Crops impacted by cyclones and drought in Southern Africa, drought intensifies in East Africa

According to the April edition of the JRC's Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment, which comes at harvest time, the crop production outlook in Southern Africa is strongly impacted by a combination of prolonged drought and two cyclones in less than six weeks.

Meanwhile, large parts of East Africa are facing major rain deficit and high temperatures while still recovering from the 2017 drought and partial failure of the rains during 2018's short wet season.

Main findings of the April global overview:

• Vulnerable and food-insecure areas across Southern Africa are experiencing below-average harvests, due to drought and the impact of cyclones in Mozambique and neighbouring areas in Zimbabwe and Malawi.
• With atmospheric moisture diverted southwards by cyclones Idai and Kenneth, dry and hot conditions are reducing the production outlook in East Africa for the long wet season, and are reducing pastoral vegetation production.
• The winter cereals outlook remains generally positive throughout the Middle-East, North Africa and Central Asia, with the exception of areas in Iran and Iraq that were affected by flood damage in March.
• In South-East Asia, northern and central Thailand expect below-average off-season rice production, but the effects are offset by the above-average 2018 main season.

The next assessment is scheduled for the first week of June 2019.

Further information

• Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment

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