ReliefWeb

Overview:

In East Africa, planting and development of main season cereals is underway in the north under mixed conditions due to ongoing socio-economic challenges, conflict, flooding, and areas of dryness. In the south, harvesting of main season cereals finalized under mixed conditions with below-average yields in many areas due to persistent seasonal dryness and significantly below-average final yields in marginal producing regions of Kenya. In West Africa, harvesting of main season maize is nearing completion in the south while planting and development of main season cereals continues in the north. Conditions are generally favourable due to above-average rainfall except in areas affected by flooding and in conflict-affected regions. In the Middle East and North Africa, winter wheat finalized last month under mixed conditions, and crops are now out of season across much of the region. In Southern Africa, winter wheat crops are in vegetative to reproductive stage under generally favourable conditions except in minor producing regions in South Africa due to dryness. In Central and South Asia, harvesting of winter wheat crops finalized under mixed conditions with below to well belowaverage yields in some areas, and conditions are also mixed for spring wheat crops due to persistent dryness in many areas. In northern Southeast Asia, wet-season rice continues to develop under favourable conditions with sufficient precipitation received. In Indonesia, conditions are favourable for the harvesting of early planted dry-season rice. In Central America and the Caribbean, harvesting of Primera/main season cereals is underway with concern in parts of Guatemala and Haiti due to persistent dryness as well as parts of Haiti impacted by the August earthquake and Tropical Depression Grace.