HONDURAS (14 February)
Harvesting of the 2002/03 second season coarse grain crops has been completed and output of maize, the main cereal, is provisionally estimated at about 500 000 tonnes, about 4 percent below the past five-year average of 519 000 tonnes. The decline is partly due to drought incurred losses to first season crops. Production of sorghum is at an average level of 74 000 tonnes. Thousands of coffee plantation workers are still unemployed as a consequence of the international price crisis which continues to affect the coffee sector. Food assistance is being distributed to the most affected families in various localities of the department of Ocotepeque, Lempira, El Paraiso and Olancho.
Wheat imports in marketing year 2002/03 (July/June) are expected to be about 250 000 tonnes, compared to some 210 000 tonnes in the previous year. Maize imports are forecast to be slightly higher than the 230 000 tonnes that was imported in 2001/02.