The main wheat harvest is virtually completed and although drought conditions earlier this summer lowered some yields, crop quality is reported to be good. The exception is northern Alberta where excess rain has delayed harvest and grain quality has been affected. The latest official estimate puts the 1997 wheat crop at some 23.5 million tons, 21 percent down from last year. However, this reflects an 8 percent reduction in area, due to a shift from wheat to oilseed production, as well as the lower yields. Coarse grains production is expected to decrease in 1997 after reduced plantings and drought conditions earlier in the summer which reduced yields. Aggregate coarse grains output is officially estimated at 25 million tons, about 12 percent down from the previous year, but still above the average of the past 7 years.