Global Crop Weather Highlights

10/05/11 -- World agri-weather highlights from the excellent Martell Crop Projections:

  • United States/Canada: Extreme heat in hard red wheat, very damaging for grain filling; near 100 F Sunday Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas; Midwest expecting frequent showers this week, over 1 inch cumulatively; expect corn planting delays; Northern spring wheat areas wet with fresh showers; planting delays; Western Canada temperatures below normal once again with rain showers Sunday; planting delays

  • Brazil: Brazil weather very dry the past 3 weeks; favourable for finished up the harvest, negative for late developing safrahina corn; highs mid 90s F Mato Grosso; more of the same in the forecast

  • Argentina: Argentina frost occurred May 6 southern Buenos Aires province; cold dry pattern has dominated wheat area the past 2-3 weeks; rain needed for planting, germination; forecast is dry; corn and soybean harvest moving rapidly to the finish

  • Europe: United Kingdom received beneficial weekend showers; .25 - .50 inch, locally more; badly needed to relieve drought; virtually no rain fell in UK the past 4-5 weeks; still dry are wheat-rapeseed areas in France and Germany; unusually warmth persisted through weekend; highs 80s F in parts of France; forecast is hopeful for significant rain this week; with large soil moisture deficits, very heavy rain is needed

  • Australia: Australia field moisture favourable for winter wheat planting; Western Australia is the notable exception, in the northern wheat area; drought is a worry once again in WA; heavy rainfall recently affecting Queensland; hard freeze overnight in New South Wales; precipitation will pick up in Victoria-southern New South Wales Tuesday; would be very favourable for freshly -planted wheat and rapeseed

  • China: North China rainfall finally arrived; over 1 inch in Hebei, Shandong provinces yesterday; winter wheat was in dire straits from drought; southern wheat area scorched by damaging heat; weekend highs mid 90s F in Henan, Anhui, Jiangsu; anticipate a reduced winter wheat harvest this year; key corn-soybean zone in Northeast has turned cool; weekend highs 58-62F, lows 42-46 F; freshly planted seeds germinating slowly

  • India: Extreme heat continues in India; pre-monsoon period often is hot; this is extreme, highs 100-105 F; forecast continues very hot; monsoon begins officially in June; crop production last year was good with La Nina heavy rainfall most areas

  • Russia-Ukraine-Mideast: Russia weather warm for second week in a row; spring planting campaign will get a jump start; highs yesterday 70s F in Volga, Black Earth areas key for spring wheat and barley; winter wheat in Black Sea region in good shape, plenty of soil moisture for spring growth; winter wheat in Middle East also boosted by favourable April-May rains