Satisfactory crop condition prevailed over the South and Southeast Asian MPZ during the monitoring period with the maximum Vegetation Condition Index (VCIx) reaching 0.86, even if the biomass production potential (BIOMSS) was 8% lower than the 5-year average. The fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) was average. Most uncropped arable land occurs in India. RAIN was well below average (-20%) but both temperature and photosynthetically active radiation were slightly above average (TEMP +0.1°C, RADPAR +2%).

Some national RADPAR values had significant positive anomalies as for instance in the Philippines (+7%) and Cambodia (+6%). Myanmar recorded a slight negative anomaly (RADPAR -1%). Other countries recorded positive values but close to average. TEMP stayed close to average; Sri Lanka and Indonesia recorded negative departures (-0.6°C and -0.4°C respectively), while Vietnam and Thailand were both slightly warmer (0.5°C) than the average. The largest anomalies occurred at the beginning of the reporting in central India (close to +3°C anomaly in and around Madhya Pradesh, about +2.5°C anomaly in and East of Thailand). Close to average temperature prevailed throughout the monitoring period from western Myanmar across Bangladesh to most of northern India.

For RAIN, the largest anomalies were those of Nepal (-48%), Bangladesh (-38%), India (-35%)  and the Philippines (-25%) as well as Myanmar where excess precipitation was recorded (+22%). Most anomalies occurred at the beginning of the reporting period in October, with the largest excesses in southern India, Sri Lanka and the Mekong Delta area, and deficits in coastal Andhra Pradesh, Bangladesh and central Vietnam.

As a reflection of the agro-climatic conditions during the reporting period, the biomass accumulation potential fell below the reference of the 5YA. The largest BIOMSS departures are those in India (-24%), Philippines (-18%), Bangladesh (-18%), Myanmar (+24%), Vietnam (+23%) and Thailand (+20%).

Low values of VHI minimum were recorded mainly in India, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. Maximum VCI appeared mainly in India and Thailand.

Figure 2.4. South and Southeast Asia MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, October 2018 – January 2019.

a. Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles.  b. Profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm)

c. Spatial distribution of temperature profiles.    d. Profiles of temperature departure from average (mm).

e. Maximum VCI

f. Cropped arable land

g. Biomass accumulation potential departure

h. VHI minimum