The aggregate 2002 cereal crop is estimated at about 3.3 million tonnes, similar to the previous year’s level and about average. While wheat production fell to about 1.6 million tonnes (2001:1.85 million tonnes), because of reduced planting and lower yields, the barley crop turned out larger at over 700 000 tonnes, compared to about 670 000 tonnes last year. As of early November, planting of the winter grain crops was well advanced with some 50 percent of the expected area already reported to have been planted.