GEORGIA* (16 September)
Cereal harvesting in much of the country is complete, and latest estimates point to an aggregate cereal harvest of about 627 000 tonnes, some 48 000 tonnes lower than last year’s harvest. This aggregate includes some 166 000 tonnes of wheat and 400 000 tonnes of maize. Economic constraints and the lingering effects of the recent drought as well as adverse weather conditions last winter are the main reasons for below-average cereal production. Total annual cereal requirements in Georgia amount to about 1.2 million tonnes. In the recent past Georgia has not been able to meet domestic requirements and has depended on commercial imports and food aid. Cereal import requirements for the 2003/04 marketing year are estimated at 580 000 tonnes, including 120 000 tonnes in food aid.
WFP, under the Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO), is assisting some 209 500 people with 50 493 tonnes of food. The current PRRO is scheduled to end in March 2006.