CUBA* (2 June)
Moderate to heavy rains have increased soil moisture favouring planting operations of spring/summer maize and paddy crops, especially in the drought-affected eastern provinces of Las Tunas, Camaguey and Holguin. The harvest of 2004/05 sugar cane crop is virtually completed and raw sugar output is expected to be about 1.3 million tonnes, representing the smallest production in almost a century. This result is essentially due to the prolonged drought that affected the whole country. The harvest of 2004/05 coffee crop was completed in April and output is estimated at low 180 000 60-kg bags, the lowest production in the last 50 years, also as a consequence of the drought that hit the main growing eastern provinces of Guantanamo and Santiago. About one million tonnes of wheat, 600 000 tonnes of rice and 280 000 tonnes of maize will be required as imports in marketing year 2005/06.