FAO/GIEWS - Foodcrops & Shortages 02/02 - CUBA (1 February)
The country is still recovering from the impact of Hurricane “Michelle” in November last year, which seriously affected the provinces of La Habana, Matanzas and the Isla de la Juventud, causing severe damage to food (plantains, roots and fruits) and citrus crops in particular. No significant damage was incurred to the cereal crops as the bulk of the first season crops had been harvested. Planting of the 2001/02 second season crops is well advanced for harvesting from April. Early forecasts indicate that maize output from both crops should be an above-average 170 000 tonnes while production of paddy in 2001 is provisionally estimated at 310 000 tonnes, close to the previous year’s volume.
Wheat imports in marketing year 2001/02 (July/June) are expected to be close to 1 million tonnes, while the volume of rice to be imported in 2002 (January/December) is forecast to increase from 440 000 tonnes in 2001 to some 470 000 tonnes in response to the population’s strong demand for this important food staple.