fl-crop-weather
Week ending April 19, 1998
Released 4:00 P.M.
April 20, 1998
WEATHER SUMMARY: Dry, warm weather continued during the week of April 12
through 18. Virtually all of the major stations recorded no measurable rain
for the week. Temperatures averaged within a degree of normal. Daytime
highs were mostly in the 80s. Nighttime lows averaged mostly in the upper
50s and mid to upper 60s with Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Orlando, and
Valparaiso recording at least one low in the 40s.
FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula is
mostly short to adequate. Topsoil moisture in the central and southern part
of the State is short to adequate with scattered areas of very short
moisture. The wheat crop looks good at this time. One percent of the
peanuts are planted. Tobacco transplanting is complete. Sugarcane growth is
normal. The sugarcane mills are closed. Corn planting is virtually
complete. Field preparations for spring planted crops are active.
Moisture Topsoil Subsoil
Rating Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very short 3 13 0 9
Short 32 49 17 9
Adequate 56 38 47 63
Surplus 9 0 36 19
LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pastures in the central and southern part of the
Peninsula could use some rain. The condition of the State's pastures was
relatively unchanged from the previous week. Water in flooded pastures
receded in the central area but the grass was still short. In the west
central area, the dry conditions aided brush fires. Pastures in the
southeast were on the dry side.
Range Cattle
Condition
Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very poor 0 5 0 0
Poor 15 15 10 15
Fair 50 45 45 30
Good 35 35 40 50
Excellent 0 0 0 5
CITRUS: The citrus belt was dry and hot in all areas this week. Most
growers of well-maintained groves are utilizing their low volume irrigation
equipment to add supplemental surface moisture. Bloom is generally over in
most groves. New growth has slowed due to the dry conditions of the past
few weeks. Harvest of Valencia oranges continues very active in all areas.
Almost all of the oranges being picked are going to the processors.
Movement of white and colored grapefruit is most active on the lower east
coast. Honey tangerine and Temple harvest is just about complete.
Caretakers are mowing, chopping, and discing cover crops. Spring
herbiciding and post bloom spraying are active in all areas. Irrigation
crews are active in all areas.
Estimated boxes harvested week ended
Crop Apr 5 Apr 12 Apr 19
Valencia oranges 8,022,000 6,911,000 8,241,000
All grapefruit 2,275,000 2,126,000 2,008,000
Honey tangerines 110,000 77,000 49,000
Temples 14,000 38,000 1,000
VEGETABLES: Dry conditions allowed fieldwork to progress normally. Major
crops shipped during the week include snap beans, blueberries, cabbage,
carrots, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole,
lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash, strawberries,
and tomatoes.
SNAP BEANS: Dade--The crop is in good condition. Harvesting remains active.
Yield is increasing. Quality is good. A good volume is available for at
least another two to three weeks. Producers are spraying for the prevention
of disease and irrigating to ensure adequate soil moisture.
Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is finished. Picking remains
steady. Quality is good. Everglades--Picking of plentiful supplies is
active. East Coast-- Crop condition is good. Hand picking of light supplies
is active. Quality and color are good. West Central--Condition is fair.
Plant growth and bean development are normal but slow. North--Most
plantings made in January and February were killed by the early March
freeze with growers replanting most acreage. Plant growth and bean
development are behind usual.
BLUEBERRIES: West Central, North--Picking of light supplies continue.
CABBAGE: Dade--Cabbage season nearing end with volume lower each week. West
Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth and development are slow to
normal. Harvest is steady. Head quality and color fair to good. Size is
variable. Central, Hastings--Harvest is steady. Head size smaller than
normal but larger than expected.
CARROTS: Zellwood--Digging is very active. Quality and yield are good.
CELERY: Everglades, Zellwood--Cutting is active. Yield and quality are
good.
SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting is gaining momentum as supplies climb to
the peak level. Quality is improving and is rated good. Dade--Harvesting of
good supplies continues. Quality and yield are good. Southwest--Condition
remains good. Picking is underway with good quality available. East
Coast--Picking of a very small acreage for the local market continues.
CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Young acreage is in good condition. Harvesting is
increasing. Quality, sizes, and color are good for first picks. Workers are
irrigating and injecting fertilizer as needed, and mowing acreage
completely picked. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition.
