The bulk of the harvest is sown in May. Winter grain plantings are provisionally estimated at about 700 000 hectares, about the same as last year. There is considerable uncertainty about the expected level of spring grain plantings following a sharp reduction in 1997. Indications are that the aggregate area sown to grains could fall to about 12.6 million hectares from about 14.2 million hectares in 1997, in response to farmers’ financial constraints, inadequate availability of seeds, machinery and unremunerative farm-gate prices. Farm privatization is well advanced but actual restructuring is proceeding only slowly and agricultural land remains the property of the state. In view of the lack of collateral for credit and the large number of farms in debt, input use is expected to remain low and grain yields are likely to remain well below potential.