Reference Date: 07-July-2025

Favourable weather conditions benefitted minor 2024/25 winter and spring cereal crops

Harvesting of the 2024/25 minor winter and spring cereal crops, mainly wheat and barley, which account for about 10 percent of total annual production, was completed last June. Weather conditions during the cropping season were generally favourable and, as of mid‑June, just before the beginning of the harvest, crop vegetation conditions were mostly above average across the country, with no evidence of drought (ASI map).

Favourable start of the 2025 main season

Planting of the 2025 main food crops, which account for about 90 percent of total annual production and consist mostly of rice and maize, along with small quantities of soybeans, potatoes, millet and sorghum, was completed last June. Seasonal rains commenced on time in mid‑April, with precipitation amounts being average to above average and well distributed in May and June, favouring planting activities and supporting crop establishment and early development. Overall, the outcome of the main season harvest will depend on the performance of the rainfall between July and September. Weather forecasts indicate below-average precipitation amounts across most of the country in July, which, if it materializes, may affect crops during critical flowering and grain-filling development stages. Near-average rainfall amounts are forecast in August and September, improving soil moisture conditions and supporting the development of late-planted crops.

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This brief was prepared using the following data/tools:
FAO/GIEWS Country Cereal Balance Sheet (CCBS) https://www.fao.org/giews/data-tools/en/ .

FAO/GIEWS Food Price Monitoring and Analysis (FPMA) Tool https://fpma.fao.org/ .

FAO/GIEWS Earth Observation for Crop Monitoring https://www.fao.org/giews/earthobservation/ .

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) https://www.ipcinfo.org/ .