Crop Monitor for AMIS

Report Information

No. 127: Published May 1st, 2025

Conditions as of April 28th

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Overview

At the end of April, conditions are mixed for wheat but favourable for maize, rice, and soybeans. Dry weather remains a concern for winter wheat in parts of Europe and North America. However, spring wheat sowing is beginning under favourable conditions. In the southern hemisphere, conditions for maize are generally favourable, with exceptions in parts of Argentina, northeast Brazil, northwest Mexico, and South Africa. In the northern hemisphere, sowing is also commencing. Rice conditions are favourable across most of Asia and the Americas. For soybeans, the harvest is continuing in the southern hemisphere with some areas of concern in Argentina, southern Brazil, and South Africa. Sowing is progressing in the northern hemisphere.

Global crop condition map synthesizing information for all four AMIS crops. Crop conditions over the main growing areas for wheat, maize, rice, and soybean are based on a combination of national and regional crop analyst inputs along with earth observation data from all Crop Monitors. Crops that are in other than favourable conditions are displayed on the map with their crop symbol.

Crop Conditions at a Glance

Wheat – In the northern hemisphere, dry weather remains a concern for winter wheat in parts of Europe, the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine, and the US.

Maize – Harvesting is continuing in the southern hemisphere as sowing picks up speed in the northern hemisphere.

Rice – Harvesting is progressing across South America and South and Southeast Asia under favourable conditions. Sowing is progressing in China, Europe, and the US.

Soybeans – In the southern hemisphere, harvesting is progressing as sowing begins in the northern hemisphere.

Forecasts at a Glance

Climate Influences – ENSO-neutral conditions are present. ENSO-neutral conditions are most likely through October 2025 (91 to 52 percent chances), according to the CPC/IRI outlook.

Australia– The May to July 2025 outlook indicates likely below-average rainfall across most of New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the northern and southwestern regions of Western Australia. Along with above-average maximum and minimum temperatures.

Mexico – The May 2025 outlook indicates that precipitation is likely to be above-average along the Gulf of Mexico coast and the Yucatan Peninsula, while below-average along most of central Mexico and the Pacific Coast.

United States – The May outlook indicates that below-average precipitation is probable from the Southwest to the northern Plains and across the central Pacific Coast, including Florida and Georgia. Conversely, above-average precipitation is likely to occur from the mid-Atlantic through the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and the northern Delta region.

Wheat Conditions

Wheat crop conditions over main growing areas are based upon a combination of national and regional crop analyst inputs along with earth observation data. Where crops are in other than favourable conditions the climatic drivers responsible for those conditions are displayed. 

Wheat: In the EU, conditions are generally favourable for winter wheat; however, additional rainfall is needed in Austria, Czechia, Germany, and Poland to sustain crop development. In Türkiye, prolonged dry weather and cold spells have delayed crop growth and reduced yield prospects. In the Russian Federation, winter wheat is experiencing mixed conditions as some areas have benefited from overwinter precipitation, while others require more to sustain growth. Spring wheat sowing is beginning. In Ukraine, a precipitation deficit since the year's start is beginning to stress winter wheat development. In Kazakhstan, winter wheat is under favourable conditions as spring wheat sowing begins in the south. In China, winter wheat is under favourable conditions, and spring wheat sowing continues. In India, harvesting is wrapping up in the main producing states under favourable conditions. In the US, a lack of substantial spring rain in the Great Plains is causing drought stress in the primary winter wheat-growing states. The sowing of spring wheat is beginning. In Canada, winter wheat is under favourable conditions in Ontario and Quebec, while under watch in the Prairies.

For detailed description of the pie chart please see box at the bottom of the page. 

Maize Conditions

Maize crop conditions over main growing areas are based upon a combination of national and regional crop analyst inputs along with earth observation data. Where crops are in other than favourable conditions the climatic drivers responsible for those conditions are displayed.

