This report covers the main growing period of summer crops, as well as the harvest of early planted summer crops. The overall situation for South America is regular. Negative anomalies in RAIN and TEMP, as well as predominantly negative BIOMSS anomalies, poor Minimum VHI.

Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles showed four homogeneous patterns mostly distributed along a North- South direction. North of Brazilian agricultural area was dominated by a situation with below average RAIN conditions all along the reporting period, with stronger anomalies during January. South of Brazil, Paraguay, Mesopotamia in Argentina and North of Uruguay (light green area) showed positive anomalies at the beginning, and a tendency to reduced, yet negative anomalies for the rest of the period. North of Pampas and South of Uruguay showed a highly variable profile with positive anomalies at the beginning and the end of the reporting period and no anomalies in the middle of the period. In contrast, South Pampas, Chaco and Subtropical Highlands in Argentina showed a stable temporal profile with almost no anomalies.

Temperature profiles showed for North of Brazil two different patterns with positive anomalies along the period, but with different intensity. An area with stronger positive anomalies (light green area) was surrounded by an area with moderate positive anomalies (dark green area). South of Brazil, Paraguay, Mesopotamia in Argentina, and East Uruguay showed a profile with strong negative TEMP anomalies at the beginning of February, and near average conditions during the rest of the period. Almost all Argentina and West Uruguay showed a highly variable pattern with strong negative anomalies in January, beginning of February and March, as well as positive anomalies during end February and April.

BIOMSS departure map showed that stronger positive anomalies mainly located in Argentina and Uruguay. Significant negative anomalies were observed in Brazilian agricultural area.

Maximum VCI showed for most of the MPZ values higher than 0.8. Values lower than 0.8 were observed in South West Pampas and in other isolated cases along the Pampas. Minimum VHI showed a generalized pattern of severe and moderate drought conditions, in particular in Center and South of Brazilian agricultural areas, Paraguay, Pampas, Subtropical Highlands and part of Chaco in Argentina. Crop Arable Land Fraction was almost complete, except for a small portion in South West Pampas that remained uncropped.

In general South America showed regular conditions for crop production.

Figure 2.3. South America MPZ: Agro-climatic indicators, January 2021 - April 2021

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 (°C)

e. Potential biomass departure from 15YA

f. Maximum VCI

g. VHI Minimum

h. Cropped and uncropped arable land