BUCHAREST (March 27 2003) : Prolonged freezing temperatures this winterhave affected Romania's rapeseed and barley crops and farmers fear thatthe sector's chronic shortage of funds might dent hopes for a good wheatharvest.

Cold spells which hit Romania in January and February, with temperaturesof minus 18-20 degrees Celsius for weeks in a row, took a heavy toll onthis year's rapeseed and barley crops.

Constantin Tache, farm manager in the Dolj county, said low temperatureshad destroyed the rapeseed crop almost completely and affected up to 80percent of the barley in the area.

"The situation is more or less the same in the rest of the country, manycomplain that the rapeseed crop is gone and barley is almost finished.It's another bad year," Tache said.