WORLD AGRICULTURAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS

August 11, 2000

UNITED STATES: During July, adequate rainfall and below-normal temperatures in the Corn Belt and Northeast contrasted sharply with hot, mostly dry weather in the South, High Plains, and Intermountain West. Late in the month, a pattern change brought heat intensification and increased wildfire activity to the West, cooler weather to the South, and widespread, drought-easing rainfall to the southern Atlantic States. July rainfall totaled less than half of normal in much of the West and in many areas from Texas to the Delta, stressing pastures and rain-fed summer crops. Significant dryness was also noted west of the Atlantic coastal plain, especially in the hardest-hit drought areas of Georgia, Alabama, and western Florida. Farther north, Corn Belt temperatures remained well below 95 degrees F, minimizing stress on reproductive to filling summer crops.

CANADA: Since mid-July, summer warmth aided the development of Prairie spring grains and oilseeds, although heat stress plagued immature crops in the southwest. In eastern Canada, drier weather favored winter wheat drydown and corn and soybean development, but heavy rain redeveloped in early August.

SOUTH AMERICA: In southern Brazil, mid-month scattered frost in Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo and freezing temperatures in Parana, caused some damage to next year's coffee crop. The cool weather also reportedly damaged vegetative winter wheat in Parana, and winter crops in Paraguay. Near- to above-normal July rainfall maintained adequate soil moisture for winter wheat in southern Brazil. Below-normal July rainfall aided winter wheat planting in central Argentina, but topsoil moisture was becoming limited by early August.

EUROPE: During July, unseasonably cool, wet weather in northern Europe slowed winter grain and oilseed harvesting, but helped reproductive summer crops. Mostly dry weather in southern Hungary, eastern Croatia, northern Serbia, Romania, and Bulgaria further reduced soil moisture for drought-stressed summer crops. In the Po River Valley of Italy and much of the southern and eastern Iberian peninsula, below-normal precipitation favored winter grain harvesting, but increased irrigation requirements for immature summer crops.

FSU-WESTERN: Wet weather in July in northern, central, and western Ukraine delayed winter wheat harvesting, while hot, dry weather stressed summer crops from extreme southeastern Ukraine eastward into North Caucasus, Russia. Since early August, drier weather improved conditions for winter wheat harvesting in Ukraine, while showers and cooler weather improved growing conditions for summer crops in Russia.

FSU-NEW LANDS: In July, a drying trend developed in key spring wheat producing areas in Kazakstan and Russia (Western Siberia), limiting moisture for crops advancing through reproduction. In early August, hot weather overspread these areas, causing a decline in crop conditions.

MIDDLE EAST AND TURKEY: Above-normal temperatures increased irrigation demands of summer crops such as cotton. Early-August showers boosted irrigation reserves across northern Turkey.

SOUTH ASIA: A drying trend since mid-July reduced moisture reserves for summer crops, especially rainfed groundnuts and cotton, from Gujarat to southern Andhra Pradesh. In contrast, additional flooding occurred in rice areas of eastern India and Bangladesh.

EASTERN ASIA: In southern Manchuria and northern North Korea, drought continued to stress reproductive summer crops and reduce yield potentials. In northern Manchuria, near to slightly below-normal July rainfall helped to stabilize yield potentials. Above-normal July rainfall boosted moisture supplies across the western North China Plain, but below-normal rainfall stressed summer crops in the east. Across most of southern China, near-normal July rainfall maintained adequate moisture for rice and summer crops. However, below-normal rainfall in the eastern Yangtze Valley reduced moisture supplies. Near-normal monthly rainfall maintained moisture supplies in South Korea and northern Japan, while below-normal rainfall in southern Japan reduced moisture supplies..

SOUTHEAST ASIA: During July, Thailand received above- normal rainfall, which increased moisture for main-season rice, but caused delays in second-season rice harvesting. Rainfall was near to below normal throughout Vietnam favoring winter-spring rice harvesting in the north. Conditions were drier in the Philippines, with rainfall being generally below normal. Above-normal rainfall throughout Indonesia benefited oil palm and second-season rice, but caused delays in main-season rice harvesting in Java, Indonesia.

AUSTRALIA: Frequent, albeit light showers kept semi-dormant winter crops in Western Australia and the southeast adequately moist.