Harvest of the 2014 winter crops (mainly wheat) is nearing completion. Although planting was completed under favourable weather conditions, cold and dry weather during the growing season negatively affected crop yields, particularly of barley.
However, Government support measures, such as the provision of subsidized credit, fuel and high quality seeds, prevented further declines in outputs, reports FAO.
As a result, the production of the 2014 wheat main crop is forecast to remain unchanged from last year’s bumper level at 250 000 tonnes, whereas barley is expected to decrease to 160 000 tonnes or 11 per cent below last year’s record level.
Overall, total cereal output is anticipated at 439 000 tonnes, a decrease of 4 per cent from last year’s crop but still above the previous five-year average.
