VENEZUELA (15 February)
Harvest of the 2002 coarse grain crops has been completed and maize output is provisionally estimated at a near average level, while production of sorghum is expected to be below average. The decline in production has been largely due to adverse weather in the main producing areas during the agricultural season. Production of paddy, the main cereal, in 2002 was 0.6 million tonnes. This is considerably below the past five-year average of 0.7 million tonnes. The drop in paddy production is the result of the scarce availability of irrigation water in the important producing areas of the central state of Guárico. Although rice stocks are sufficient to meet domestic demand in the forthcoming months, it is likely that some 25 000 tonnes of imports would nevertheless be required towards the end of 2003.