NASA Harvest News
Harvest is excited to announce a new partnership with Kernel - the largest producer and exporter of grains in Ukraine, the leader of the world’s sunflower oil market, and a major supplier of agricultural products from the Black Sea region to international markets.
An El Niño-linked drought has impacted main-season crops in Southern Africa resulting in failed and poor harvests across most countries. Several parts of the region have received half or less of their typical rainfall amounts this season and a record-breaking multi-week dry spell in February resulted in severe crop wilting and State of Emergencies to be announced across Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.

NASA Harvest has contributed to several recent publications about this developing drought including the GEOGLAM Crop Monitor Early Warning Report Special Highlight on Southern Africa and UN FAO GIEWS Special Alert Southern Africa No. 352. The GEOGLAM Crop Monitor for Early Warning consensus-based crop assessments for Southern Africa have been cited in several articles and reports including the NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day, WFP Southern Africa Seasonal Monitor and a recent report by the European Commission Joint Research Centre on Drought in Southern Africa.
Coming off a record setting year for global temperatures, we are heading toward the beginning of another La Niña climate pattern. NASA Harvest's Brian Barker writes for the AMIS Market Monitor on how this shift will likely impact precipitation and temperature patterns around the world, and the resulting impacts on agricultural production.
NASA Harvest Africa Lead, Catherine Nakalembe, speaks with the University of Maryland about her work linking satellites and on-the-ground monitoring to help African farmers weather extreme events. She has been named as the University of Maryland's Early Career Impact award winner for her innovative work improving agricultural monitoring and food security efforts across Africa.
Meet NASA Harvest's Josef Wagner! Josef has concentrated on supporting and expanding NASA Harvest's food security response efforts in Ukraine. His work focuses on in-season crop type mapping and estimating planted areas, including damage assessment, cropland abandonment, and fertilizer recommendations. Learn more about Josef's work with NASA Harvest!
Over 60 participants from more than 13 countries gathered for the East Africa Learning Exchange in Naivasha, Kenya. Organized by GEOGLAM and ICPAC, with support from NASA Harvest and other GEOGLAM partners, the Exchange is a collaborative initiative focused on enhancing agriculture monitoring and early warning systems.
Upcoming Events
NASA's ARSET (Applied Remote Sensing Training Program) is hosting a three day training on the use of Earth observation data for humanitarian applications. The training will feature strategies and techniques for flood risk assessments, gauging long-term heat risk in refugee camps, and monitoring drought effects on agricultural landscapes. The training is free and open to the public, and a recording will be available afterwards.