GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning report: March 2024

The CM4EW reports on climate hazards, such as drought, flood, and extreme weather, as well as pests and crop diseases, as part of its monitoring of countries at risk of famine and to provide early warnings of impending crop shortfalls. The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning (CM4EW) is an international and transparent multi-source, consensus assessment of the crop growing conditions, status, and agro-climatic conditions that are likely to impact global production. The CM4EW report is published online each month. This issue covers conditions in February 2024.

Key findings from the publication include:

• Conditions are generally favourable in East Africa except in areas experiencing delayed rainfall onset, including in much of Ethiopia and southwestern Uganda.
• In West Africa, harvesting of both main and second season cereals mostly finalized in January under favourable conditions, with the exception of conflict-affected regions. Conditions are mixed in Southern Africa.
• Dry conditions since the beginning of the season have impacted wheat development in most west and central areas of North Africa but good rainfall outcomes have generally benefitted crop biomass in the Middle East.
• In Central and South Asia, Winter Wheat continues to develop under mixed conditions with prevailing dry concerns in most areas.
• In Southeast Asia, conditions are mostly favourable for wet-season rice in the south and dry-season rice in the north, except in Thailand and the Philippines.
• In Central America and the Caribbean, end of season conditions were mixed for Segunda/Postrera season cereals as yields in smallholder and subsistence producing areas were impacted by erratic rains and high temperatures.