HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending December 15, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M. December 16, 1996 WEATHER SUMMARY: Dry, cool weather provided nearly ideal harvesting conditions during the week of December 8 through 14. Virtually no rain was recorded by most stations with only a trace to about a third inch reported in Miami, Gainesville, Tampa, and most western Panhandle stations. Temperatures averaged one to four degrees below normal in most Peninsula localities and six to seven degrees above usual over the western Panhandle. The passage of a cold front at the beginning of the week dipped overnight temperatures into the 30s with Gainesville and Jacksonville recording lows in the upper 20s. This cold weather caused light frosts in some central Peninsula localities. Dade County recorded an unofficial low of 45 degrees. Lows during the latter part of the week were in the 40s and 50s while most highs were in the 60s and 70s. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is mostly adequate in the Panhandle and northern Peninsula with scattered areas of short moisture. The southern Peninsula moisture is short to adequate. Topsoil moisture condition as reported from very short to surplus (previous week's rating in parentheses): very short 0% (0%), short 34% (39%), adequate 66% (61%), and surplus 0% (0%). Subsoil moisture condition: very short 1% (0%), short 46% (37%), adequate 53% (63%), and surplus 0% (0%). Cotton harvest is virtually complete. Sugarcane harvest and planting are active. Winter wheat and other small grain plantings are virtually complete. Growers are taking soil samples and preparing fields for spring crops. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): poor 15% (10%), fair 50% (40%), and good 35% (50%). Winter pasture in northern counties is growing well, helped by timely rains of the past two weeks. Ranchers are still planting some winter (small grain) pasture. Permanent pasture growth slowed in central counties due to cooler seasonal temperatures. Ranchers are feeding supplemental hay in the north, central, and west central areas. Mole cricket damage to pasture has shown up in the south central area. The State's cattle herds were rated at fair 60% (30%) and good 40% (70%). CITRUS: Monday was the coldest morning of this season in most areas with low temperatures in the mid to upper thirties. There was light, scattered frost in isolated low areas. Dry conditions prevailed all week with many caretakers running their irrigation systems. Most early fruit is in very good condition. The cool temperatures are holding new growth in check. Harvest of early and midseason oranges is very active in all areas with most of these going to processed products. Movement of Navels for promotionals, gift fruit, and general fresh packing and shipping is at the busiest time of the year for this type of fruit. Picking of white and colored grapefruit is increasing for fresh and processed usage. Caretakers are cutting cover crops prior to harvesting and for fire protection. Dirt banking of young trees in cold areas is almost complete. Growers are placing and fueling heaters in isolated areas. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 1 Dec 8 Dec 15 Navel oranges 312,000 691,000 699,000 Early and Mid oranges 4,871,000 8,364,000 8,347,000 All grapefruit 562,000 942,000 1,202,000 Tangerines 204,000 309,000 347,000 Tangelos 107,000 238,000 368,000 VEGETABLES: The volume of crops harvested is nearing the holiday market peak. Picking progress in the Palmetto-Ruskin area is slowing seasonally as activity increases around Immokalee and Homestead. Vegetable volume leaders: tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sweet corn, snap beans, squash, cabbage, strawberries, radishes, carrots. SNAP BEANS: Dade, Everglades--Harvest continued active with good quality and yield being realized. Supplies are good with good volume expected for the rest of the season. Planting is active. East Coast--Condition is rated good. Winter crop planting continued at a slow pace. Harvesting by machine and hand is steady. Good quality and color are available. Yield in a few fields is lower. Workers are discing fields completely picked. West Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvesting for out-of-state and local markets continued with fair to good quality available. Southwest--The crop condition is rated fair to good. Picking remained steady. Quality is good. Yield is fair to good. CABBAGE: Hastings--Planting steady. Crop in good condition. Growth and development normal. Central--Harvest active. West Central--Harvest gaining. Quality and size fair to good. Color good. Yield increasing but slowly. Planting steady. Crop in fair to good condition. Growth and development normal. Cool weather helping development. Dade--Growth and development good. Cabbage heading well with cool weather helping. Planting continues. Irrigation needed. CARROTS: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging is getting underway with light supplies available. SWEET CORN: Everglades--Harvesting continued at a steady pace. Some growers finished fall crop picking. Some fields near Lake Okeechobee will start producing in January. Southwest--The crop is in good condition. Planting continued at a steady pace. Harvesting remains steady with good quality available. Yield is good. Zellwood-- Supply is light as growers complete fall crop picking. Dade--The crop is in good condition. Planting continued. Harvesting of a small quantity for mostly local sales is active. Volume for out-of-state sales is expected to increase by mid to late January. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Initial harvesting is underway with good quality picked. Yields are low. Supplies are expected to increase over the next few weeks. Workers prepared ground for planting. CUCUMBERS: West Central--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Picking continued to decline seasonally. Quality is fair. Sizes are running small and medium. Color is fair to good. Volume is decreasing. East Coast--Crop condition is good. Planting is slow. Harvesting is active. First picks are providing good quality and color. Growers are packing super selects, selects, and 24 count cartons. Growers are cleaning acreage completely picked. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continued at a steady pace. Quality is good. Dade--Pickles are in very good condition. Harvest of a fair volume is active. Quality is good. Supply is expected to increase over the next few weeks. Zellwood--Harvest remains active. EGGPLANT: East Coast--The young crop is in good condition with plants blooming and setting fruit well. Growers are cutting a light to moderate volume of fancy, small fancy, and some choice grades. Quality and color are good. Some light transplanting is active. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking continues to slow seasonally. Quality is fair with mostly small and medium, and a few large sizes available. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is nearing the end. Harvesting continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good. Dade--Condition is good. Cutting is gaining momentum with a light volume available. Quality is good. Sumter County--Picking is active. ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades--Picking is active with good supplies available. Quality is very good. LETTUCE: Everglades--Picking is active. Supplies of Iceberg, Boston, and Bibb are good with good quality available. Supplies of Romaine are increasing. The supply of leaf varieties is light. OKRA: Dade--The crop continued to recover slowly from the earlier windy weather. Harvesting is active with fair quality available. Yield is low but is expected to improve. PEPPERS: Southwest--The condition is rated fair to good. Planting is active. Picking continued at a steady pace with good quality available. Yield is good. East Coast--Harvesting of green Bell crown and limb fruit is active. Initial picks are providing excellent sizes and quality with a light to moderate supply available. Growers continued to harvest a light volume of red Bell, yellow Bell, and specialty varieties. Producers laid plastic and transplanted. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair to good condition with some fruit showing sun and wind damage. Picking continues to increase. Quality and sizes are fair to good. POTATOES: Southwest--Planting winding down. Crop condition good. Growth and development good. Dade--Planting continues. First plantings up and growing well. Fields cultivated and irrigated as needed. West Central--Planting starting. Crop condition good. Growth and development normal. RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting is active with very good quality available. SQUASH: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting and picking continued at a steady pace. Quality is good. West Central--Condition remains fair to good. Picking is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are running small to medium. Color is good. East Coast-- Young acreage is in mostly good condition. Picking is active with a light volume available. Quality and color are good with fancy and some medium grades of zucchini and yellow crooknecks available. Planting of a small acreage is active as growers mow down fields completely picked. Dade--The crop is in good condition. Picking of a good volume remains active. Quality and yield are good. Planting and irrigating continued. Good supplies are available for the rest of the season. Sumter County--Harvesting is active. STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Picking remains active. Supplies are slowly increasing. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is getting underway. Dade--Plants are putting on first blooms. A light volume of U-Pic is expected in late December. TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Planting is steady. Picking continued at a steady pace. Quality is good. Sizes are running mostly extra large and large with some medium sizes available. Grade-out is normal. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good. Picking is increasing. Crown picks are yielding good quality and sizes. Dade--The crop is in very good condition. Transplanting continued. Plant growth is very good. Fruit setting is good. Growers are removing pinks from fields prior to harvesting greens. First picks are yielding very good quality and sizes. Packout is good with most sizes running extra large and large. Supplies are low but are expected to increase by early January. Sumter County--Harvesting is active. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Harvest is slowing seasonally. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are running mostly medium and large with some extra large sizes picked. Growers are preparing ground for spring crop planting which is expected to begin in about three to four weeks. CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--The condition is fair to good. Planting is nearing the end. Picking remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting of a small winter acreage is active. Picking remains steady. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes available. Color is good. PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Planting is slowing seasonally. Harvesting remains steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is nearing the end. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes available. WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Picking is gaining momentum. Quality is good. Yield is fair. Palmetto-Ruskin-- The crop is in fair to good condition. Picking is winding down. Quality is fair to good with small and medium sizes available. Supplies are declining.