Maize: In Brazil, harvesting for the spring-planted crop (smaller season) continues under exceptional conditions in the South region, while it is mixed in the Northeast region. The summer-planted crop (larger season) is developing under favourable conditions. In Argentina, harvesting is ongoing under mixed conditions. Hot and dry weather during the season negatively impacted both the early-planted crop (usually larger season) and late-planted crop (usually smaller season); however, rains in February and March partially supported grain filling in the late-planted crop. In South Africa, harvesting is ongoing, albeit with reduced yields in Free State compared to the five-year average. In China, sowing continues for the spring-planted crop. In India, harvesting is underway for the Rabi crop (smaller season). In Mexico, dry weather continues in the northwest, straining available irrigation water for the Autumn-Winter crop (smaller season). Sowing for the Spring-Summer crop (larger season) has begun in the south. In the US, sowing is picking up speed with an expected increase in total sown area compared to 2024. In the EU, sowing is beginning under favourable conditions. In Ukraine, sowing is just beginning. In the Russian Federation, sowing is beginning in the southern regions.

For detailed description of the pie chart please see box at the bottom of the page. 

Rice Conditions

Rice crop conditions over main growing areas are based upon a combination of national and regional crop analyst inputs along with earth observation data. Where crops are in other than favourable conditions the climatic drivers responsible for those conditions are displayed.

Rice: In China, sowing is wrapping up for early double-crop rice (smallest season) and continuing for single-season rice (largest season) under favourable conditions. In India, conditions are favourable for the Rabi and Summer crops as harvesting begins. In Bangladesh, conditions are favourable as the harvest of the Boro crop (largest season) starts and the sowing of the Aus crop (smallest season) continues. In Indonesia, the harvest of wet-season rice is progressing faster than last year, as the sowing of dry-season rice begins earlier than usual due to good weather. In Viet Nam, dry-season rice (winter-spring season) is under favourable conditions as harvesting continues in the Mekong Delta. Sowing of wet-season rice (summer-autumn season) has begun in the south. In Thailand, conditions are favourable as the harvest of dry-season rice continues. In the Philippines, the harvest of dry-season rice continues under favourable conditions. In Brazil, harvesting is progressing ahead of the previous season.

For detailed description of the pie chart please see box at the bottom of the page. 

Soybean Conditions

Soybean crop conditions over main growing areas are based upon a combination of national and regional crop analyst inputs along with earth observation data. Where crops are in other than favourable conditions the climatic drivers responsible for those conditions are displayed.

Soybeans: In Brazil, the harvest is progressing at a faster pace than last year under exceptional conditions in the North and Central-West regions. However, in the south, conditions remain mixed due to a lack of rainfall and high temperatures, particularly in parts of Rio Grande do Sul. An increase in the total sown area is estimated compared to last year. In Argentina, the harvest is continuing for the early-planting (typically larger season) crop and beginning for the late-planted (typically smaller season) crop. While yields are highly variable, most of the country, excluding the northeast, experienced a major recovery due to the rains in February and March. In South Africa, conditions remain mixed in some provinces as ongoing rainfall delays harvesting efforts. In the US, sowing is beginning with an expected decrease in the total sown area compared to last year. In China, conditions are favourable as sowing commences in the northeast.

For detailed description of the pie chart please see box at the bottom of the page. 

Pie chart description: Each slice represents a country's share of total AMIS production (5-year average). Main producing countries (representing 95 percent of production) are shown individually, with the remaining 5 percent grouped into the “Other AMIS Countries” category. The proportion within each national slice is coloured according to the crop conditions within a specific growing area; grey indicates that the respective area is out of season. Sections within each slice are weighted by the sub-national production statistics (5-year average) of the respective country. The section within each national slice also accounts for multiple cropping seasons (i.e., spring and winter wheat). When conditions are other than’ favourable’, icons are added that provide information on the key climatic drivers affecting conditions.

Information on crop conditions in non-AMIS countries can be found in the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning.

Climate Influences: ENSO-Neutral

ENSO-neutral conditions are present. ENSO-neutral conditions are most likely through October 2025 (91 to 52 percent chances), according to the CPC/IRI outlook. There is limited long-range ENSO predictability at this time of the year. Currently, the CPC/IRI predicts similar chances of neutral or La Niña conditions near the end of 2025 to early 2026 and lower chances of El Niño conditions during that time.

According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service Climate Bulletin, global temperatures in March 2025 were the second warmest on record. 

Forecast above-average temperatures during late April to late May in northwestern India and Pakistan indicate that impactful heat waves may continue in these countries. In Afghanistan, forecast hotter and drier-than-normal conditions elevate risks of negative impacts to rainfed crops and rapid reductions in snowpack.

