The monitoring period covers the planting of maize and single rice, as well as the growth of winter wheat in this region. Conditions were generally below average in January and March and close to average in February and April. Rainfall (RAIN, -17%) and radiation (RADPAR, -13%) indicators were below average for this monitoring period, while temperature was about normal (TEMP, -0.1°C).

The maximum VCI for Southwest China of 0.69 is just fair, and the fraction of cropped arable land (CALF) underwent a slight drop of 1 percentage point. The map of spatial NDVI patterns and associated profiles adds some spatial detail: below average conditions occurred in (i) parts of east Sichuan and west Guizhou in February and March, and also in (ii) parts of north and west Chongqing and east Sichuan in January. Compared to average, 37% and 30% below average rainfall were observed in Chongqing and Guizhou respectively. As this will probably negatively influence the outcome of the cropping season, close monitoring is required.