CROATIA (9 February)
Latest reports show that winter cereal crops, mainly wheat and barley, are in good conditions and areas planted are similar to the average of the past few years. Provided that favourable weather conditions persist over spring and early summer, a repeat of last year’s good harvest is a real possibility. Last year aggregate cereal harvest was estimated at about 3.3 million tonnes, which is some 800 000 tonnes up on 2003. Aggregate cereal export for the 2004/05 marketing year is estimated at 140 000 tonnes and imports are estimated at about 87 000 tonnes.