Source: UCSB Climate Hazards Center

Maximum temperature forecast anomaly for the next 30 days starting on 24 April 2025. UCSB Climate Hazards Center and the North American Multimodel Ensemble (NMME) Subseasonal Consortium. Map source UCSB Climate Hazards Center

Global Two-week Precipitation Forecast

The two-week forecast (Figure 1) indicates a likelihood of above-average precipitation over central and southeast Mexico, Guatemala, eastern Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, northern Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, northwest Brazil, Ecuador, western Peru, north Algeria, Tunisia, northern Libya, central Egypt, eastern Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, western and northern Cameroon, northeastern Central African Republic, southeastern Kenya, central and southern Tanzania, northeastern Mozambique, central South Africa, eastern Kazakhstan, the eastern Russian Federation, northeast China, eastern Nepal, southwest India, southern Myanmar, Thailand, western Laos, southern Philippines, northern Australia, and northern New Zealand.

There is also a likelihood of below-average precipitation over the US southwest and southeast, northwest Mexico, western Cuba, northeast and central Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, northern Paraguay, northern Argentina, the southern UK, northern France, Belgium, the Netherlands, central Germany, southern Norway, northern Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, northern Belarus, southern Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, northwest Russian Federation, southwest Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, western Liberia, Ethiopia, southern Zambia, Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, northern Namibia, northeast South Africa, southern Afghanistan, northeastern Pakistan, northwest India, Central and eastern China, eastern Malaysia, and central Indonesia.

Figure 1: IRI SubX Precipitation Biweekly Probability Forecast for 3 – 16 May 2025, issued on 25 April 2025. The forecast is based on statistically calibrated tercile category forecasts from three SubX models. Source: IRI Subseasonal Forecasts Maproom

Australia Outlook

The current SMAP root zone soil moisture anomaly shows below-average conditions across parts of New South Wales, Tasmania, South Australia, and the central parts of Western Australia. The May to July 2025 outlook indicates likely below-average rainfall across most of New South Wales, Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the northern and southwestern regions of Western Australia. During the same period, maximum temperatures are very likely to be above average across the country, and minimum temperatures are also expected to be above average across most of the country. The forecasted below-average rainfall and above-average temperature are likely to sustain and further reduce root zone soil moisture in parts of New South Wales, South Australia, and parts of Western Australia.

Upper Left: Chance of exceeding median rainfall for May to July 2025. Upper Right: Chance of exceeding median maximum temperature for May to July 2025. Maps from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Bottom: SMAP Root Zone (0-100cm) Soil Moisture Anomaly (%). Map from USDA Crop Explorer

Mexico Outlook

The May 2025 outlook indicates that precipitation is likely to be above-average along the Gulf of Mexico coast and the Yucatan Peninsula, while below-average along most of central Mexico and the Pacific Coast. During the same period, maximum temperatures are likely to be above-average across most of the country, except for Baja California and along the western coastline. Along with current drought conditions, precipitation in May will unlikely be able to relieve drought conditions in the North and Northwest regions.

Top Left: May 2025 monthly accumulated precipitation (mm) anomaly. Top Right: May 2025 monthly maximum temperature (°C) anomaly. Bottom: 15 April 2025 Drought Monitor map of Mexico. Data and maps from the National Meteorological Service and the Mexico Drought Monitor.

United States Outlook

The May outlook indicates that below-average precipitation is probable from the Southwest to the northern Plains and across the central Pacific Coast, including Florida and Georgia. Conversely, above-average precipitation is likely to occur from the mid-Atlantic through the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and the northern Delta region. During the same period, temperatures are expected to be above-average from the Southwest across the southern U.S. and northward to the northern Plains. Based on the current drought conditions and the long-term forecast for May, June, and July, drought conditions are likely to diminish on the East Coast; however, they are expected to further develop across the Great Plains. 

Upper Left: May 2025 precipitation outlook issued on 17 April 2025. Upper Right: May 2025 temperature outlook issued on 17 April 2025. Bottom: Seasonal (17 April – 31 July 2025) drought outlook released on 17 April 2025. Maps from NOAA CPC and NOAA/National Weather Service, National Centers for Environmental Predictions, and Climate Prediction Center.