NICARAGUA* (1 October)
Harvesting of the 2004/05 first season maize and beans crops is complete. Prolonged dry weather from May to the end of July caused extensive damage to the 2004/05 first season food crops, mainly maize and beans. The most affected municipalities, with losses between 50 and 100 per cent of plantings, are in the north and north-west departments of León, Chinandega, Madriz, Esteli and Matagalpa. Preliminary estimates of the Ministry of Agriculture indicate that about 63 000 hectares of maize and to 22 000 hectares of beans have been lost. This represents a reduction of the area to be harvested for maize of about 23 per cent from the good level of last year’s same season. The first season accounts for some 60 per cent of the aggregate (first, second and third seasons) annual production of maize and, therefore, the prolonged dry weather of the current season will negatively affect the 2004 output. For beans, which are mostly cultivated in the third season, the reduction of the area harvested in the first season is estimated at about 8 percent. In order to support production of the second “de postrera” season maize and bean crops, which are currently being planted, the Ministry of Agriculture distributed certified seeds and fertilizers to drought-affected farmers in the departments of León and Chinandega using funds of the programme ‘Libra por libra’. Import requirements in marketing year 2004/05 (July/June) are forecast at 125 000 tonnes of wheat, 80 000 tonnes of maize and 110 000 tonnes of rice.
Food assistance continues to be delivered by the international community in particular to the municipalities of Río Blanco and Matiguás in the department of Matagalpa and of Prinzapolka in the Autonomous Region of the North Atlantic that were seriously affected by floods at the beginning of July.