The improvement in the world food supply position which began in 1975 continued in 1976, mainly as the result of a substantial increase in world cereal production and stocks. A major factor in 1976 was favourable weather in nearly all the major cereal producing areas of the world, so that a record world wheat crop of 418 million tonnes was harvested, while coarse grain output rose to a new peak of 704 million tonnes. In addition world rice output was comparatively heavy.