The reporting period covers the final stages of winter wheat and the start of the sowing of both maize and rice. The recorded rainfall (RAIN) was 42 mm, 20% less than the average (15YA), the average temperature was 15°C (-1.3°C). The radiation (RADPAR) was 1013MJ/m2 (-1%) and the estimated biomass (BIOMSS) was 225gDM/m2 (-19%). The nation-wide NDVI development graph shows that the condition of the crops was below the 5 years average. NDVI profile maps indicate that about 29% of cultivated areas were above average and about 21% of the total cropped area conditions were below average. The rest of the area fluctuated around the average throughout the reporting period. The VCIx map indicates that the condition of the current crops, mainly the winter wheat, is good. This agrees with the whole country VCIx value (0.97). Prospects for winter wheat are favorable.

Regional analysis

Egypt can be subdivided into three agro-ecological zones (AEZ) based mostly on cropping systems, climatic zones, and topographic conditions. Only two of them are relevant for crops: the Nile Delta and Mediterranean coastal strip, and the Nile Valley.

In the first zone, the average rainfall was 30 mm (-29%), while in the Nile Valley zone it reached 128 mm, an increase of 24% over average. Due to most of the Egyptian crop production being irrigated, rainfall makes little change in the outcome of the season. RADPAR for both zones was about -1% below average and the BIOMSS index shows a decrease of -15% in Nile Delta and Mediterranean coastal strip zone, and 38% increase over Nile Valley zone compared to the 15YA.

The NDVI-based Crop condition development graphs indicate below average conditions for both zones but, crop condition was lower in the Nile Delta and Mediterranean coastal strip zone than in Nile Valley zone, in agreement with the VCIx values (0.94 and 1.13, respectively).

                                    (a). Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI    (c) Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA            (e) NDVI profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Nile Delta (left) and Nile Valley (right))

Table 3.23. Egypt’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, January-April 2019

Table 3.24. Egypt’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA and 5YA for BIOMSS and CALF respectively, January-April 2019