Reference Date: 29-October-2020

Above‑average cereal production obtained in 2020

Harvesting of the 2020 cereal crops finalized in September and the aggregate output is estimated at about 1.6 million tonnes, 7 percent above the five‑year average. The 2020 wheat output is estimated at 1.4 million tonnes, well below the 2019 high level, due to a 10 percent year‑on‑year reduction in plantings in favour of more profitable cotton cultivation, but 6 percent above the five‑year average, amid the use of high yielding seeds and favourable weather conditions in the season.

Planting of the 2021 winter cereals, to be harvested from June next year, is ongoing under slightly drier‑than‑average weather conditions and it is expected to be completed by mid‑November.

Cereal import requirements in 2020/21 forecast well below‑average volume

Total cereal import requirements for the 2020/21 marketing year (July/June) are forecast at 113 000 tonnes, well below the five‑year average. Wheat imports, mainly sourced from Kazakhstan, are forecast at a below‑average level of 80 000 tonnes, reflecting adequate domestic supplies due to the high outputs obtained in the last two years.

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