FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 04/00 - URUGUAY (27 March)
Light to modest rains, although erratic and irregularly distributed, have resumed following a prolonged drought which has severely affected the 1999/2000 main cereal crops in the country. Harvesting of the wheat and barley crops have been recently completed and outputs are provisionally estimated at a low 373 000 tonnes and 99 000 tonnes respectively, which compares to earlier production estimates at planting of about 522 000 tonnes and 249 000 tonnes. The outlook is also poor for the maize crop, currently being harvested, and preliminary forecasts put production at a maximum 79 000 tonnes, against a previous forecast of 162 000 tonnes. Production of sorghum should also decline from a previous estimate of 106 000 tonnes to a maximum 20 000 tonnes. Harvesting of the important paddy crop has only started and production is provisionally forecast at 1.1 million tonnes, some 10 percent lower than formerly expected. Pertinent measures have been undertaken by the Government to cope with the serious losses incurred by the affected farmers.
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