Following abundant and widely distributed rainfall in most parts of the country, the 1998 crop being harvested is officially estimated at 1.88 million tonnes, which is above average and 13 percent higher than the 1997 relatively good crop. As a consequence, the overall food supply situation is expected to improve substantially during the 1998/99 marketing year. Localized areas of food deficit in the north, where excessive rains resulted in flooding with loss of crops, are expected to be assisted under Government programmes helped by aid agencies.