SAHEL WEATHER AND CROP SITUATION - July 1998

Abstract

Following first rains in April in Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Chad, Mali and Niger, rains reached the east of Guinea-Bissau in mid-May and the extreme south-east of Senegal and the east of The Gambia in early June. First rains were also registered in several areas of southern Mauritania. Elsewhere, in Cape Verde, northern Senegal and eastern Niger, seasonably dry conditions continue to prevail. The latest Meteosat satellite image for the early days of July indicates that clouds remain pre sent over most producing areas of Mali, Burkina Faso, western Niger and southern Chad but dry conditions persist in northern Senegal, eastern Niger and most parts of Mauritania. Land preparation and planting are progressing following the onset of the rains. Crops are generally emerging satisfactorily in Mali, Burkina Faso, western Niger and southern Chad. Rainfall decreased in late June in Burkina Faso but soil moisture reserves are generally adequate. Grasshoppers are reported in Burki na Faso, Chad and Niger. Limited Desert Locusts activity is reported in Mali. Small-scale breeding is expected to commence with the onset of the summer rains in southern Mauritania, northern Mali and Niger.