ALGERIA (30 May)
Normal to abundant rains at planting and during the development stage have benefited the 2003 winter cereal crops. Harvesting is about to start and output of wheat, the main cereal, is provisionally forecast at 2.2 million tonnes, far above the average of the past 5 years and a significant recovery from the 2002 drought affected crop of 1.5 million tonnes. An average barley output of some 450 000 tonnes is also tentatively forecast.
Wheat imports in marketing year 2003/04 (July/June) are expected to decrease from the previous year’s volume of 5.3 million tonnes to some 4.7 million tonnes. Maize imports are also expected to decrease from 1.7 million tonnes to about 1.6 million tonnes in marketing year 2003/04 (July/June).