Planting of the 2002/03 wheat crop, for harvesting from December, was recently completed. The area planted is provisionally estimated at some 413 000 hectares which compares to the satisfactory level of 426 000 hectares planted in 2001/02. Sowing of the 2002/03 maize crop has just started and the area planted is tentatively forecast to increase slightly from the good level of the year before. Plantings of oats in 2002/03 are also expected to increase from the good level in 2001/02, when a near record crop was harvested.