World Crop Weather Highlights

18/02/11 -- World agri-weather highlights from the excellent Martell Crop Projections:

  • Dry forecast in US hard red winter wheat; drought will worsen; Midwest snow nearly gone, more predicted this weekend for S Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan; heavy rain slated for Eastern corn belt Monday

  • Brazil Mato Grosso soy potential good, wet February favours late pod filling; Goias too dry; hot temps in Rio Grande do Sul; no damage, soil moisture very good; Parana expecting more rain, high soy yield expected

  • Argentina beneficial showers occurred last night; first rain in a week; Cordoba rather dry this month, needs the rain; 90s F have returned to grain belt; may be offset with strong thunderstorms, heavy rain

  • Southern Europe scattered showers, helpful where they occurred; drought worsening in France, northern Spain, Hungary, former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria; hardly any rain the past 6-8 weeks; welcome rain coming if you trust forecast

  • More rain in Australia deserts, unusual wet pattern; February saw heavy rain return to southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia; summer crop conditions good, plenty of rain and no heat

  • Spotty showers yesterday in North China Plain; wheat still stressed for moisture Shandong and Henan, top 2 provinces; Northeast China Jilin and Heilongjiang still below freezing; less cold than week ago in this corn/soy area

  • India dry yesterday; recent rains improved wheat in north, northwest; Pakistan likewise got a boost from generous February rain, new weather disturbance moving in from the west; temperatures have moderated, good for winter crops

  • Dry and very cold in Russia yesterday; Volga, Black Earth afternoon temps below zero F; snow is insulating wheat, no damage suspected; Black Sea wheat not real cold, snow expected Stavropol; Mideast wet, favourable for wheat