ARMENIA (5 February)
Latest official reports indicate that the areas planted to winter cereals for harvest in 2003 were similar to that of the year before. Aggregate area under cereals this year is estimated at 187 000 hectares, which includes 130 000 hectares of wheat and 51 000 hectares of barley. Potato is the second most important food crop, which has been planted on 32 000 hectares of land, similar to last year. Cereals and potatoes are drought prone so the realization of the currently estimated harvest of 340 000 tonnes of wheat, 62 000 tonnes of barley and 400 000 tonnes of potatoes depends on the level of precipitation and irrigation water availability in spring and summer. Armenia is a food deficit country with the estimated import requirement of 344 000 tonnes of cereals to meet consumption requirements.