Morocco produces mostly rainfed winter cereals (wheat and barley) as well as summer crops such as maize, potatoes and sunflower where sufficient irrigation water is available.

Nationwide RAIN was about average (164 mm, -2%)  but both TEMP and RADPAR were below (-0.9°C and -11%, respectively). BIOMASS increased by 3 percent compared to the 5YA. Crop condition development graphs based on NDVI show below average values during winter but picked up at the time of harvest, when they were close to the 5-year maximum. The VCIx of 0.76 showed fair crop condition. In addition, the cropped arable land fraction increased by 15 percent compared to its five-year average.

NDVI clusters and profiles provide additional spatial information about the condition of crops. NDVI varied smoothly during the reporting period and remained close to average, with the exception of a sharp and short-lived drop at the beginning of March around the provinces of Chefchaouen, Sidi Kacen, Taza and Taounate in the  north of the country (2.9% of cropped areas). The lowest values were very close to average (around -0.05 in NDVI units) and occurred in some high elevation areas of the provinces of Boulmane, Kenifra, Errachidia and Ourazazate, representing 18.8% of arable land. At the end of the reporting period, the most favourable conditions compared with average were those prevailing in a large area (19.5% of arable lands) centered around the mountains of Beni Mellal and Azilal.  Altogether, the available data indicate at least average output expectations for winter crops. 

  Figures XXX, Morocco crop condition, January-April 2018

(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 profiles