WORLD CROP WEATHER SUMMARY -- USDA/NOAA
Dry weather covered most European
crop areas in the week ended March 14, except for those in
southwestern France, southern Italy, and Greece, the Joint
Agricultural Weather Facility of the U.S. Agriculture and
Commerce Departments said.
    In its International Weather and Crop sumary, the agency
said mixed rain and snow covered Greece.
    Winter grains in England, France, and northern Italy
remained dormant. Grains usuaually break dormancy in March.
    Winter grains in Eastern Europe usually break dormancy in
early April, it said.
    Showers improved irrigation supplies in winter wheat areas
of northern Pakistan and northern India, it said.
    Normally, wheat harvesting is well underwaty in central
India and just beginnning to the north, ending in most areas by
late April.
    Showers improved irrigation supplies in southern India,
reversing February's below-normal trend.
    Summer rice is usually in or nearing reproduction in most
southern areas, it said.
    In the Philippines, most rainfall was restricted to the
central islands, continuing February's drying trend in Luzon
and southern Mindanao.
    Locally heavy showers dotted Indonesia and Malaysia as
rainfall generally decreased eastward through the islands.
    In February locally heavy showers may have caused flooding
in Java, it said.
    The second cnsecutive week of dry weather stressed Moroccan
winter grains, approaching teh heading stage, the agency said.
    Light to moderate rain spread from northern Thailand to
Northern Vietnam as dry weather prevailed elsewhere in
Southeast Asia.
    Dry weather covered winter grain areas in western and
central Algeria, but soil moisture was likely adequate to meet
crop demands, it said.
    Light showers in eastern Algeria and Tunisia maintained
adequate moisture for crop growth, it said.
    Timely rains will be needed in the next several weeks as
winter grains advance through the critical reproductive phase,
the agency said.
 Reuter
