FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 09/01 - EGYPT (4 September)
Harvesting of the 2001 irrigated wheat crop was completed in July and output is provisionally estimated to be slightly above average at 6.3 million tonnes, but below the 2000 good crop of 6.6 million tonnes. Harvesting of the maize crop is well underway while that of paddy has only started. The outlook is good and maize production is anticipated to be close to the record output harvested in the previous year. Early forecasts of irrigated paddy point to a slightly aboveaverage crop of 5.4 million tonnes.
Wheat imports in marketing year 2001/02 (July/June) are forecast at about 6.6 million tonnes, some 200 000 tonnes above the previous year, while maize imports are expected to decrease by 600 000 tonnes to about 3.8 million tonnes.