Oct 12, 2017 - variety of crops, including citrus, sugarcane, and cotton. Later, Hurricane Maria passed just south of St
WORLD AGRICULTURAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS October 12, 2017 8 - SOUTH ASIA
1 - UNITED STATES Hurricanes dominated September’s U.S. weather headlines. First, Hurricane Irma battered the northern U.S. Virgin Islands of St. Thomas and St. John before striking Florida. Wind, rain, and flooding associated with Irma spread throughout Florida’s peninsula and into Georgia, resulting in power outages and losses to a variety of crops, including citrus, sugarcane, and cotton. Later, Hurricane Maria passed just south of St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and made a direct hit on Puerto Rico. Maria cut all power on Puerto Rico, caused substantial wind and flood damage, and also brought near-total crop losses. Aside from Irma, minimal September rain fell along and east of a line from eastern Texas to Michigan. The short-term dryness sharply reduced topsoil moisture for winter wheat and cover crops. The Midwest also experienced a period of exceptional, late-season warmth, helping to push developmentally delayed corn and soybeans toward maturity. In contrast, mid- to late-month wetness dominated the nation’s mid-section, slowing or halting fieldwork but greatly improving soil moisture for newly-planted winter wheat. Elsewhere, precipitation across the northern High Plains and the Northwest eased drought and aided wildfire containment efforts, following a hot, dry, smoky summer. 2 - CANADA Lingering wetness slowed spring grain and oilseed harvesting in northern Prairie production areas as autumn fieldwork wound down in the drier southwest. In Ontario, a drying trend that began in early September improved conditions for maturing corn and soybeans, while enabling winter wheat planting. 3 - SOUTH AMERICA Beginning in late September, seasonal rainfall intensified in key farming areas of central and southern Brazil, providing timely moisture for soybean planting as well as improving prospects of sugarcane and coffee. However, pockets of dryness persisted in the northeastern interior, warranting additional rainfall before summer row crop planting can commence. In Argentina, lingering wetness delayed the early stages of summer grain and oilseed planting in some eastern farming areas but fieldwork advanced elsewhere. 4 - EUROPE In September, wetter-than-normal weather boosted soil moisture for winter crop planting and establishment across most of central and northern Europe. Heavy rain was reported from Italy into much of eastern Europe, delaying fieldwork but providing drought relief to previously-dry portions of Italy and the north-central Balkans. In contrast, heat and dryness intensified drought on the Iberian Peninsula, with moisture needed soon for winter grain planting and establishment.
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Monsoon showers continued through September across India but were lighter than normal in many areas. Most maturing cotton and rice in the north benefited from drier conditions, while periods of rain favored late-planted cotton and oilseeds in western and central India as well as eastern rice. Meanwhile, heavy showers continued to reduce rice prospects in Bangladesh, where year-to-date rainfall totals have been two to four times the normal amount. In Pakistan, late-month dryness aided cotton and rice maturation and harvesting.
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Produced by: USDA Office of the Chief Economist (OCE) World Agricultural Outlook Board (WAOB) More details are available in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin at http://www.usda.gov/oce/weather/pubs/Weekly/Wwcb/index.htm
5 - FSU-WESTERN During September, intensifying short-term drought further depleted soil moisture for winter wheat establishment from central Ukraine into southwestern Russia. However, the dry, hot weather was beneficial for summer crop drydown and harvesting. 6 - FSU-EASTERN Conditions were overall favorable for spring wheat harvesting in Kazakhstan and central Russia, though showers delayed fieldwork in eastern growing areas. Similarly, seasonable dryness favored maturing cotton in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan. 7 - MIDDLE EAST AND TURKEY In Turkey and Iran, dry weather reduced soil moisture for winter grain establishment but promoted summer crop drydown and harvesting. Showers developed over Turkey toward month’s end, improving topsoil moisture for early wheat and barley emergence, which is typically sown in October.
Next Release: November 9, 2017
9 - EASTERN ASIA In September, above-normal rainfall in portions of northeastern China benefited immature corn and soybeans, while drier conditions from southern sections of the northeast to northern parts of the North China Plain aided maturation and drydown of summer crops. Unseasonably wet weather in the Yangtze Valley and into southern prefectures of the North China Plain slowed harvest activities and reduced quality of mature crops. Elsewhere, Typhoon Talim brought locally heavy showers to southern Japan, while drier-than-normal weather on the Korean Peninsula promoted rice ripening. 10 - SOUTHEAST ASIA Much of the region continued to receive seasonable rainfall, benefiting rice. However, despite a pair of tropical cyclones crossing the northern Philippines in September, rainfall was lighter-than-normal in far northern rice and corn producing regions. The remainder of the Philippines was seasonably wet, maintaining adequate moisture supplies for rice and corn. Typhoon Doksuri made landfall mid-month in central Vietnam, adding to above-normal monthly rainfall totals in the north and extending into nearby areas of Laos and Thailand. Meanwhile, oil palm harvesting increased in Indonesia and Malaysia with few delays from heavy rainfall. 11 - AUSTRALIA During September, unrelenting dryness in southern Queensland and New South Wales significantly reduced yield prospects for winter grains and oilseeds. In Victoria and South Australia, wheat, barley, and canola conditions remained fair to good overall, but increasing dryness throughout the month likely caused some reductions in yield potential as crops advanced through the critical reproductive to filling stages of development. In Western Australia, soaking rains at the end of September provided a late season boost in yield prospects for filling winter wheat, but the rain likely came too late to significantly benefit earlier sown winter crops, such as canola.
