FL-CROP-WEATER
Week ending November 1, 1998
Released 4:00 P.M.
November 2, 1998
WEATHER SUMMARY: Mostly drier weather occurred during the week of October
25 through 31. The major stations reported from none to only traces of rain
for the week. Homestead reported about half an inch falling early during
the period. Palmetto-Ruskin recorded traces of rain while the Immokalee
area reported no rain for the week. Cooler temperatures persisted with lows
ranging from the 40s and 50s in northern areas, to the 50s and 60s in
central areas, to the 60s and 70s in southern areas. Highs were mainly in
the 80s. Temperatures mostly averaged within a degree of normal. Gusty
winds continued along the southeastern coast during the first part of the
period.
FIELD CROPS: The topsoil moisture throughout the State is short to adequate
with areas of very short moisture. Dry weather is delaying small grain and
forage planting. Harvesting of cotton is active. Soybean harvest is winding
down. Haying is active with excellent conditions. Sugarcane harvest and
planting is active. Ninety-four percent of the peanuts for nuts are
reported harvested.
Moisture Topsoil Subsoil
Rating Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very short 0 13 0 7
Short 23 40 8 26
Adequate 77 47 85 60
Surplus 0 0 7 7
LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Dry conditions improved pasture in some areas and
worsened the pasture in other areas. In the northern counties, the
condition deteriorated because of dry conditions last week. Pasture grass
was gone already in some northern areas and hay feeding has begun. The
planting of winter annual grasses for pasture was delayed because of dry
soil conditions. However, the growth of grass is permanent pastures
continued seasonal decline.
Range Cattle
Condition
Last week This week Last week This week
Percent
Very poor 0 0 0 0
Poor 0 10 0 0
Fair 60 55 35 45
Good 40 25 65 40
Excellent 0 10 0 15
CITRUS: This week was mostly dry with only a few scattered showers Monday
and Tuesday. Several growers and caretakers are irrigating to maintain good
tree and fruit condition. New growth has slowed considerably. There are
still a lot of small fruit which is attributed to the very dry late spring
and early summer. Also, October was a drier than normal month in most
citrus growing counties. Most early fruit is showing good on-tree color
break. Harvesting crews are moving early oranges, white and colored
grapefruit, early tangerines and some K-Early Citrus Fruit. A few more
processors are opening this week.
Caretakers are cutting cover crops that have grown tall and out of
control. Limited spraying for packing house fruit continues with the last
fertilizations on young trees. Pushing and burning of unthrifty grapefruit
has been reported in several areas.
Estimated boxes harvested week ended
Crop Oct 18 Oct 25 Nov 1
Navel oranges 101,000 154,000 200,000
Early & Mid oranges 133,000 150,000 488,000
All grapefruit 601,000 812,000 820,000
Tangerines 132,000 139,000 144,000
K-Early Citrus Fruit 3,000 4,000 7,000
Tangelos 0 3,000 15,000
VEGETABLES: Tomato harvesting started in the Immokalee and East Coast
regions. Vegetables shipped during the week included snap beans, sweet
corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, pickles, squash, tomatoes, and
watermelons.
SNAP BEANS: North--Picking continued. Volume remains light. East
Coast--Crop condition is fair to good. Young leaves are recovering from
recent wind burn. Older plants continue to develop pin beans. Dade--The
crop remains in good condition. Oldest plants show pin beans forming with
no significant damage from the recent strong winds. Fields dried from the
recent rainfall with only plants in very low spots damaged. Picking is
expected to begin in about two weeks. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to
good. Planting continued. West Central--Crop condition is fair with drier
weather helping plant growth and bean development.
CABBAGE: West Central_Cabbage planting is steady. The crop is in fair to
good condition. Crop growth and development is normal. Hastings_Planting is
active. Crop growth and development is normal. Dade_Transplanting has
started and good stands have been established.
CARROTS: All areas--Planting continued.
CELERY: Everglades--Planting is active.
SWEET CORN: Zellwood, North--Picking continued. Significant supplies are
available over the next two weeks. East Coast--Planting is expected to
begin within the next two to three weeks.
CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: West Central--Condition is fair to good.
Harvesting increased seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are fair.
Yield is below normal. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to mostly good
with recent strong winds affecting plant growth and development. Harvesting
continued. Workers thinned young plants. Mid-growth plants are forming
runners, blooming, setting fruit, and sizing fruit. Southwest--Crop
condition is fair to good. Picking continued to increase with growers
realizing good quality and yield.
PICKLES: West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at
a steady pace. Quality, size, and yield are fair. Volume is increasing.
Dade--Planting is on schedule.
EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Harvesting of regular
and Italian types continued with good quality and color available.
Mid-growth plants are blooming and starting to set fruit. West
Central--Condition remains fair to good. Harvesting is expected to start
over the next seven to ten days. Dade--Crop condition is good. Oldest
plants are blooming. Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Planting
remains light.
ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Harvesting is expected to begin within the
next two weeks.
LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting is expected to start within the next two
weeks.
OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good. Cutting continued with good quality and
yield available.
PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition of Bell types remains fair to good. Specialty
varieties are in good condition. Planting remains steady. Bell harvest is
producing fair to good quality and light yield. Picking of specialty types
is producing good quality and yield. East Coast--Recent strong winds dried
the tops of some older plants. Young plants are recovering from leaf burn.
Harvesting of Bells is increasing. First picks are providing variable sizes
and quality. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting is
expected to start in about seven to ten days.
POTATOES: Dade_Growers started planting potatoes. Southwest_Planting is
gaining momentum. Plants are starting to come up.
RADISHES: Everglades--Planting and harvesting continued.
SQUASH: East Coast--Picking remains active with zucchini and yellow types
cut. Quality and color are generally good with fancy and mediums available.
West Central--Crop condition is fair. Cutting is gaining momentum. Quality,
size, and color are fair. Volume is light. Southwest--Crop condition
remains fair to good. Planting continues at a steady pace. Picking is
increasing with good quality and yield available. Dade--Crop condition is
rated very good. Planting is on schedule. Harvesting is active with good
quality available. Yield is average.
STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to
good. Transplanting is virtually finished.
TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is rated fair to good. Planting remains
steady. Fruit set improved. Fruit sizing is good. Picking began with fair
to good quality, size, and yield. Packout is slightly above normal due to
cracked shoulders caused by earlier heavy rainfall. Volume is expected to
increase as more acreage reaches maturity. Quincy--Harvesting continued
with some growers making first picks. Volume continues to increase. Cooler
temperatures have delayed some fruit maturation. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop
condition is fair to good. Fruit setting is nearing the end. Fruit sizing
is fair. Picking is gaining momentum. Fruit quality is fair to good. Sizes
are variable. Yield is below usual. East Coast--Crop condition is fair to
mostly good. Gusty wind during the early part of the week caused some bloom
loss and scarred some young fruit. Transplanting remained active. Picking
started with variable quality and sizes available. Dade--Crop condition is
rated very good. Cooler temperatures are boosting plant growth. Planting
increased. Workers irrigated as needed.
CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is rated fair to good. Picking
increased with fair to good quality available. Yield is below normal.
Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting remained steady.
Harvesting started with good quality available.
PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to good.
Harvesting gained momentum. Quality, sizes, and color are fair to good.
Yield is below average. Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting
remained steady. Picking began with good quality available.
WATERMELONS: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting
gained momentum. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are small to medium. Yield
is below normal. Volume is expected to increase as more acreage reaches
maturity. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Cutting is steady with
good quality available. Yield is below normal.
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