The Government announced it would allow duty-free imports of maize, wheat and sorghum until 31 December this year, and also eased some import requirements, such as allowing grains to be imported without a phytosanitary pre-certification and not only in 50 kg bags as required by the National Agricultural Health and Food Safety Service body. The measures aim to boost domestic availabilities, negatively affected by dry weather. Cereal production in 2016 is estimated at a sharply-reduced level, as the summer and winter cereal crops were severely affected by drought and high pest infestations. A preliminary estimate points to a reduction in aggregate cereal output in 2016 to 2 million tonnes, 23 percent below the previous year’s level and below the five year average. Losses to the agricultural sector due to the drought are estimated at USD 247 million.