SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO (12 May)
Winter cereals and newly planted spring crops are in good state following favourable weather conditions during winter and early spring. Area planted with cereals, mainly winter wheat and barley, is slightly up on last year while the government is attempting to increase area planted with maize and other summer industrial crops. Official estimates forecast an aggregate cereal harvest of about 7.5 million tonnes, which is some 2 million tonnes up on last year’s reduced crop but below the good harvest of about 8.9 million tonnes in 2001. The forecasts are on the conservative side and much depends on weather conditions during summer. Cereal import requirement during the 2004/05 marketing year is forecast at 323 000 tonnes, while exports are forecast at 160 000 tonnes of mainly wheat and maize.