In mid-to-late June 2024, early-season rice and summer maize in the southwest region were mostly in the tillering and jointing stages, with some entering the booting and heading stages. Early-season rice in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was in the greening and tillering stages. In the northeastern region, spring maize and soybean were mainly in the tillering stage. Overall, the growth stages of crops in each region are adapted to the local climate and planting patterns.

Agronomic indicators show that temperatures in most of the northeast region are close to or below the multi-year average, rainfall is generally excessive, and sunshine is generally scarce, especially in the central and eastern parts of Heilongjiang, where cool, cloudy and rainy weather has delayed crop development. More than 60% of the planted area has a vegetation index below the average of the last five years. In northern China and the Loess Plateau regions, the weather has been predominantly hot and dry, affecting crops with drought conditions. The Huang-Huai-Hai region has experienced mild to moderate, and in some areas severe, agricultural drought, resulting in delayed sowing, delayed development and poor growth of summer maize, soybean and other crops. The mid-June rains, combined with irrigation and rain augmentation, have improved soil moisture conditions in agricultural areas and crop growth is expected to return to normal. In contrast, recent rainfall in the eastern parts of south and southwest China has been significantly excessive, causing localised flooding disasters, damage to some crops and a high humidity environment conducive to the breeding of pests and diseases, resulting in poor crop growth. The national agronomic conditions are complex, with high temperatures, low temperatures, floods and droughts occurring simultaneously, adversely affecting crops and collectively leading to sub-optimal national crop growth.

Fig.1 NDVI Distribution Map of the National Cropland Area from June 9 to June 24, 2024.