Grain crops in Spain need rain

A lack of significant rain in the past three months could hurt 2005/06 grain crops in Spain and Portugal, the US Agriculture Department said on Tuesday. Although Spain's south-east coast had some rain earlier this month, farmland throughout both nations is badly in need of sustained, soaking rain to help the winter grain crop, the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service said in a special report.
"The lack of rain has depleted soil moisture necessary to sustain winter grains," it said. "In addition, water reserves that are typically utilized for irrigation during the spring and summer 'dry months,' are not being recharged, creating a potential hazard for winter grains' spring growth and summer crops."
Since early November, less than 25 percent of normal rain has fallen in south-west Spain.