The report covers the period (October 2023 - January 2024) which coincides with the cessation of main agriculture activities in the West African region. The crops harvested during this period include the main cereal crops (maize, sorghum, millet, and rice) and tuber crops (cassava and yams). In southern bimodal rainfall areas of Nigeria and Cote d Ivoire harvesting operations of the rice crop concluded last December. Harvesting of the second season maize crop was also completed, and yields benefitted from adequate cumulative precipitation amounts until November.  

The region received reduced rainfall (ΔRAIN -13%) with most affected countries being Togo (ΔRAIN -35%), Burkina Faso (ΔRAIN -29%), Ghana (ΔRAIN -24%), Cote d Ivoire (ΔRAIN -20%), Nigeria (ΔRAIN -14%), Sierra Leone (ΔRAIN -9%), and Guinea (ΔRAIN -9%) while Equitorial Guinea (ΔRAIN +14%) and Gabon (ΔRAIN +5%) received increased rainfall. Temperature for the MPZ was slightly above average (ΔTEMP +0.3°C), with stratified spatial-temporal variation effects across the MPZ and more pronounced departures in the north as compared with the coastal areas of the region. The regional solar radiation was above average (ΔRADPAR +1%), while the potential biomass production was below average (ΔBIOMASS -7%). Countries in the MPZ which experienced reduced potential biomass production included, Nigeria (ΔBIOMASS -13%), Ghana (ΔBIOMASS -8%), Togo (ΔBIOMASS -7%), Equatoria Quinea (ΔBIOMASS -5%), Côte d'Ivoire (ΔBIOMASS -4%), and Liberia (ΔBIOMASS -1%).

Based on the VCIx map as an index for vegetation cover, the region experienced high vegetative cover. The average VCIx of the West Africa MPZ was 0.9. Besides some areas in northeast Nigeria, most areas in this MPZ showed VCIx above 0.8. The vegetation health index (VHI) map also depicted a spatial and temporal pattern affected by drought. Except for the main production areas in central and northern Nigeria and northern Togo, which experienced the impact of moderate to severe drought, most other areas did not experience severe drought. The cropped arable land fraction was 0.94, which indicated that most of available arable land has been cultivated, although it slightly reduced compared to 5YA (ΔCALF -1%). The highest CALF declines were observed in Nigeria (ΔCALF -6%) and Burkina Faso (ΔCALF -1%). The low CALF values for Nigeria and Burkina Faso can be attributed to the generally dry environments.

Overall, except for the east of the monitoring area (i.e., central and northern Nigeria), which was severely affected by drought, the conditions in the rest areas of West Africa were close to average and crops were generally growing well this season. Since the main crops in the MPZ, including maize, were in the harvesting period, the impact of low rainfall was limited. Therefore, CropWatch is optimistic about the prospect of crop production.

Figure 2.1 West Africa MPZ: Agroclimatic and agronomic indicators, October 2023 - January 2024.

Figure A: Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles

Figure B: Spatial ditribution of temperature profiles

Figure C: Cropped and uncropped arable land

Figure D: Potential biomass depature from 5YA

Figure E: Maximum VCI

Figure F: VHI minimum