Skip to main content
EU Science Hub
News article3 February 2021

Diverse summer crop production expected across Southern Africa

20210203-asap_jan_2021.png
ASAP hotspot assessment of 25/01/2021
© European Union, 2021

The January edition of the JRC's Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment is now available at:

Main findings of the January global overview:

  • In Southern Africa, the main crop season is progressing well thanks to generally favourable rainfall performance. Persistent rainfall deficits affect crop conditions, in south-western Angola, southern and central Madagascar and northern Mozambique. Tropical storm Eloise resulted in widespread damage of croplands in Mozambique.
  • In East Africa, crop conditions across bimodal areas are generally favourable, with localized drought spots in eastern Kenya and Somalia. COVID-19 economic impacts and conflict in Tigray are the main threats to agricultural production in the region. South Sudan is facing a particularly alarming food security situation due to crop and livestock losses caused by flooding in the second half of 2020.
  • In West Africa, the main crop season has ended and has generally performed well thanks to abundant rainfall. Conflict in some countries remains a driver of food insecurity in the region.
  • In North Africa, rainfall in January alleviated early season deficits and improved crop conditions in Morocco. However, in western and central parts of Algeria and northern Tunisia below-average rains were received in January.
  • Across the Middle East, favourable agro-climatic conditions in January are supporting winter cereal growth, except for north-eastern Iran where wheat suffered from below-average rainfall and temperatures. In Yemen 16 out of 30 million people are food insecure due to a combination of reasons (conflict, economic crisis, COVID-19 measures) (WFP).
  • In Central Asia, a cold wave slowed down vegetation growth, however, temperatures recovered sharply in mid-January. In addition to the cold wave, the northern half of the region has been experiencing below-average rainfall since October. On the contrary, in South Asia, conditions are favourable for winter wheat in Pakistan and Nepal, as well as for irrigated Boro rice in Bangladesh and main season Maha rice in Sri Lanka.
  • In Central America and the Caribbean, the Segunda season crop harvest is almost complete, and the bean and maize yields have been negatively impacted due to widespread flooding in the region caused by Hurricane Eta and Iota.

The next assessment is scheduled for the end of February 2021.

Related Content

Anomaly Hotspots of Agricultural Production (ASAP) assessment

Details

Publication date
3 February 2021