LISBON - Portugal's government said on Tuesday it did not expect last year's severe drought to last into 2006 and farmers said there had been enough winter rain for them to sow their crops.
"At this moment we have no expectation that 2006 will bring us the same difficulties as we had to confront in 2005," Environment Minister Francisco Correia told journalists.
Portugal had its worst drought since 1931 last year, with virtually all of the wheat crop destroyed, water rationing in some places and the dry weather causing widespread forest fires.
The head of Portugal's Water Institute, Orlando Borges, was quoted on Tuesday as saying in daily Jornal de Noticias that the 2005 drought was not yet over and that this year would also be dry.
An official at the Confederation of Portuguese Farmers said the sector was bracing for dry weather, but rain during the winter months had ensured that crops were planted.
"If the rains continue until March there will be no problems because there has been regular rain," he said.
If the rains do not continue regularly until the spring the biggest worry will be for livestock, he said. Last year hundreds of sheep, cattle and goats died because of water shortages.
While there has been rain during the winter months, many water reservoirs are still less than half full, according to the government's latest report on the state of the drought.
REUTERS NEWS SERVICE
