MEXICO (26 September)
Harvesting of 2005 important rainfed spring maize crop is about to start and production is tentatively estimated at 15.5 million tonnes, about 1 million tonnes less than last year’s output of the same season. Aggregate maize crop in 2005 (fall 2004/05 plus spring 2005) is forecast at about 21.5 million tonnes, slightly below 2004 record production. Land is already being prepared in the states of Baja California Sur and Sonora for planting the 2005/06 fall maize crop. Harvesting of 2005 summer sorghum crop is about to start in North-Western states and early forecast points out to a total sorghum production of 5.7 million tonnes, about 18 percent less than previous year’s output as a consequence of reduced plantings and yields. Harvesting of the main 2005 paddy crop (mainly rainfed) is about to start in key producing states of Veracruz and Campeche and output is forecast at an average level of 300 000 tonnes. Imports in marketing year 2005/06 (July/June) are expected to be about 6.3 million tonnes of maize (with an increase of about 10 percent due to the expansion of the demand of the feed industry), 3.6 million tonnes of wheat and 3.5 million tonnes of sorghum.