ERS data are now being used operationally within major
European programmes concerned with agricultural statistics
(MARS STAT) and the control of agricultural subsidies
(MARS CAP). Within MARS STAT the use of ERS data
has improved the estimates of crop area early in the crop
growing season. ERS data are used as a substitute for optical
data in the MARS CAP control activity when cloudy
conditions are encountered at key times during the crop
growing season. The use of ERS data for rice mapping in
south-east Asia is also becoming a commercially important
application area.