The monitoring period covers the peak growth and harvesting of winter wheat as well as the sowing and early stages of summer maize during late June to July.

The region experienced  dry conditions  with a 50% decline in precipitation compared to average. The drought, which  occurred mainly in May and June affected maize more then wheat, which had reached maturity. BIOMSS 1% with temperature up 0.5℃ and sunshine (RADPAR) up 2%.

17.1% of cropland (eastern Shandong and northern Huanghuaihai) displays average NDVI condition almost throughout the reporting period. Some scattered areas across Hebei, Shandong, Anhui and Jiangsu, accounting for 18.3% of cropland, showed above-average condition before mid-May. Remaining areas has consistently negative NDVI departure values.

VCIx averages 0.82 for Huanghuaihai and maize condition is generally below average. 

Figure 4.14. Crop condition China Huanghuaihai, April 2019 - July 2019

(a) Crop condition development graphbased on NDVI

(b) Rainfall profile

(c) Temperature profile

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to5YA     (e) NDVIprofiles

(f) Maximum VCI

(g) Biomass