HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS

Week ending December 22, 1996
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                          December 23, 1996

WEATHER SUMMARY: Winter cold arrived in all areas during the week of
December 15 through 21. Snow fell in some Panhandle and northern
localities. The lowest temperature readings were in the 20s, 30s, and 40s
with Key West's low in the 50s. Average low temperatures over the northern
and most central areas were in the 30s and 40s and in the 50s over the
southern Peninsula. Highest temperatures reached into the 60s and 70s in
most localities. Temperatures were 3 to 11 degrees below normal for the
week. Rain totaled from none to over an inch and a half.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate in the Panhandle and
northern Peninsula with scattered areas of surplus moisture. The southern
Peninsula moisture is short to adequate with scattered areas of very short
moisture. Cotton harvest is virtually complete. Sugarcane harvest and
planting are active. Growers are taking soil samples and preparing fields
for spring crops. Tobacco bed construction is underway. Pine tree planting
is active.

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Small grain pasture was doing well before the frost
at the end of the week. The frost and freezing temperatures killed new
growth locally in some northern areas. Winter annual small grain was making
good growth but not furnishing grazing yet in the central area. Feeding was
active in northern and central areas to supplement the declined condition
of permanent pasture.

CITRUS: Friday morning December 20 was very cold with temperatures in the
low thirties for the upper interior counties. There were a few readings
below thirty in cold pockets and low lands. There was no damage reported.
There was too much wind for frost to form in most areas. Cold temperatures
the past two weeks have been very beneficial to citrus trees to slow down
growth rates and induce quasi-dormancy which helps protect trees from
freezing weather should it arrive. Harvest of early and midseason oranges
continues very active with most going to processors. Movement of all
seedless grapefruit is most active on the lower east coast with
considerable quantities going to fresh markets. Tangerine and tangelos are
going to fresh markets for the Christmas trade.

    Caretakers are discing and mowing cover crops. Most growers have placed
heaters and banked young trees in cold pockets.

                    Estimated boxes harvested week ended

             Crop                  Dec 8         Dec 15        Dec 22

 Navel oranges                       691,000       699,000        508,000
 Early and Mid oranges             8,364,000     8,347,000      9,614,000
 All grapefruit                      942,000     1,202,000      1,152,000
 Tangerines                          309,000       347,000        501,000
 Tangelos                            238,000       368,000        343,000

VEGETABLES: Most southern Peninsula crops escaped damage from the cold
weather due to the short duration of near freezing temperatures. Some Plant
City strawberry growers ran overhead sprinklers to protect plants and
immature berries from harm. Hard frosts brought an end to most crop picking
in northern areas. Harvesting in areas around Webster and Center Hill is
nearing the end. Major vegetables available: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers,
sweet corn, snap beans, cabbage, strawberries, radishes, carrots, celery,
eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, and parsley.

SNAP BEANS: Dade, Everglades--The crop is in very good condition. Young
plants are making good vines. Planting continued. Picking is active. Yield
and quality are good. Volume available is increasing. East Coast--Picking
active. Southwest-- Condition is good. Planting remains steady. Harvesting
is steady with good quality available. Yield remains fair to good. West
Central--Condition is rated fair. Picking is winding down. Quality is fair
to good.

CABBAGE: Hastings--Planting steady. Crop in good condition. Growth and
development normal. Central--Harvest active. West Central--Harvest steady.
Quality and size fair to good. Color good. Yield increasing but slowly.
Planting winding down. Crop in fair to good condition. Growth and
development normal. Cutting a little slow this week. Dade-- Harvest
starting. Growth and development good. Fields look good. Quality good.
Yields normal.

CARROTS: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is active. An increasing supply
is available.

SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking remains active with some fall crop fields
completely harvested. Supply will increase in January when younger
plantings mature. East Coast-- Harvesting slowly increasing. Dade--Fields
near the tassel stage are in very good condition. Planting is nearly
finished. Picking remains slow. Supply will increase by mid to late January
when more acreage reaches maturity. Zellwood--Picking is nearing the end as
growers finish fall crop harvests. Southwest-- Condition is good. Planting
is active. Fall crop picking is finished.

CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Temperatures did not fall low enough to cause major
damage. Picking continued. Southwest-- The crop is in fair to good
condition. Planting is winding down. Harvest is steady with a light volume
available. Quality is fair to good. West Central--Picking is nearly
completed. U-Pic harvesting remains active. Quality is fair. Dade--Pickle
condition is rated very good. Winter crop planting is complete with spring
crop plantings scheduled for a later date. Picking remains active with good
quality available. Yield is good. Zellwood--Pickle harvest nearing the end.
Growers harvested most fruit to avoid damage from the cold weather.

EGGPLANT: East Coast--Cutting active. Southwest-- Condition remains fair to
good. Planting is very light with most activity completed. Picking remains
steady with fair to good quality available. Dade--Harvesting continued with
a good volume available. Quality and yield are good.

ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Harvesting continued. Most acreage escaped
damage from the cold temperatures.

LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting continued with Iceberg, Boston, Bibb,
Romaine, and leaf varieties available. Most fields escaped cold temperature
damage.

OKRA: Dade--Crop condition continued to improve. Picking continued with
fair quality available. Yield is light.

PEPPERS: Southwest--Young fields are in good condition. Older acreage is in
fair condition. Planting remains steady. Harvest is steady with good
quality and sizes available. East Coast--Picking continued.
Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Some harvesting slowed as cold
weather arrived with most activity steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes
are mostly medium with some large sizes available.

POTATOES: Southwest--Planting winding down. Crop condition good. Growth and
development good. Dade-- Planting winding down. Crop looks very good at
this time. Soil moisture is just right in potato fields as they had a light
shower which helped. West Central--Planting steady. Crop condition good.
Growth and development normal.

RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging continued.

SQUASH: Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting is steady.
Picking remains steady with good quality available. Yield is good. East
Coast--Harvesting continued. Dade-- Condition is good. Picking slow but
increasing with good quality available. Yield is good. Supplies are
increasing with a good volume available for the rest of the season. West
Central-- Crop condition is fair. Most picking is finished. U-Pic
harvesting is active. Quality and color are fair.

STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Virtually all acreage escaped harm from the cold
temperatures. Some producers ran overhead sprinklers to protect plants and
immature berries. Growers picked most of the marketable fruit prior to the
cold. Palmetto- Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is

expected to begin within the next 7 to 10 days. Dade--U-Pic harvesting is
underway. Supplies are light but are expected to increase by early January.

TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition ranges fair to good with younger
acreage in good condition. Planting remains active. Harvesting is steady.
Quality is good. First and second picks are yielding mostly extra large and
large sizes. The third and fourth pickings are producing large and mostly
medium sizes. East Coast--Harvesting active. Dade--The condition is rated
excellent. Planting continued as scheduled. Workers laid irrigation pipes
in fields prior to the cold snap with temperatures only dipping into the
40s. Picking is slowly increasing with low volume to increase by early
January. Quality is excellent. Yield is good. Pack-out is good with less
fruit scarred by earlier winds than anticipated. Sizes are mostly extra
large and large with some mediums available. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop
condition remains fair. Ninety-eight percent of growers have finished the
fall crop harvesting with the rest nearly completed during the week.

CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting of a small
acreage is steady. Harvesting is active with good quality available. Yield
is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair. Planting of a limited acreage
continued. Harvesting is mostly steady with some activity slowing due to
the cold weather. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are normal. Color is good.

PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting and picking are
steady. Quality and yield are good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Picking is virtually
finished with a small volume harvested during the week. Quality and sizes
are fair to good.

WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition remains fair to good. Picking is
slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop
condition is fair. Harvest is nearing the end. Quality is fair. Sizes are
small and medium.