GUATEMALA CITY (AP) -- Guatemalan farmers say they will lose 80
                 percent of this year's bean harvest to a drought that has devastated most
                 of Central America. But the government maintains farmers are lying
                 about their loses to drive up the price of beans.

                 The drought, which lasted through most of June, will cost 17,000 farmers more
                 than $ 20 million in lost beans, Fernando Asturias, president of Guatemala's
                 agricultural congress, said at a Sunday press conference.

                 But state officials estimate that the drought affected far fewer farmers and wil l
                 cost Guatemala just 5 percent of its bean crop. Rains still to come before the
                 wet season ends in October will save thousands of harvests farmers are already
                 claiming were lost, the Agricultural Ministry said.

                 Agricultural Minister Jorge Escoto said farmers here are purposely overstating
                 their losses to drive up the price of beans.

                 "The country doesn't report any great production losses in basic grains because
                 of the drought," Escoto said.

                 The drought has hurt an estimated 600,000 farmers across Central America,
                 according to international relief agencies.

                   Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.