The Current monitoring period covers  the  planting of maize and the main rice crop as well as the end of harvest of the dry season rice. CropWatch agro-climatic indicators show the air temperature was significantly below average (-1.4℃) , which is consistent with low solar radiation (-5.5%). Precipitation decreased below average (-8.5%),  which caused a -1.5% drop in BIOMSS. Nation-wide  VCIx (0.89) is fair, indicating that propects remain favorable for the crops currently in the field.

Most regions in the country experienced favourable  VCIx values above 0.8, except some provinces near Tonle Sap, such as Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Kampong Chhnang, Pursat and Battambang. NDVI clusters shows that most areas had slightly above average crop condition, with the exception of 18% of arable lands in the south of the country. The abnormal NDVI signal in late July is presumably  caused by cloud contamination of remote sensing images.The cool and drier than average weather did not significantly influence crop condition.

Based mostly on climate differences, two agro-ecological regions can be distinguished. Weather in the Tonle Sap lake area (especially rainfall and temperature) is mainly influenced by the lake itself. The second area, referred to as the "main crop area" covers areas outside the Tonle Sap basin along the border with Thailand and Laos in the north and Vietnam in the east.

Most of the Tonle Sap plain region recorded above average rainfall (+6%). Mild drought occurred in some areas along the plain, causing a drop in BIOMSS (-2%), However, the maximum VCIx in this area is satisfied (0.89).

In the Main Crop Area weather was cold(-1.3℃) and drier (-11%), which causes a -1% decreasing in BIOMSS.

Both regions experienced a  CALF slightly  above average (+3%). According to the analysis given above and CropWatch yield forecast, rice yield is expected to exceed 2017 output by 3.4%.

                  Figure 3.27. Cambodia‘s cropcondition, April -July 2018

                                                                 (a) Phenology Model

(b) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI_Cambodia                     ( C)      Maximum VCI

    (d)  Spatial distribution of NDVI                                                                         (e)         NDVI profiles

(f) Crop condition development graph based on NDVI_Central Tonle-Sap plain  Right) Upland areas (left)

Table 3.40. CropWatch-estimated rice production for Cambodia in 2018 (thousands tons)