USDA’s Crop Explorer Helps Analysts Track
AgroMeteorological Data Worldwide

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) announces a new on-line web site, Crop Explorer, which provides easy-to-read crop condition information for most agricultural regions in the world. With this data, U.S. and international producers, traders, researchers, and the public can access weather and satellite information used by agricultural economists and scientists who predict crop production worldwide.

Crop Explorer automates the processing and extraction of certain agro-meteorological indicators from the source data and provides that information graphically to users. These indicators are near real-time estimates and defined by crop type, crop region (sub-national), and season. The site includes more than 9500 charts and pages. Weather and satellite data are updated every ten days.

The Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division (PECAD) of FAS developed the site. PECAD will add more country detail, such as crop calendars and crop area maps, in the future.

The crop explorer site can be found at internet address: http://www.fas.usda.gov/pecad. Click on Crop Explorer. For further information, please contact the Division at (202) 720-0888 (e-mail: pecad@fas.usda.gov)

July 11, 2002, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced an El Nino weather pattern had begun. With Crop Explorer, analysts may themselves judge the impact of El Nino and other agro-meteorologic events. The three key production briefs below illustrate the capabilities of the new site.

Australia: 2002/03 Wheat and Rapeseed Production Estimates Fall

Australia is experiencing dryness in major crop areas. Analysts may track estimated vegetative crop indexes against a 20-year normal curve, shown here lagging in New South Wales a principle wheat area. This tool can help you watch to see if August/September rains will be in time to assist wheat and rapeseed crops maturity.

Australia

New South Wales
Subregion: New South Wales, Wheat

India: Poor Monsoon Hamper Rice, Cotton, and Soybean Production

A poor monsoon and higher than normal temperatures are influencing crops across India. Depicted here, Crop Explorer shows analysts where temperatures in the Northern Zone have been above normal, reducing yields. This reduced USDA’s projection of Indian cotton production in this month’s estimate.

India