The reporting period is the main rice season in Myanmar. In late July, cyclone Komen hit the country and caused severe floods that damaged the standing rice crop, especially in Sagaing, Magway, Chin, and Rakhine regions. Overall, however, crop condition is average according to the CropWatch indicators, in spite of rainfall for thecountry overall decreasing by 12% and the biomass accumulation potential dropping 6% below average. Temperature and radiation over the monitoring period were average. Crop condition development was above the previous five-year average from May to June, while below average values prevailed from early June to July. The maximum VCI values ranged from 0.5 to 1, indicating favorable crop condition. The spatial NDVI profile values were average from April to June, but dropped in early July to recover again in mid-July for the whole country exceptYangon and eastern Kengtuang region, which experienced a gradual decrease of NDVI values from late June on forward. No changes were noted in the croppedarable land fraction when compared to the five-year average. Overall, the CropWatch indicators point to average production prospects for the country.

Figure 3.21. Myanmar crop condition, April-July 2015

(a)Crop condition development graph based on NDVI                   (b)Maximum VCI

(c)Spatial NDVI patterns compared to 5YA                    (d)NDVI profiles