COLOMBIA (6 June)
Heavy rains have caused flooding and landslides in several provinces along the Caribbean and Pacific Coasts as well as in the Andean zone. Planting of the 2005 first (main) maize crop has been completed in the Departments of Cordoba, Cesar and Bolivar and area planted is tentatively forecast to increase slightly from the good level reached in 2004. Harvesting of the 2005 irrigated paddy crops in the central department of Tolima and north-western department of Cordoba has been recently completed. The rainfed important paddy crop which grown in the eastern plains of Los Llanos is harvested between August and October. Aggregate paddy output in 2005 is tentatively forecast at 2.7 million tonnes, slightly above last year’s record production. Food assistance from the international community continues in various parts of the country to the internally displaced population, the victims of the civil strife which for long is affecting the country. While the country is expected to be self-sufficient for rice, wheat and maize imports in marketing year 2005 are forecast at average levels of 1.2 million tonnes and 2 million tonnes respectively.