Attachments
Overview:
In East Africa, conditions have improved for Belg season cereals in Ethiopia due to enhanced rains. In the south, planting of main season cereals continues under mixed conditions due to ongoing dryness in some areas with improvement in central Kenya. Mixed rainfall conditions are forecast during May to September (See Regional Outlook Pg. 6). In West Africa, planting of main season cereals is underway in the south of the subregion while harvesting of second season rice is nearing completion in the north, and conditions are generally favourable except in conflict-affected areas. In the Middle East and North Africa, wheat crops continue to develop under mixed conditions, and crops are unlikely to recover from persistent dryness in parts of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Syria and Iraq. In Southern Africa, harvesting of main season cereals is nearing completion under mixed conditions due to persisting dryness as well as the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Freddy in February and March in Central and South Asia, there has been an mprovement in winter wheat crop development from the previous month due to improved precipitation amounts, except in Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and parts of Afghanistan where concern remains for continuing dry conditions. Planting of spring wheat is now underway under favourable conditions. In Southeast Asia, harvesting of dry-season rice is nearing completion in the north while planting of dry-season rice is underway in Indonesia. Overall conditions are favourable, and crops in South Viet Nam have recovered from previous flood water presence. In Central America and the Caribbean, planting of Primera season cereals is underway, and there is some concern due to dry and hot conditions that are forecast to continue in the coming months (See Regional Outlook Pg. 15).