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AVOCADOS
                                                          November 12, 2002

    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 continued at
1,050,100 bushels, the largest amount since the 1991-92 season when
1,111,000 bushels were shipped. If realized, it will be 18 percent more
than was shipped last season.

  Estimated shipments through October total 906,700 bushels, the highest
amount for summer shipments on record. Fruit maturity is advanced with good
demand.

  Bearing acres (trees planted in 1998 and earlier) are estimated at 6,000
acres. This is only slightly more than the previous season's 5,900 acres.

CALIFORNIA: Estimated total shipments for the just completed 2001-02 season
are 8,000,000 bushel equivalents. The forecast for the 2002-03 season is
for 8,312,000 bushel equivalents, four percent more than last season but
slightly less than the 2000-01 season.

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

          Season       Shipments       Remaining to       Total
                    through October     be shipped      shipments

                                       Bushels
        Certified:
         1992-93             274,700           9,300       284,000
         1993-94              92,600          82,400       175,000
         1994-95             505,800         273,200       779,000
         1995-96             526,900         217,100       744,000
         1996-97             621,700         296,300       918,000
         1997-98             756,200         181,800       938,000
         1998-99             619,000         272,000       891,000
         1999-00             708,900         134,100       843,000
         2000-01             768,600         236,400     1,005,000
         2001-02             712,500         178,500       891,000
        Estimated:
         2002-03             906,700         143,300     1,050,000



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

                                                        Estimated
        Variety     1999-00     2000-01      2001-02    shipments
                                                       for 2002-03
                                     Bushels 1/
  
        Fuerte      112,000     157,000       80,000        86,000
        Hass      5,773,000   7,737,000    7,440,000     7,676,000
        Other       537,000     553,000      480,000       550,000
        Total     6,422,000   8,447,000    8,000,000     8,312,000

        1/ Pounds converted to bushels at 50 pound equivalents.

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