FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 01/00 - BRAZIL (3 February)
Prolonged dry weather favoured the recently completed harvest of the 1999 wheat crop. Output collected is provisionally estimated at a slightly above-average 2.4 million tonnes and quality of the crop is reported to be good. Dry weather, by contrast, affected plantings of the 1999/2000 first season maize crop, currently being harvested, as well as delaying planting of the second season crop in the north and north- east areas of the country. Main producing states, such as Parana, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, have been affected by the dry weather and losses up to 18 percent of expected production are reported in the latter state. Despite enlarged plantings with respect to the previous year�s average level, production for the whole year is tentatively forecast to remain close to the 33 million tonnes average of the last 5 years. Harvesting of the 2000 paddy crop is underway and about 10.3 million tonnes are tentatively forecast, a decrease from 1999 near record 11.6 million tonnes, but still slightly above average.
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