TUNISIA (18 September)
Dry seasonal weather has prevailed for the past three months. Harvesting of the 2003 winter crops has been completed; the wheat and barley crops are estimated at an above-average 1.3 million tonnes and 616 000 tonnes, respectively. These compare to 423 000 tonnes and 90 000 tonnes collected in 2002, when the crops were severely affected by drought.
Wheat imports for the 2003/04 marketing year (July/June) are forecast to drop sharply from the previous year’s high level of 1.8 million tonnes. Imports of maize are also forecast to drop from 750 000 tonnes to some 700 000 tonnes.