ALBANIA (9 February)
Cereal output in 2004 is estimated at about 520 000 tonnes, close to the average of the past five years. Weather conditions during the season were generally favourable. Wheat is estimated to have accounted for about 285 000 tonnes of the total output. The cereal import requirement for 2004/05 is estimated at 380 000 tonnes, about the average of the past five years and most of this is expected to be wheat.
Early prospects for the 2005 winter wheat crop just planted are generally satisfactory despite wetter than normal conditions reported in late 2004. The area of wheat sown has changed little from year-to-year during the past few years and is expected to remain again about 100 000 hectares in 2005.
WFP continues to provide food assistance to the most vulnerable of the population, focusing on the areas of social-sector assistance; communal forestry and pasture management and community asset building through food-for-work projects.