With most of the small grain crops already gathered, a sharp drop in the country’s cereal production is reported this year. The official estimate of wheat production now stands at 4.3 million tonnes, about 45 percent down from the bumper crop in 2001 and well below the average of the past few years. A reduction in the area sown to wheat last autumn was partly behind the decrease but, above all, yields were severely reduced by drought throughout most of the growing season. The barley crop has similarly been affected by dry conditions. Regarding the summer maize, the outcome is still somewhat uncertain, especially in the wake of exceptionally heavy rainfall in August which caused severe flooding and crop damage in many parts. However, the significant improvement in water availability may have an overall favourable result by improving crop yields in general.