The Major Production Zones (MPZ) in China includes Northeast Region, Inner Mongolia Region, Huanghuaihai Plain Region, Loess Region, Lower Yangtze Region, Southwest and Southern of China. The provided crop information for each region is as follows: (a) General setting: the average NDVI background from year 1999 to 2000; (b) map of vegetation health index (VHI) clusters and (c) corresponding VHI profiles; (d) map of rainfall clusters and (e) corresponding rainfall profiles; (f) map of temperature clusters and (g) corresponding temperature profiles; (h) maximum vegetation condition index shown for four overlapping periods of January-April 2013, April-July, July-October, and October 2013 to end of January 2014; (i) fraction of cropped arable land for the same for periods; (j) cropping intensity index; and (k) crop development. Figure 4-1 presents example of above indicators for each of regions.

In China, rainfall was 6 percent below average at the beginning of the year, but later remained above average (compared to the 2001-2012 year average) until the end of the year; October-January even experienced rainfall 23 percent above average. Temperature was about average at the national level during the year, but with significant local variations. PAR was close to average from the beginning of the year till October, after which it increased to 8 percent above average in the October-January period. Due to suitable rainfall, temperature, and PAR, biomass is above average from April till to the end of 2013.
The maximum VCI indicates that from April to October, in most parts of China's Northeast region, eastern Sichuan, western Guizhou, south of Gansu, and central Shandong province, crop condition was better than the last five years' average. The fraction of cropped arable land in Inner Mongolia was above the five-year average throughout the year, which indicates that cropland increased. Cropland decreased in other regions, such as in the Northeast, Huanghuaihai, and Lower Yangtze regions. The 2013 cropping intensity in the seven regions of China is above the five year average, except for the Loess region. The cropping intensity in the southern region is higher than in other areas: 4.15 percent above average.