Global Crop Weather Highlights

18/01/11 -- World agri-weather highlights from the excellent Martell Crop Projections:

  • Persistent northern US storm track increasing the snow pack; northern Midwest corn area insulated by deep snow; lucky considering the coming cold wave

  • Top Brazil soy state Mato Grosso doing better with rainfall in January, soybeans are filling pods; favourable wet forecast in South Brazil soybeans Parana and Rio Grande do Sul

  • Argentina grain belt will get some rain this week, but not enough for developing crops; cool night temps ideal for Buenos Aires crops holding down evaporation

  • Northern Europe now in a drier weather pattern; excellent heavy rain last week reversed dry soil conditions; balmy temperatures will vanish this week forcing winter grains back into dormancy

  • Better harvesting weather this week in Southern Australia wheat, mostly dry and sunny, low humidity, warm temperatures

  • Feast or famine in China; persistently dry in North China Plain damaging winter wheat; too much rain in central-southern China rapeseed

  • India weather unremarkable in dry winter monsoon; warm forecast not welcome in western areas that grow rapeseed

  • Russia Black Sea wheat got spotty showers Sunday, not nearly enough to offset serious winter drought in Stavropol, Rostov, eastern Krasnodar; wheat dormant with a cold forecast ahead

  • Ukraine winter crops will have plenty of field moisture come spring; winter has brought heavy snows; warming temps this week may cause ice crusts in southern Ukraine