Winter crops,essentially barley and wheat, were harvested in November and December, and thesummer crops have reached mid-season stages. Rainfall was below average (-9%),with slightly above-average temperature and increased radiation. The biomass accumulation potential dropped 9% compared to the recent five-year average, while the area of cropped arable land underwent a significant plunge of 12% compared to average, with maximum VCI staying below 0.8. Altogether, summer cropcondition, of which maize is the main one in South Africa, can only bequalified as below average. Although nationwide NDVI is still close to therecent five-year average, much still depends on rain at the time of floweringin February. As shown by the NDVI clusters, NDVI was consistently poor andparticularly so in coastal Kwa-zulu Natal, but apparently recovering in the Northern province and north Mpumalanga.

Figure3.34. South Africa 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