CROATIA (18 September)
Latest estimates point to an aggregate cereal harvest of about 2.7 million tonnes, compared with a record harvest of 3.7 million tonnes in 2002/03. This year’s total cereal harvest includes some 600 000 tonnes of wheat, 2 million tonnes of maize and 85 000 tonnes of barley. The poor harvest this year has been due to drought throughout the spring and summer. The annual cereal consumption requirement is estimated at about 3.1 million tonnes. The deficit will be covered through commercial imports and stocks drawn down from last year’s good harvest. However, Croatia will not be able to export any significant quantity of cereals during the 2003/04 marketing year; last year cereal exports totalled 450 000 tonnes.