Brasília, April 22, 2003 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - Beginning today and running through April 26, the National Supply Company (Conab) will make its fourth survey of the 2002/2003 harvest, in every state. During the five days of the study, 68 specialists will visit 550 municipalities where agricultural production takes place.

The Conab specialists will gather information on the harvest of summer crops -- cotton, peanuts, rice, sunflowers, castor beans, corn, and soybeans. They will also accompany products (peanuts, beans, and corn) that make up the second summer crop in the Northeast region, and they will evaluate plans to cultivate a third crop of beans and winter crops -- wheat, oats, rye, barley, and triticale (a hybrid of wheat and rye), for the first time in the case of triticale.

The results of the study should be announced on May 8 by the Minister of Agriculture, Roberto Rodrigues. The company's most recent estimate, issued in February, forecasted a harvest of 112.3 million tons of grains. (DAS)