Ecuador

The second cycles of maize and rice are in the harvesting stage. Rainfall has been normal in most cropping areas, leading to average to above-average vegetation status and favorable harvest prospects. The JRC pre-operational yield forecasting system predicts a national yield average for the 2024 maize campaign as the previous year (about 4350 kg/ha). The Copernicus C3S Multimodel forecasts drier than normal conditions in December, when main cycles of maize and rice normally start. The forecast affects the western half of the country where the main producing areas are located. Ecuador is in the list of food crisis countries recently published by the Global Report on Food Crisis, with weather extremes being one of the main drivers of the crisis (GRFC 2024).