July 1 2003, 16:23 APK-Inform

Georgia might harvest 30 pc less grain crop than expected

The Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Georgia has summarised the results of monitoring of areas planted to cereals. The results of the monitoring have shown that it will be possible to harvest from more than 110,000 hectares of sown area just 200,000 to 230,000 tonnes of grain, including some 100,000 to 110,000 tonnes of milling wheat, against initially expected 300,000 tonnes. The actual crop will thus be 30 percent lower than the initial forecast.

The cause of the decline in crop forecast is the prolonged frosts, which considerably delayed spring sowing campaign this year, and following strong winds and excessive rains with hail. In some areas the natural calamity killed on root 40 to 50 percent of the cereals plantings.

The annual demand of Georgia in milling wheat is 750,000 tonnes. The deficit is usually covered by imports, mostly from Russia, USA, Ukraine and Kazakhstan.

In 2002 Georgia produced 200,000 tonnes of wheat.