 percent of the 1998/99 first season maize crop had been collected when the hurricane struck thus losses were minimized). Damage was also inflicted to the paddy and beans crops, particularly to the latter. Noticeable increases in consumer prices for beans were registered in the aftermath of the hurricane, but prices were shortly stabilized mainly as a result of imports from northern neighbouring countries. Major damage to roads and bridges have been repaired thus allowing foreign exchange earning coffee exports to resume. Overall exports for current 1998/99 crop are expected to decline by more than 20 percent compared to 1997/98. Food aid to around 65 000 people continues to be distributed. Programmes for agricultural rehabilitation and reconstruction of major infrastructure have been initiated.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season cereal crops has been recently completed. Despite damage incurred by hurricane �Georges� in mid-September, particularly to sorghum, aggregate cereal output for the whole year is provisionally estimated at a near average 349 000 tonnes, a recovery from last year�s 310 000 tonnes, when the crops were affected by El Ni�o adverse weather. Food assistance continues from the international community and programmes for the emergency rehabilitation of agricultural activities have been initiated.
Food pledges for 106 000 tonnes in 1998 have been mostly delivered.
Land is being prepared for planting of the 1999/2000 maize crop while sowing of the irrigated paddy crop has only started.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season (�postrera�) crops are about to be completed following the severe disruption caused by hurricane �Mitch� at the end of October. Aggregate maize output, the main cereal, for the whole year is forecast to be about 411 000 tonnes, which compares to an earlier estimate of 611 000 tonnes and to the 1997/98 crop of 609 000 tonnes. Important losses were also inflicted to basic food staples such as beans and plantains. As a result of the damage, about 336 000 tonnes of maize, 40 000 tonnes of rice, 46 000 tonnes of sorghum and 10 000 tonnes of beans will be required as imports in 1998/99 marketing year (September/August). Wheat imports for some 138 000 tonnes will be also required. Losses for over US$100 million were sustained by the livestock sector, while the cost to rehabilitate the sector is estimated at some US$86 million. Damage to major export agricultural products, the main foreign exchange earners, was of enormous proportion. Production losses in 1998 and anticipated losses in production in 1999 are estimated at US$480 million, while damage to major export products infrastructure has been estimated at US$210 million. Food assistance from the international community continues to be provided to some 810 000 people, mostly from rural areas. Large scale programmes for the rehabilitation of agricultural activities, as well as major infrastructure, have been initiated.
Harvesting of the recently planted 1999 irrigated wheat crop is due to start from April. Despite prevailing dry weather conditions, water reservoir levels are reported to be adequate. Production, nevertheless, is anticipated to increase only slightly from last year�s below-average level, the result of a small increase from last year�s plantings. Harvesting of the 1998/99 second season coarse grain crops, which were planted during the 1998 spring/summer months, has been completed and aggregate maize output in 1998/99 is provisionally estimated at an average 18.4 million tonnes, despite damage incurred to crops by hurricane �Mitch� in the southwestern parts of the country at the end of October. A well above-average 6.4 million tonnes of sorghum have been gathered.
Harvesting of the 1998/99 third season �apante� crop has started. Measures have been taken by the Government, in collaboration with the international community, to boost production and thus help recover from the serious losses inflicted by hurricane �Mitch� to the 1998/99 second season maize and bean crops. Assuming success of the �apante� crop, aggregate maize output for the whole year (three crops) is expected to be an average 296 000 tonnes, a recovery from the 1997/98 output of 267 000 tonnes, when the crops were affected by El Ni�o adverse weather. Production of beans, a basic staple in the population� s diet, is anticipated to be about 85 000 tonnes, which compares to 98 000 tonnes estimated before the hurricane. The import requirement due to the damage is estimated at about 50 000 tonnes of maize, 26 000 tonnes of rice and 15 000 tonnes of beans. Wheat imports are estimated at about 102 000 tonnes. The losses of export crops such as bananas, coffee and sugar is estimated at 13 percent of expected gross domestic value. Damage to the livestock sector is estimated at US$14 million. Food aid continues to be distributed to some 400 000 beneficiaries, while programmes for agricultural rehabilitation have been initiated.
Latest available information on damage caused by hurricane �Mitch� to the important coffee crop, particularly in the western parts of the country, indicates that losses incurred represent about 20 percent of the 1998/99 anticipated production. Losses include direct damage to plantations plus reduced yields currently being obtained. It is reported that the heavy rainfall has also resulted in the outburst of fungus in some locations which could extend and threaten the crop in the next few years.
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS (2 February)
The country suffered the impact of hurricane �Georges� in late September. Severe damage was inflicted to housing and infrastructure, as well as to the agricultural, fishery and livestock sectors. As a result of the extensive damage to crops, particularly bananas, sugar (the main source of employment in the country) and minor food crops such as fruits and vegetables, a programme for the rehabilitation of agricultural activities with the assistance of the international community has been initiated.
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