World cereals output to be below previous forecast
NEW-YORK. July 17. KAZINFORM /Aliya Altyngazina/ World cereals output will amount to 2 208 mln tons in 2009 that is to fall 3.4 percent below previous forecasts. World wheat output will fall 4 per cent to 655.2 mln tons; Kazinform reports.
The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) positively estimates cereals output prospects in CIS countries. According to FAO new report in Kazakhstan, the area sown to wheat is estimated to have increased to 13.8 million hectares compared to 12.9 million hectares of last year. Provided normal weather conditions prevail during the summer season, the 2009 wheat output could increase to 14 million tons from 12.5 million tons in 2008.
Reflecting an increase of the land sown to grains, Azerbaijan is expected to produce an above-average grain output of over 2 million tons, with more optimistic forecast, close to 2.5 million tons. In Tajikistan, the situation is mixed as heavy rains have damaged spring sown crops, such as cotton and coarse grains, while the winter wheat harvest is expected to partly recover from last year poor output.
In European CIS countries, planting of the spring cereals has been completed and harvesting of winter cereals has recently started. In the Russian Federation, the outlook for the 2009 cereal harvest is good and output could reach its second highest level, after last year's record of 106.2 million tonnes. The aggregate cereal planted area is expected to reach some 46.6 million hectares, about one million hectares more than the previous year.