The previous (2016-2017) season has ended in the West Africaregion, and the agricultural and food situations were generally described assatisfactory.

This reporting period marks yet another onset of the maingrowing season throughout the West African region for main crops (maize,sorghum, millet, and yams and cassava). It is also the beginning of the mainlong rainy season in West Africa, which will last till the end of April tomid-July in the south, and from July to September in the semi-arid Sahelian north.

For the MPZ as a whole, cumulative rainfall was recorded at184 mm (4% above average), with positive departures in the coastal/southernparts of Nigeria, Togo, Gabon, and Ghana (representing 13.2% of West Africa).Both Togo and Côte d'Ivoire recorded abundant rainfall (+17% and +13%,respectively). In Sierra Leone, where rice is one of the major crops, therainfall deficit was light (RAIN, -8%) but may nevertheless have affectedplanting of rice. Precipitation is currently building up, marking the transitionfrom the "little" dry season into the main rainy season starting withthe southern coastal areas. Average temperature of 28.8°C (-0.3°C departure)and sunshine (RADPAR: 1237 MJm-2) were experienced during this period. Thelargest departure for radiation occurred in Liberia (RADPAR, -7%).

A fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) of 50% (a decreasein 13 percentage points compared to average) and a biomass proportion of 557gDM m-2 were also observed in the MPZ, much of which is the cropped land in thecoastal area (BIOMSS, +20%), while the northern areas (BIOMSS departures<-20%) are still uncropped. This finding is supported by the VCIx map, analternative measure of the relative vegetation health and crop condition and aproxy to detect potential drought; the maximum VCI intensity for the MPZ was0.67 (range 0.5-0.8).

CropWatch indicators depict a stable and coherent climaticcondition for the MPZ.

Figure 2.1. West Africa MPZ: Agroclimaticand agronomic indicators, January-April2017

              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. Maximum VCI

                      g.  Biomass accumulation potential departure

                                              h. VHI minimum

                    f. Cropped arable land