PAKISTAN (9 June)
The harvesting of the 2003 wheat crop is completed and the planting of the paddy and coarse grains crops are underway. The 2003 wheat output is tentatively estimated at 19.5 million tonnes, about 1.5 million tonnes less than expected before due to the failure of the wheat crop in Punjab and Sindh caused by the prevailing drought. The wheat import requirement is estimated at 3 million tonnes to meet the wheat shortfall. The damage to the wheat crop in Punjab has been reported on a much higher scale as compared to Sindh. WFP continues its assistance to drought-affected people, including 157 000 in Sindh and 108 000 in Balochistan.