[AFG]Afghanistan

The reporting period corresponds to rice, spring wheat, maize and winter wheat cultivation, of which the three first were harvested and the last is about to be planted.

The country recorded average rainfall (43mm,+5%), below average TEMP (19.7°C, -1.1°C) and average RADPAR (1469MJ/m²), which resulted in above average BIOMSS (243gDM/m², +57%).

The cropped arable land fraction (CALF) was only 4%, which represents a very significant drop (-13%) below the 5YA. According to the NDVI profiles for the country, NDVI was very low (below 5 year average), and it was below 0.2 even at its peak.  There is only a very small number of areas have high VCIx, mainly located in west central part. Cropping intensity (96%) is basically average and only one percent smaller than the five-year average. CropWatch estimates the production of wheat in the country to be 21.7% below last year's.

Regional analysis

CropWatch subdivides Afghanistan into four zones based on cropping systems, climatic zones and topography. They are described below as Dry, Central, Dry with irrigated cultivation, and Dry and grazing regions.

Vegetation is sparse in the Central region. The zone experienced a reduction in RAIN of 17% below average with a slight reduction in TEMP (-0.9 °C) and an increment in RADPAR (2%). Crop condition was poor at 0.4 VCIx.

The Dry and grazing region with mixed dry farming and grazing recorded 5 mm, 29% below RAIN average, with below average TEMP at 19.5°C (-1.4°C). RADPAR was close to the average, at 1481MJ/m². Among the four regions, this region had the least RAIN.

In the arid Dry region RAIN was just 19mm and 53 percent less than the average. The cropped arable land fraction was only 2 percent, which was 31 percent lower than the average. BIOMSS reached 152gDM/m² and was 35 percent higher than average.

In the Dry and irrigated cultivation region (mixed dry farming and irrigation) sufficient rainfall reduced the effect of drought described in the previous bulletin. Precipitation was 40 percent higher than the average. Generally, 40% above average rainfall resulted in 52% above 5YA BIOMSS. The BIOMSS and cropped arable land fraction are the largest in four regions, 386gDM/m² and 9% respectively. However, the region had rather low VCIx (0.31).

Figure 3.7. Afghanistan's crop condition, July-October 2018

(a) Phenology of major crops

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

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

Table 3.5. Afghanistan’s agroclimatic indicators by sub-national regions, current season's values and departure from 5YA, July-October 2018

Table 3.6. CropWatch-estimated wheat production for Afghanistan in 2018 (thousand tons)