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AVOCADOS
                                                          February 11, 2003

    Florida Agricultural Statistics Service   |  1222 Woodward Street
               |  Orlando, Florida 32803   |  407 / 648-6013
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FLORIDA: The forecast of avocados for certified shipments is increased to
1,200,000 bushels in this last monthly report of the season. The original
forecast in August 2002 was 1,050,000 bushels. This forecasted amount is 35
percent higher than the 891,000 bushels shipped in the 2001-02 season and
the most harvested since the 1989-90 season when 1,300,000 bushels were
harvested.

  An updated commercial tree census conducted in October 2002 and released
in December indicates continued planting oftrees in Miami-Dade County.
Avocado acreage now totals 6,675, up 6.2 percent from 6,288 acres two years
ago.

CALIFORNIA: Shipments through January 3, 2003 total 604,000 bushel
equivalents, 36 percent less than the 948,000 bushel equivalents of the
previous season to the same date. A larger crop is projected for this
season, 8,312,000 bushel equivalents compared to almost 8,000,000 harvested
in the 2001-02 season.

            FLORIDA: Estimated certified shipments of avocados, 2002-03 season,
                      with comparisons - Season: April 1 - March 31

             Season     Shipments     Remaining to     Total
                     through January   be shipped    shipments

                                      Bushels
  Certified:
            1992-93          274,700         9,300     284,000
            1993-94          165,500         9,500     175,000
            1994-95          762,700        16,300     779,000
            1995-96          731,800        12,200     744,000
            1996-97          887,800        30,200     918,000

            1997-98          935,500         2,500     938,000
            1998-99          876,700        14,300     891,000
            1999-00          838,700         4,300     843,000
            2000-01          992,200        12,800   1,005,000
            2001-02          887,300         3,700     891,000
  Estimated:
            2002-03        1,187,600        12,400   1,200,000


     CALIFORNIA: Estimated avocado shipments, 2002-03 season, with
                 comparisons - Season: November 1 - October 31

                2001-02              2002-03 season

                           Shipments   Remaining   Estimated
      Variety    Total      through      to be       total
               shipments   February 3   shipped    shipments  
                                     
                             Bushels 1/

     Fuerte       80,000       7,000     79,000      86,000
     Hass      7,475,000     525,000  7,151,000   7,676,000
     Other       439,000      72,000    478,000     550,000
     Total     7,994,000     604,000  7,708,000   8,312,000

     1/ Pounds converted to bushels at 50 pound equivalents.

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