The reporting period is part of the main rainy season and covers the sowing of main cereals (maize, sorghum, millet, and rice) throughout the region. The south of the MPZ, especially a region covering southern Côte d'Ivoire to Nigeria tends to record bimodal rainfall, and harvesting of yams predominates. However in the west (Guinea to Liberia), rice plays an important role, the harvest of which extends into December. Under bimodal rainfall, the first maize crop is harvested in October, while the short season maize was harvested in early 2018. In contrast, cassava (the main staple in the region) is still growing, as reflected by the area of cropped arable land. 

Based on CropWatch observations, average rainfall was 644 mm over croplands of the MPZ, corresponding to an increase of +5% for RAIN. The highest rainfall was recorded in Sierra Leone (843 mm, -2%), and Liberia (804 mm, +10%). Above average rainfall peaks occurred in Côte d'Ivoire and south-west Nigeria in early July and parts of Ghana to central Nigeria during late April. 

The MPZ had close to average temperature (27.8°C, -0.8%) and sunshine (RADPAR 1034 MJ/m2 with a -7.0% deviation), which gave a slight increase of the biomass production potential (BIOMSS of 1713gDM/m2, +3%). For the MPZ as a whole, the cropped arable land fraction (CALF) reached 89%. The build up of the precipitation is indicating currently positive support of plant growth. The maximum VCI (VCIx) map was above 0.8 (BIOMSS, +2%) with these values exceeding 1.0 in most parts of northern Nigeria, thus favoring conducive condition across the northern Savannah agro-ecological zone. During this reporting period, Nigeria showed a good share of cropped arable land of agricultural production in the region.

Based on these observation from the measured indexes, the growing season intensified with climatic conditions close to average, with well distributed precipitation. The temperature fluctuated around average within a +/-0.7°C margin after onset of the main rainy season. These CropWatch indicators depict a stable and coherent climatic condition conducive for crop growth leading to harvest in late 2018, earlier in the semi-arid north. 

Figure.a Spatial distribution of temperature profiles   Figure.b Spatial distribution of rainfall profiles

.e Maximum VCI                                                                      (f) cropped arable land

(f) Biomass accumulation potenial departure                                         (g)   VHI minimum