Thank you all for your comments -

The Archive::Extract module works fine if invoked manually. However it fails to extract using crontab.

As suggested I have turned debugging on $Archive::Extract::DEBUG=1;

<BELOW> are the results - would anybody have an idea what this means? I see the term 'write error (disk full?)' comes up several times??? Any help would be appreciated.. thanks again..

# Extracting with ->_unzip_bin
Running [/usr/bin/unzip -Z -1 /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/gree
+ning/MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.zip]...
MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif
Running [/usr/bin/unzip -qq -o /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/gre
+ening/MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.zip]...
MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif:  write error (disk full?).  Con
+tinue? (y/n/^C) 
warning:  MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif is probably truncated
Unable to unzip '/work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/MCD_Gree
+nArea_20111211_LocustArea.zip': MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif
+:  write error (disk full?).  Continue? (y/n/^C) 
warning:  MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif is probably truncated
 at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Archive/Extract.pm line 1106
    Archive::Extract::_unzip_bin('Archive::Extract=HASH(0x1f96b990)') 
+called at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Archive/Extract.pm line 415
    Archive::Extract::extract('Archive::Extract=HASH(0x1f96b990)') cal
+led at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl
+ line 340
 at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl lin
+e 340
# Extraction method failed
# Extracting with ->_unzip_az
IO error: write error during copy : No space left on device 
 at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl lin
+e 340
Extraction of 'MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif' from '/work/locu
+st1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.
+zip' failed at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Archive/Extract.pm line
+ 1166
    Archive::Extract::_unzip_az('Archive::Extract=HASH(0x1f96b990)') c
+alled at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Archive/Extract.pm line 415
    Archive::Extract::extract('Archive::Extract=HASH(0x1f96b990)') cal
+led at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl
+ line 340
 at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl lin
+e 340
# Extraction method failed
Extract failed due to errors at /usr/lib/perl5/site_perl/5.8.8/Archive
+/Extract.pm line 439
    Archive::Extract::extract('Archive::Extract=HASH(0x1f96b990)') cal
+led at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl
+ line 340
 at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/modis_greening.pl lin
+e 340
Can't extract: Unable to unzip '/work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/gr
+eening/MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.zip': MCD_GreenArea_20111211
+_LocustArea.tif:  write error (disk full?).  Continue? (y/n/^C) 
warning:  MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif is probably truncated

Extraction of 'MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.tif' from '/work/locu
+st1/swarmsdata/RasterData/greening/MCD_GreenArea_20111211_LocustArea.
+zip' failed
Extract failed due to errors at /work/locust1/swarmsdata/RasterData/gr
+eening/modis_greening.pl line 340.
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