Reference Date: 05-December-2024

Planting of 2025 winter cereals finalized under favourable weather conditions

Planting of the 2025 winter crops, mainly wheat, to be harvested from July 2025, took place in November 2024 under favourable weather conditions and near-average soil moisture levels. According to prevailing weather forecasts, there is high likelihood that above‑average precipitation levels may continue between December 2024 and February 2025, with positive impact on crop production.

Near-average cereal output obtained in 2024

Harvesting of the 2024 cereal crops, mainly maize and wheat, finalized in September 2024. Aggregate cereal output is estimated at a near‑average level of 410 000 tonnes, including 200 000 tonnes of maize and 150 000 tonnes of wheat, due to near‑average planting areas and favourable weather conditions during the growing season.

Cereal imports in 2024/25 forecast at near‑average level

Total cereal import requirements in the 2024/25 marketing year (July/June) are forecast at a near‑average level of 600 000 tonnes. Import requirements of wheat, which account on average for about 90 percent of the aggregate cereal import volume, are forecast at about 500 000 tonnes.

Prices of wheat flour increased year‑on‑year

Retail prices of wheat flour increased between April and November 2024, when they were about 6 percent higher year‑on‑year, reflecting high export quotations from the Russian Federation, the main wheat supplier to the country.

Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of FAO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .