Attachments
Overview:
In East Africa, concern remains for Belg season planting in Ethiopia due to dry conditions during the start of the season and residual socio-economic challenges in the north. In the south of the subregion, concern remains for main season cereals in some areas due to the compounding impacts of several consecutive dry seasons from October to December 2020. However, above-average March rainfall brought unexpected and much needed relief to many deficit areas (See Regional Outlook Pg. 6). In West Africa, land preparation and planting for main season cereals is now underway in the south while harvesting of second season rice is wrapping up in the north, and overall conditions are favourable except in conflictaffected areas. In the Middle East and North Africa, dry conditions continue to impact crops in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria, northern Iraq, and northern Iran with below-average production expected in some areas. In Southern Africa, harvesting of main season cereals is underway, and overall conditions are mixed due to persistent dryness in several central and western areas as well as the passage of Tropical Cyclone Freddy across parts of Madagascar, Mozambique, and Malawi that resulted in severe crop losses in affected areas (See Special Highlight Pg. 9). In Central and South Asia, concern remains for winter wheat in most areas due to ongoing dry and hot conditions, and planting of spring wheat will begin in April. In northern Southeast Asia, conditions are generally favourable for dryseason rice except in South Viet Nam due to slowly receding flood waters that have resulted in pests and diseases. In Indonesia, conditions are favourable for harvesting of wet-season rice. In Central America and the Caribbean, harvesting of Segunda/Postrera season cereals mostly finalized in February under favourable conditions. Persistent dry conditions are causing concern for crop planting and development in Haiti and Cuba and are expected to continue throughout the subregion through July, likely resulting in an irregular start to the Primera season with high probabilities of delayed sowing activities (See Regional Outlook Pg. 14).