Algeria harvest to be 4 mln-4.5 mln tonnes: Agriculture minister

September 2, 2010 4:04 PM EDT

Algeria's grain harvest this year will be between 4 million tonnes and 4.5 million tonnes, the agriculture minister said, revising downwards the previous estimate.

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"Between 40 million quintals (4 million tonnes) and 45 million quintals. We have yet to finish the harvest operation," Rachid Benaissa told Reuters when asked if he had a final figure for cereal output for this year.

The previous forecast given by the minister was for a grain crop of about 4.5 million tonnes.

The minister, who was speaking on the sidelines of a session of parliament, also said: "Durum wheat production will be very good."

Algeria is the world's fifth biggest wheat importer and the volume of its imports fluctuates according to the size of its domestic harvest. Last year it produced a record 6.1 million tonnes.

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The downward revision comes a day after a government source in neighbouring Morocco said the forecast for the harvest there was 7.46 million tonnes, down from the previous forecast of eight million tonnes.

Agriculture officials across the region have blamed poor weather for the smaller grain harvest this year.

Analysts say high world grain prices caused by drought in Russia and Ukraine will make it challenging for some north African countries to import the wheat they need to cover the shortfall in domestic production.