Picking remains steady. Quality is good. West Central--Condition is fair.
Picking is starting. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable with small,
medium, and large available. Yield is below normal. Dade--Pickle picking is
increasing. Quality and yield are good.
EGGPLANT: East Coast--Young fields are in good condition. Fruit sizing is
fair in older fields. Harvesting of a light volume remains active.
Producers are mowing acreage completely harvested. Southwest--The crop is
in fair to good condition. Cutting remains steady. Quality is good.
Dade--Harvesting continues. Yield is increasing. Quality is good. West
Central-- Crop condition is fair. Cutting is beginning. Quality is fair
with small to medium sizes available.
ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Harvesting is active. Quality is good.
Zellwood--Harvesting is increasing with good supplies available.
LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is increasing. Quality is good.
Zellwood--Harvesting is active with good supplies of leaf, Romaine, and
head types available. Romaine quality is good. Quality of head types is
mostly good.
OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good. Planting continues. Harvesting of a
very light volume continues.
PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Picking continues
at a steady pace. Quality and sizes are good. West Central--Crop condition
is fair. Picking is starting. Quality and color are fair. Sizes are
variable. Yield is fair. East Coast-- Plant growth and fruit development
are improving in young fields. First picked acreage is in good condition.
Fruit set and sizing are slow. Harvesting of a light volume of green Bells
is yielding mostly good quality. Fruit picked from limbs is mostly good.
Workers are irrigating as needed and removing strings and stakes from
acreage completely picked.
POTATOES: Southwest--All the crop has been killed. Potato harvest is
steady. Potatoes harvested are of good quality. Dade-- Potato harvest
improving with little better yields. Volume should be good through April.
Quality is good with only a little wireworm showing up in some of the
potatoes. West Central--Crop is in poor to fair condition. Growth and
development are slow to normal. Harvest is starting. Quality is poor to
fair. Potato size is variable. Hastings--The potato plants are growing
slower than normal. Young fields look good. Some of the potato fields are
blooming. Digging should be underway by end of April with volume digging
starting the first week of May.
RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging continues at an active pace.
Quality ranges from good to very good.
SQUASH: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Cutting remains steady.
Quality is good. East Coast--Fruit setting and sizing are improving in
younger fields. Plant growth and development are fair to good. Cutting of a
light to moderate volume is active with fancy and medium grades available.
Quality is good. Dade-- Volume is increasing as more acreage reaches
maturity. Quality and yield are improving. A good supply is available over
the next two weeks. West Central--Condition is fair. Plant growth and fruit
development are slow but normal. Planting is finished.
STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Supplies are decreasing seasonally.
Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair. Harvesting remains active for both
commercial and U-Pic markets. Quality is fair. Sizes are variable.
Dade--Harvesting for the U-Pic market is active.
TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Warmer temperatures
are aiding plant growth and fruit development. Picking is steady. Yield is
good. Quality is improving. A good supply of all sizes is available.
Gradeout continues above normal. East Coast--Growth and development of
younger acreage continues to improve. Condition of older acreage continues
to decline due to drying winds. Picking of a moderate volume is active with
variable sizes available. Some yields are below normal due to earlier
adverse weather. Dade--Hot, dry, and windy weather continues to impede
plant growth and fruit development. Fruit continues to mature unevenly.
Harvesting remains active with fairly good yields. Quality is good. Sizes
are variable with mostly 6x6 sizes available. Packout is below normal due
to gradeout of scarred fruit. Supplies are available for at least the next
two weeks. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is mostly fair to good. Plant growth
is fair. Fruit in younger fields is setting about six weeks from the
transplant date. Fruit sizes range from 5x6 to half dollar. Picking is
expected to start in about two weeks. Quincy--Crop condition is good. Most
plants are at the first string stage of growth.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Picking is
steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair. Plant growth
and fruit development are normal but slow.
PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady.
Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Condition is fair. Harvesting is
expected to begin within the next two weeks.
WATERMELONS: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Plant growth is normal.
West Central--Crop condition is rated fair. Plant growth is slow but
normal. North--Crop condition is rated good.