As per CropWatch indicators, the condition of crops was poor during the reporting period, which coincides with the growing and harvesting seasons of rabi crops.The region experienced drought conditions linked to the ongoing El Niño event. The most affected states with low rainfall includes: Andhra Pradesh (-54%), Bihar (-34%), Chhattisgarh (-7%), Goa(-100%), Haryana (-46%), Jharkhand (-43%) Kerala(-52%), Karnataka (-76%),Maharashtra(-3%), Madhya Pradesh(-14%), Punjab(‑36%), Rajasthan(‑58%), TamilNadu(-79%), Uttar Pradesh(-51%), Uttarakhand (-33%) and West Bengal (‑29%). Low rainfall also led to negative biomass accumulation (-31%) for the entire country with high decline recorded in Andhra Pradesh (-48%), Bihar (-45%), Chhattisgarh(-12%), Goa(-100%), Haryana(-54%), Jharkhand (-41%) Kerala(-42%), Karnataka (-67%),Maharashtra(-16%), Madhya Pradesh(-33%), Punjab(‑37%), Rajasthan(‑59%), TamilNadu(-71%), Uttar Pradesh(-61%), Uttarakhand (-45%) and West Bengal (‑37%).Temperature were slightly above average with 0.8C and RADPAR was average. However, the crop arable land (CALF) increased by 3%. Crop condition development was below the values for 2014-15 and the average of the previous five years. The maximum VCI value reached 0.67 over the region. Maximum VCI below than 0.5 were recorded in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and West Bengal indicating poor crop condition in these areas. The NDVI profile values for the entire country remained favorable through the monitoring period except some areas in Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat and in North East. Overall, with the present nationwide drought condition, which followed widespread floods at the end of 2015,  the expected output of rabi crops is not promising.

Figure 3.16. India cropcondition, January-April 2016