World Crop Weather Highlights

16/06/11 -- World agri-weather highlights from the excellent Martell Crop Projections:

  • Wet weather pattern is under way in Canadian prairies, northern US Plains, Midwest corn belt; recurring showers expected this week; trough of low pressure entrenched, more rain expected next several days; afternoon temps Tuesday unseasonably cool Canada and Midwest; warmth and sunshine needed to spur growth

  • Brazil Mato Grosso state received rain in June, .5 to 1.5 inch in scattered showers; the first important rain in over 2 months; rain too late to save safrinha corn; Parana got much needed rain this month; freshly planted winter wheat is struggling, still needs more rain in Rio Grande do Sul; relief may be at hand as South Brazil forecast is wet

  • Argentina drought a worry in Buenos Aires province; scattered light rains yesterday were a help, much more needed; was super-dry the past 8 weeks; Cordoba and Santa Fe have better field moisture, winter wheat faring much better in central Argentina; more rain coming in 7-day outlook

  • Europe drought is easing with June showers; too late for most wheat, helpful for late-filling grain; UK wheat yield may be 15% reduced, reports indicate; France wheat losses were similarly severe; much cooler temperatures are developing across Europe; increased showers also expected next week; improved growing conditions for summer crop development

  • Australia soil moisture declining southeast growing areas, southern New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia; low rainfall received the past 4-6 weeks; mild days, cold nights with low humidity is reducing field moisture; some rain in forecast, variable amounts expected; Western Australia rainfall increasing, 65-80% of normal in the past month; much more needed to replenish subsoil moisture; forecast unfavourable turning warmer and drier

  • Northeast China corn-soybean belt wet, keeps receiving showers; May rainfall was very heavy Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Jilin; suspect planting was delayed; intense spring drought has unfolded in Eastern China, less than half of normal rainfall in March-May; winter rapeseed crop yield is predicted sharply lower; June has turned sharply wetter in dry areas of Yangtze Valley-East China; reservoirs reportedly had dried up ; now North China Plain has gone dry, a key area for summer cotton, peanuts, soybeans; virtually no rain has occurred in June and very hot temperatures

  • India monsoon season is under way; rainfall has been good in many areas of central India; Northwest India still hot and dry, typical for mid June; monsoon comes later to this area; forecast very wet in central India; monsoon may unleash 6-10 inch rains in Madhya Pradesh

  • Drought-stressed wheat and rapeseed benefited from heavy rainfall in east and north Ukraine; April-May weather was abnormally dry and hot; Russia Black Earth crops got variable showers yesterday, limited relief from drought; Rainfall is spreading east into the Volga; ample soil moisture exists there for spring grains; drought in West Siberia is concerning; spring weather March-May was very dry; big country, variable conditions for Russia new crop grain harvest