Harvesting of the 1997/98 first (main) season coarse grain crops has been completed, while planting of the winter wheat crop, mostly in the eastern department of Santa Cruz has started under abnormally dry weather conditions. Maize output has been provisionally estimated at a low 416 000 tonnes, which compares to last year’s 671 000 tonnes and to the last 5-year average of about 560 000 tonnes. Barley production is estimated at 39 000 tonnes, about 41 percent below last year’s output. Output of the important potato crop in the population’s diet has also declined from 840 000 tonnes to 505 000 tonnes. The crops have been severely affected, particularly in the Andean highland valleys, by the extremely dry weather attributed to El Niño and substantially low yields have resulted. This implies a significant reduction of food availability for farmers in the next few months and the scarcity of seeds to reinitiate the following agricultural campaign. The Government has made an appeal to the international community for the rehabilitation of the agricultural activities in the most affected areas.