DOMINICAN REPUBLIC (20 August)
Growing conditions have deteriorated for the 1997 first season rainfed maize and sorghum crops, as well as that of the secondary irrigated paddy crop and other minor foodcrops, as a result of insufficient precipitation in July. Field work has stopped in several areas and price speculation on some basic food items is reported. Harvesting is about to start and coarse grain outputs should decline from last year but would nevertheless remain about average. Harvesting of the main irrigated paddy crop has been completed and an above- average 540 000 to 560 000 tons is provisionally estimated for both crops.
Wheat imports in marketing year 1997 (January/December) are expected to be about 265 000 tons, slightly above the previous year receipts. Maize imports are forecast to increase from 675 000 tons to about 690 000 tons, reflecting the improved demand from the poultry sector which had undergone a period of limited constraint. Rice imports should be a relatively high 40 000 tons, despite the bumper crop collected. This is mainly the result of government's decision to cope with eventual stockpiling and price speculation, similar to that experienced during the dry spell in the first half of the year.