This reporting period covers the growing stage of winter wheat and the start of the sowing period for maize and rice. The CropWatch agro-climatic indicators show that the recorded rainfall was 112mm, 136% greater than the last 15-year average (15YA). The rainfall index graph shows that most of the rainfall fell during January (>15mm) and March (>40mm). The average temperature was 14.8°C (-0.7°C). RADPAR was 963 MJ/m2 (-5.7%) and BIOMSS was 302 gDM/m2 (+13%) as a result of good rainfall. The nation-wide NDVI development graph shows that the conditions of the crops were initially below average, then improved to show above-avrage levels and by the end of the season dropped to average levels. The NDVI profile map indicates that the conditions of about 33.4% of cultivated areas were above and 18.8% below average. The rest of the area (47.9%) fluctuated around the average throughout the whole reporting period. The VCIx map indicates that the condition of the current crops, mainly winter wheat, is good. This agrees with the whole country VCIx value (0.85) and the CALF exceeded the 5YA by 8%, indicating favorable crop conditions.

Regional Analysis

Egypt can be subdivided into three agro-ecological zones (AEZ), mostly based 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. A detailed analysis is reported below.

In the Nile Delta and Mediterranean coastal strip, the average rainfall was 113 mm (+131%), while in the Nile Valley zone it reached 65mm, an increase of 394% above average. Most of the Egyptian crop production is irrigated so rainfall has little impact on crop production. During this monitoring period there was a good amount of rainfall which positively affected the crop conditions and resulted in an incrased estimation for BIOMASS. Temperature for both zones was 15°C (-1°C). RADPAR was about -6% and -4% below the average for the first and second zone respectively. The BIOMASS index shows an increase of 9% in the Nile Delta and Mediterranean coastal strip zone. For the Nile Valley, the increase over the 15YA was 27%. The NDVI-based crop condition development graphs show similar conditions for both zones and therefore also for the nation-wide crop development NDVI graph, in agreement with the favorable VCIx and CALF% values.

Figure 3.14 Egypt’s crop condition, January-April 2020

(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))

(g) Time series profile of rainfall                                               (h）Time series profile of temperature

Table 3.19 Egypt’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values, and departure from 15YA, January-April 2020.

 Table 3.20 Egypt’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season’s values, and departure from 5YA, January-April 2020.