NORTH AMERICA: Although weather conditions in the United States remain generally satisfactory, an extremely cold winter, one of the coldest on record, may have caused higher than normal winterkill, negatively affecting wheat yields. Also, official estimates indicate that the winter wheat area has declined by 5 percent to the lowest level since 1971. Dry conditions at sowing time in the main growing areas are reportedly the major reason. In Canada, early planting intentions for wheat and coarse grains point to similar areas as in the previous year.