MOROCCO (7 October)
Land preparation is underway for the planting of the 2005/06 winter grain crops. Extensive dry spells throughout the last growing season resulted in sharply reduced output this year. The aggregate 2005 cereal production, mostly wheat and barley, is estimated at about 4.3 million tonnes, nearly one-half of last year’s crop. Output of wheat, by far the most important crop, decreased to 3 million tonnes compared to 5.5 million tonnes in 2004 and the five-year average of 3.75 million tonnes.
Cereal imports in 2005/06 (July/June) are forecast to increase substantially to 2.5 million tonnes of wheat and 1.9 million tonnes of coarse grains, mainly barley and maize.