USDA Weekly weather report summary DEC 02 2010

EUROPE: Seasonably colder weather settled over much of

the continent, while heavy rain across southern Europe

continued to hamper fieldwork and cause local flooding.

In general, winter crop prospects are

favorable over much of Europe, with locally abundant soil and

subsoil moisture available for late establishment and upcoming

spring growth.

WESTERN FSU: Colder weather in northern growing areas

contrasted with unseasonably warm, wet conditions in

southern Russia.

MIDDLE EAST: Unfavorably dry weather continued in Iran,

Iraq, and southeastern Turkey, raising concerns over

developing drought.

NORTHWEST AFRICA: Showers continued, maintaining

the favorable start to the 2010-11 growing season.

SOUTH ASIA: Wet weather gave way to drier conditions

for cotton harvesting in western and southern India, while

winter crops benefited from more rainfall.

EAST ASIA: Mostly dry, mild conditions continued to

promote winter crop development.

SOUTHEAST ASIA: Wet weather abated in central

Vietnam, benefiting coffee harvesting, while heavy showers

continued to slow fieldwork in the northern Philippines.

AUSTRALIA: Drier weather in the northeast allowed winter

wheat harvesting to resume, while soaking rains in the

southeast halted most fieldwork, including winter crop

harvesting.

Drier weather (generally less than 10 mm) overspread southern

Queensland and northern New South Wales, allowing winter

wheat harvesting to resume. The added sunshine also helped

slow reductions in the quality of unharvested winter crops and

aided cotton and sorghum development. Farther south,

soaking rains (10-50 mm or more) halted fieldwork throughout

the remainder of New South Wales, Victoria, and extreme

eastern South Australia. In contrast, warm, mostly dry weather

(less than 5 mm) elsewhere in South Australia and in Western

Australia favored winter grain harvesting.

SOUTH AFRICA: Beneficial rain continued across the

corn belt, favoring emerging crops and spurring summer

crop planting.

ARGENTINA: Pockets of dryness lingered over highyielding summer crop areas of central Argentina.

Pockets of dryness lingered in key agricultural areas of central

Argentina, reducing moisture for germination and

establishment of corn, soybeans, and other summer row crops.

According to Argentina’s Ministry of Agriculture, sunflower and corn planting was 90

and 78 percent complete, respectively, as of November 25. In

addition, soybeans were 52 percent planted versus 44 percent

last year. Wheat harvesting reached 18 percent completion,

compared with 23 percent last year.

BRAZIL: Much-needed rain provided moisture for

germination and establishment of soybeans in Rio Grande do

Sul.