Senegal: Groundnut crop prospects as of end July/beginning August 2014
by Market Insider
Tuesday, 12 Aug. 2014
Erratic and insufficient rainfall since the beginning of
the rainy season in May/June over most parts of the country have delayed
plantings and affected the groundnut crop.
According to GIEWS - FAO's
global information and early warning system on food and agriculture of 5 August
(http://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country.jsp?code=SEN),
the satellite imagery analysis indicates low Vegetation Health Index in much of
Senegal's groundnut basin and in the northern and Casamance agro-ecological
zones. Due to the earlier drier conditions, adequate rainfall up to the end of
August will be critical for crop regeneration and development.
The head
of the Operations Department and Forecasts of the Senegalese National Agency of
Civil Aviation and Meteorology (ANACIM) attributes the rainfall deficit in
May/June to El Niño phenomenon, but the good ingress of moisture and cloud
development at the beginning of August augurs a well installed winter season in
the groundnut growing areas (http://www.aps.sn/articles.php?id_article=131681).
Seasonal progress is behind schedule in certain areas of the country due to
interruptions in crop planting activities in June. Even if things return to
normal, groundnut planting and seedling delays may not be caught.
The
latest Agro-meteorological Bulletin issued by the agency for the period 20-31
July (http://actunet.sn/medias/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/bulletin-3%C3%A8me-d%C3%A9cade-juillet.pdf)
issued on 7 August related the delay in the installation of the rainy season
over much of the country, with an overall decline in the level of rivers except
the Gambia. Rains were almost nonexistent in the northern half and central
regions of Senegal during the recorded period (with no rain in the
groundnut-growing districts of St. Louis, Podor, Matam, Louga, Thies, Dakar,
Diourbel Bambey and Mbour), but started in the Southern regions.