BULGARIA (7 February)
The early outlook points to another good wheat crop in 2005. Winter wheat plantings are reported to have risen to almost 1.1 million hectares from about 950 000 hectares last year and weather conditions have been favourable throughout the autumn and winter so far. However, assuming yields return to closer to the five-year average, after the bumper levels in 2004, output is expected to remain similar to last year’s level at about 4 million tonnes.