Several MPZs have been affected by large spatial weather anomalies. However, several months will still pass before harvest and crop condition will likely change, requiring a reassessment when the crop stage is more advanced. Current weather can also affect the spring and summer crops still to be planted through soil moisture and their effect on pests and diseases.

The north American MPZ, with the exception of Mexico, was affected by abnormally low temperatures (-1.4°C in the United States and -1.3°Cin Canada). In comparison with the recent five-year average, uncropped arable land (UAL) values for the current season increased in Canada (+10.7 percentage points) and the United States (+5.9 percentage points), possibly reflecting unfavorable growth conditions, while UAL decreased in Mexico (-4.3 percentage points).

Countries in the South American MPZ currently grow summer crops, mainly soybean and maize; both crops suffered drought in some majora gricultural areas, including the core of the soybean producing zone. The situation affected early stages and has been remedied by now, although mixed crop condition continues to prevail in northwest Argentina and southern coastal Brazil.

Central-eastern Europe winter crops (essentially wheat, with some barley) are currently in the vegetative/dormant stage, although complex interactions between above normal temperature, presence/absence of snow, and late hardening may have led to increased winter kill. Most of the MPZ experienced temperatures that were above the recent twelve-year average,decreasing from east to southwest: Russia +1.7°C, Poland +1.2°C, Moldova and Romania +1.1°C, Belarus 1.0°C, and Ukraine 0.7°C. Some of the countries in thewest also underwent parallel drought, in particular Ukraine (precipitation 25percent down compared with the twelve-year average), Poland (-16 percent), and Romania (-8 percent), and -62 percent in Moldova, one of highest absolute rainfall drops of the 173 countries monitored by CropWatch. Uncropped arableland nevertheless decreased in Poland and Romania (-24.2 and -12.5 percentagepoints, respectively), but increased in Russia (+11.8 percentage points).

Several areas in Western Europe suffered floods (UnitedKingdom, +43 percent over the recent twelve-year average) or drought (Hungary,-33 percent), with Hungary continuing the spatial pattern already noted forcentral-eastern Europe. Temperatures were above average east of and includingGermany (+1.2°C), reaching increases of 1.4°C in Czechia and 1.7°C in Hungary,resulting in unseasonally high biomass accumulation and VCI (11 percentagepoints in Germany) and a very large decrease in uncropped arable land (-10.7percentage points). Overall, based mostly on maximum VCI, crop condition isgood in Germany, Denmark, Czechia, and Northern Italy, but mixed in France, theUnited Kingdom, Hungary, and particularly in southern Italy and Spain, wherehigh values are interspersed with patches of unusually low values.

In theSouth and Southeast Asian MPZ, the dominant feature is excess rainfalldecreasing from west to east (India +52 percent, Bangladesh +11 percent,Myanmar +27 percent, Thailand +13 percent, Cambodia +5 percent, and Vietnam -1percent, compared to the twelve-year average). In spite of some unusual dropsin temperature, all countries are characterized by increased biomassaccumulation in comparison with the twelve-year average. Uncropped arable landdecreased in India (-3 percentage points) and more significantly so in Myanmar(-4.8 percentage points). Maximum VCI values are usually high in most of thenorth western quadrant of India, in close agreement with the VHI clusters, andclearly denote satisfactory rabi crop condition. In the south and east of Bangladesh,there is a larger proportion of low values; the same occurs in the eastern halfof the MPZ, indicating mixed crop condition, or sometimes distinctly poorconditions, as in the Red River delta of northern Vietnam.

In the African MPZ, covering the Gulf of Guinea states andadjacent areas of the Sahelian countries, only the southernmost areas harvesteda crop, usually maize, during the reporting period. Crop condition is generallysatisfactory, especially in the west. In Nigeria, significant areas indicatedas uncropped arable land correspond to the main maize growing areas in the centerof the country, which were harvested before the current reporting period.

Table 2.1. Agricultural indicatorsby Major Production Zone, October 2013-January 2014, showing current seasonvalues and departure from the 5YA (2008-2013)