The reporting period covers the growing and harvesting stage of winter cereals, along with the sowing and growing stages of coarse grains and maize in Uzbekistan. The crop condition was generally favorable. The country as a whole showed an increase of RAIN, TEMP, and RADPAR (respectively+12%, +0.9°C, and +2%), and their combined effect was led to increase in BIOMSS of the order of 28% over the previous five-year average.

The national NDVI development graph shows that crop condition in early April was above the maximum of the past five years, but later deteriorated (in early June, it was below the average of past five years), and then gradually improved again up toa value above the maximum of the past five years. A closer look at the indicators shows that maximum VCI was below 0.5 in central and northern areas(Navoiy, Kagan, Jizzakh, Samarkand, Qarshi, Shakhriabz, Denow, Guliston, and Tashkent).NDVI profiles and spatial NDVI patterns show that in early June crops in mostareas were in poor condition, except for the west and east (including the cottongrowing areas of Karakalpakstan and Namangan, Andijon, and Quqon). Theobservation may be due to low rainfall and high temperature in this period.Generally rangeland and crop condition were satisfactory from April to July.

Figure3.32. Uzbekistan crop condition, April-July2015