National Analysis

In Angola, the monitoring period covers the final growing stages and harvesting of maize and rice. During the same period, land preparation activities were carried out for the sowing of wheat, which will take place in May 2024. According to the National CropWatch agroclimatic indicators, rainfall during this period was 29% below the average of the past fifteen years (ΔRAIN -29%). Temperature was 1.7ºC above average, and radiation (ΔRADPAR) was 5% above average. These unfavourable rainfall conditions, combined with increased temperature and radiation, led to a 13% decrease in potential biomass production (ΔBIOMSS) nationwide compared to the average of the past fifteen years. The reported agroclimatic indicators, primarily characterized by low cumulative rainfall, negatively impacted the development of important crops in the county, such as maize and rice, due to insufficient water availability. These conditions resulted in crop losses and significantly below-average production for the mentioned crops. As a result, the national crop condition development graph based on NDVI indicates that crop conditions were above average only during the first two months of the reporting period (January and February). However, these conditions declined in March and remained below average until the end of the monitoring period. Poor crop conditions were mostly observed in the southeastern region of the country, particularly in the provinces of Moxico and Cuando Cubango, which account for 26.6% of the cropped arable land area. This was evidenced by the spatial NDVI patterns compared to the five-year average (5YA) and NDVI departure profiles. The spatial distribution of the maximum vegetation index (VCIx) across the country were close to 1. Although the cropped arable land fraction recorded a slight increase (ΔCALF +2%) and CPI was 1.26.  The overall crop conditions in Angola were generally below average due to a the rainfall deficit that occured around the peak of the growing season, from early February to mid March.

Regional Analysis

Considering the cropping systems, climate zones, and topographic conditions, CropWatch has divided Angola into five agroecological zones (AEZs), including the Arid zone (5), Central Plateau (6), Humid zone (7), Semi-arid zone (8), and Sub-humid zone (9).

Regionally, a rainfall deficit was observed in all agroecological zones except for the Arid zone, which had 26% more rainfall than the average. The recorded decreases in rainfall were as follows: Central Plateau (-35%), Humid zone (-19%), Semi-arid zone (-42%), and Sub-humid zone (-22%). In contrast, all agroecological zones experienced temperature increases, ranging from 1.0ºC in the Humid zone to 2.3ºC in the Semi-arid zone. Regarding photosynthetically active radiation (RADPAR), it increased in all agroecological zones, with the highest increase of 10% recorded in the Central Plateau. These combined factors—rainfall, temperature, and radiation—contributed to the recorded variations in total potential biomass production. While the Arid zone saw an increase of 5%, the remaining zones registered decreases: Central Plateau (-6%), Humid zone (-3%), Semi-arid zone (-22%), and Sub-humid zone (-6%).

The regional crop condition development graphs based on NDVI indicate that crop conditions were above the average of the past years in all agroecological regions, particularly during the first three months of the monitoring period (January, February, and March). After this period, crop conditions declined in April in regions such as the Humid zone, Semi-arid zone, and Sub-humid zone. The agronomic indicator for these regions indicates that the cropped arable land fraction (CALF) was slightly above the average in all agroecological zones, except for the Humid zone where this indicator was about average. The maximum VCI varied from 0.92 in the Sub-humid zone to 1.05 in the Arid zone. The Crop Production Index was highest in the Arid zone at 1.72.

Figure 3.6 Angola's crop condition, October 2023 - January 2024

(a) Phenology of major crops

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                            (c) Maximum VCI

(d) Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                (e) NDVI departure profiles

(g) Rainfall profiles                                    (f) Temperature profiles

(h) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Arid zone (left) and Central Plateau (right))

(i) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Himid zone (left) and Semi-arid zone (right))

(j) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI (Subhumid zone)

(k)  CPI time series graph (Natianal (left) and Arid zone (right))

(l)  CPI time series graph (Central Plateau (left) and Semi-arid zone (right))

(m)  CPI time series graph (Subhumid zone)

Table 3.3. Angolas’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 15YA, January – April 2024 

Table 3.4. Angolas’s agronomic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 5YA, January 2023 – April 2024