The reporting period corresponds to the planting and growing season of rabi crops. Several key rabicrop producing states experienced below average rainfall, such as AndhraPradesh (RAIN, -25%), Assam (-49%), Bihar (-24%), Jharkh and (-38%), Odisha (-32%),Punjab (-29%), West Bengal (-41%), and Rajasthan (-8%), which may lead to poorcrop condition. Low rainfall in these region also triggered low biomassaccumulation, especially in Rajasthan (BIOMSS, -47%) followed by Odisha (-21%),Jharkhand (-20%), Bihar (-7%), and Assam (-4%). However, for the entire region,crop condition was average with maximum VCI values between 0.5 and 0.8. Thelowest VCI was observed in the below average crop condition areas in Rajasthanand Andhra Pradesh with reported low rainfall. During the monitoring period theNDVI values increased gradually in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Karnataka,and Tamil Nadu, indicating good development of rabi crops. Starting in earlyDecember, NDVI values increased in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, andMaharashtra. In the states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and the central partof Uttar Pradesh, crop development progress was favorable with increasing NDVIvalues starting in mid-December. NDVI values suddenly dropped to negative inearly November in the coastal part of Tamil Nadu indicating poor crop condition,which, however, improved to average condition after mid-December. From Octoberto January, crop condition was below last years', but starting in early Januaryit reach last year’s level. The fraction of cropped arableland decreased by 2%. Overall, as per the CropWatch indicators, the crop conditionis average during the reporting period.

Figure3.16. India crop condition, October2014-January 2015

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

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