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.
  

