Building on the global patterns presented in previouschapters, this chapter assesses the situation of crops in 30 key countries thatrepresent the global major producers and exporters or otherwise are of globalor CropWatch relevance. In addition, the overview section (3.1) also paysattention to other countries worldwide, to provide some spatial and thematicdetail to the overall features described in section 1.1. In section 3.2, theCropWatch monitored countries are presented, and for each country maps areincluded illustrating NDVI-based crop condition development graphs, maximumVCI, and spatial NDVI patterns with associated NDVI profiles. Additional detailon the agroclimatic and BIOMSS indicators, in particular for some of the largercountries, is included in Annex A, tables A.2-A.11. Annex B includes 2014production estimates for Argentina, Brazil, and the United States.

3.1 Overview

Figures 3.1-3.4 illustrate the global distribution of CropWatch indicators for rainfall, temperature, radiation, and biomass—respectively the RAIN, TEMP, RADPAR, and BIOMSS indicators, showing their increase or decrease for this monitoring period compared to last year’sJanuary-April period. Details by country are presented in table 3.1.

Globally, as already mentioned in Chapter 1, over thereporting period droughts affected the Caribbean and northern Mediterranean.Within these two regions, the most seriously affected countries are Dominica(rainfall 84% below average) and Portugal[1](-85%). In South America, the water deficit affects the Dominican Republic(-66%) and several countries in the north, especially Ecuador, Colombia,Venezuela (with departures from average between -20 and -30%), and Surinamewhere the deficit reached 63%. All those countries were at the stage of either harvesting their second crop or planting the main crop. Among the Mediterranean countries, the deficit during the reporting period (basically covering the dormancy period of winter crops) varies between -42% and -50% in Spain, Italy,and Greece. The rainfall deficit also extends to other countries to the north,including Hungary and in an area from the Czech Republic to France (-50%), butparticularly including Albania, Bosnia, and Croatia where the rainfall deficitexceeds 60%. The crop stage in this area is comparable with the situation alongthe Mediterranean, and spring rainfall will be critical.

In Europe, the Baltic and Scandinavian countries recordedabundant precipitation in the range of 40 to 65% above average amounts. Thisabove average precipitation was associated with temperature records (2.5 to 3.5°C above average, alsoaffecting Belarus) and large radiation deficits. (The radiation deficits exceed-10% and reach a record -17% in Estonia.) Among the various weather variables,the large amount of rainfall is the most relevant as it contributes to soil moisture.

Excess precipitation was recorded for several countries in South America (see also section 5.1). This includes Peru and Bolivia, alongwith neighboring areas, but also Mexico, with one of the largest positivedepartures recorded at country level for the reporting period (+118%, with -8%sunshine). Excess precipitation also occurred in parts of western Africa(Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Gambia, Mauritania, as well as Morocco) where the excess precipitation of +20 or 30% and the early start of the season in some Sahelian countries could lead, if precipitation continues, to record biomass and crop production (the biomass potential reached +120% in Mauritania and+100% in Senegal). This is paralleled by a late onset of the season (decreased rainfall) in Guinea and some central Sahelian countries (Burkina Faso and the area from Mali to Chad). However, this rainfall deficit is still limited forthe time being but nevertheless deserves close monitoring during this El Niñoseason.[2]The same applies to Kenya, Tanzania (20 to 30% deficit), and especially Eritrea(-56%). In Ethiopia, the early but “minor” Belg season suffered a water deficit(-25%).

Several central African countries (Cameroon, the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, and the Central African Republic) underwent favorablesunshine conditions, which occurred at the late phenological stages of cerealsin the Democratic Republic of Congo (RADPAR, +11%) and early cycle or plantingtime in the other countries. Even if this was associated with a slight rainfalldeficit (up to -10% for RAIN), shortage of sunshine (RADPAR) is usually alimiting factor in the region and the overall effect on crop production is positive.

Much of central and eastern Asia underwent wet conditions.Dry conditions however are reported from parts of Russia (the Chita Oblast andthe Buryat Republic) as well as the Promorsky Kray and neighboring Japan, theDemocratic People's Republic of Korea, and the Republic of Korea (below averagerainfall of -30 to -40%). Further south, the rainfall deficit also affects thePhilippines (-40%) and parts of east and south China from Jiangsu to Guangdongand Hainan. On the contrary, many central Asian regions (from Inner Mongolia tothe Caspian and the eastern Black Sea, including Armenia where rainfall was 63%above average) enjoyed favorable rainfall. Above average rainfall also extendedsouth into western India and southeast China (Yunnan), including earth-quake strickenNepal (+101%).Finally, drought conditions affected north-east Australiaand New-Zealand (-51%).

Figure 3.1. Global map of rainfall(RAIN) by country and sub-national areas, departure from 14YA (percentage), January-April2015

Figure 3.2. Global map oftemperature (TEMP) by country and sub-national areas, departure from 14YA (degrees),January-April 2015

Figure 3.3. Global map of PAR (RADPAR)by country and sub-national areas, departure from 14YA (percentage), January-April2015

Figure 3.4. Global map of biomass (BIOMSS)by country and sub-national areas, departure from 14YA (percentage), January-April2015

Table 3.1. CropWatch agroclimatic andagronomic indicators for January-April 2015, departure from 5YA and 14YA