This monitoring period covers the growing and harvesting stages of summer (kharif) maize and rice, as well as the sowing of winter barley and wheat. Crop condition was generally unfavorable from July to October. Compared with average, RAIN and RADPAR showed some increase (+6% and +2% respectively), while TEMP was average (-0.3°C). BIOMSS increased just by 3% compared to the recent five-year average. The national average of VCIx (0.70) was above average, the fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) was unchanged, and cropping intensity decreased by 11% compared to average.

As shown by the crop condition development graph, crops condition varied between below average and average in this period. According to the spatial NDVI patterns and profiles, 73% of the cropped areas were above average throughout the period, while 21.9% was just below, and 4.9% below average but recovering in October (affecting central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and some areas of Sindh).

Altogether, crop condition for Pakistan is estimated to be average.

(a) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI   

(b) maximum VCI

(c) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA and the coresponding NDVI departure profiles