This monitoring period covers the harvesting stage of lastyear’s summer crops (maize, rice and sorghum), as well as the sowing and growingstage of winter wheat and winter barley. Environmental indices indicate a sharpincrease of rainfall (67 percent) and biomass (19 percent), while PAR is alittle above last the five-year average level for the same period. Favorablerainfall improved the soil moisture condition. Since December, the average NDVIprofiles (figure e) indicate that crop condition is now close to the five-yearaverage, after a less favorable period in January, a period when other sourcesreport a drop in rainfall. All indicators agree in assessing the condition ofcrops (essentially rabi wheat) in north Punjab as in better condition than inthe eastern-central areas of the province.

Figure3.21. Pakistan crop condition, Oct. 2013-Jan. 2014 (a)