An improved Soviet grain harvest was forecast.

Based on current projections, Soviet grain production could total about 195 million metric tons, up from a poor showing of 170 million tons in 1984, the U.S. Agriculture Department said. That would be the largest Soviet grain harvest since the 1978 record of 237.4 million tons. The Soviet Union’s grain imports from all foreign sources are expected to total 37 million tons, also unchanged from the previous forecast, the report said. Although that would be well below the record of 55 million tons in 1984-85, it still would rank as the third largest.