In early-to-mid-August 2023, spring maize was at the spitting and milking stage in Xinjiang, North and Northeast China, while summer maize in North China was at the silking stage. soybeans are at the bulging stage in Northeast China, while soybeans are at the flowering and podding stage in Anhui, Jiangsu, Henan, and Hebei. In most areas of southern and central China, late rice is in the tillering stage, and mid-season rice is in the heading stage.

According to agricultural indicators, the Huang-Huai region and Xinjiang continued to experience high temperatures. However, overall soil moisture was suitable, supporting good crop growth. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and Northeast China suffered sustained heavy rainfall due to the influence of typhoons, leading to flooding in places like Zhuozhou in Hebei, Wuchang, Shangzhi, and Mudanjiang in Heilongjiang, as well as Shulan in the eastern part of Jilin.

Up to mid-August, crop condition is above average in the Yangtze River Middle and Lower Reaches, benefiting from favorable water and heat conditions. Adequate rainfall brought by typhoons generally favored crop conditions. In Shandong and Hebei, crop condition quickly recovered and approached the average level after supplemental rainfall. However, crop growth was significantly below average in Guangxi, Gansu, northern Shanxi, and some areas of Inner Mongolia.

Overall, the national crop growth remained generally normal, although certain regions were adversely affected by extreme weather conditions.

Figure 1: NDVI departure from 5 years average (2023.08.05 - 2023.08.20)