Crop condition from April to July 2016 was below average in Thailand. During the monitoring period, the main rice is at the sowing stage, while the harvest of the country’s second rice crop was completed in June. Accumulated rainfall, temperature, and radiation were slightly above the five-year average. Although the agroclimatic indices show good condition, BIOMSS decreased 1% in this period. As shown in the VCIx map, crop condition was poor in western Thailand (VCIx<0.5), which is confirmed by the NDVI. The NDVI profiles show that crop condition in Thailand improved in several areas though remained well below average, except for some areas in the northwest (roughly the single-cropped rice area west of Loei to Buriram) and the area south of Prachuap Khilikhan; these areas make up 42.1% of the arable land in the country. Overall, the condition of the main rice season is generally unfavorable.

Figure 3.28. Thailand cropcondition, April-July 2016

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                                       b) MaximumVCI

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