August 20, 2013

Tunisia's grain harvest has dropped 47% in 2013 due to a combination of dry weather conditions and reduced plantings, according to the UN.

The crop fell to 1.37 million tonnes from 2.61 million tonnes a year earlier, UN's Rome-based Food & Agriculture Organisation reported. The total includes 1.02 million tonnes of wheat and 320,000 tonnes of barley, as well as other grains. The harvest was completed in June and July.

"Insufficient rain during the planting season in late 2012 resulted in decreased wheat and barley planted area," the FAO said. "A below-average cereal crop was gathered despite the well-distributed rains from mid-January to end of March. In Tunisia, crop production varies markedly from year to year depending on the significant rainfall variations."

Tunisia's grain imports may jump to 3.57 million tonnes in the 2013-14 marketing year which began July 1, about 30% more than the prior period and 23% higher than the five-year average, the FAO said.