fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week ending November 14, 2004 Released 4:00 P.M. November 15, 2004 Report Code FL-CW4604 Weather Summary Report Favorable weather conditions existed during the week of November 8 through 14 with minimal traces of rainfall in most localities. Temperatures in the major cities hovered within two degrees of normal with daytime highs in the 70s and 80s. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 40s and 50s with areas in Broward, Dade, and West Palm Beach reporting lows in the 60s. Tallahassee recorded at least one nighttime low in the 30s. Cold fronts crossing from the Panhandle and parts of the Peninsula brought minimal amounts of precipitation, ranging from under a tenth of an inch at several localities to over four inches in Pensacola. No rainfall was recorded at West Palm Beach. Field Crops Report Santa Rosa cotton harvesting is about 75 percent finished while cotton growers in Calhoun County are running behind schedule due to storms. Harvesting of cotton and peanuts is nearing completion in Washington County with growers expecting to finish harvesting within the next two weeks. Growers in Madison County continue to harvest cotton. Statewide, peanut harvesting is 98 percent complete compared with 100 percent completed by this date last year and the five-year average of 99 percent. Sugarcane harvesting remains active in the Everglades area. Some northern producers are making the last cutting of hay for the year. From the Panhandle to the southern Peninsula most topsoil and subsoil moisture is rated short to adequate, with a few areas reporting surplus supplies. Percentage of Peanuts Harvested To Date This year 98% Last year 100% 5 - year average 99% Soil Moisture Chart Topsoil Subsoil Moisture Rating This Last Last This Last Last week week year week week Year Percent Very short 0 1 0 0 0 0 Short 52 23 15 35 17 11 Adequate 47 75 82 64 62 85 Surplus 1 1 3 1 21 4 Vegetable Report Harvesting of fall crops continues to increase moderately over the central and southern Peninsula localities as growers begin to meet the Thanksgiving Day demand. Tomato picking is gaining momentum in the Palmetto-Ruskin, Immokalee and East Coast areas while in the Quincy region tomato picking is decreasing. Light supplies of vegetables and fruit include snap beans, cantaloupes, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, pickles, radishes, squash, and watermelons. Livestock Report Statewide, pasture condition was low due to drought. Seasonal cool nights have slowed warm season forages production dramatically. In the Panhandle and north, winter forage planting continues. However, planting is delayed at some locations as the soil is too dry. Established cool season forages are doing well. In the central areas, pasture condition ranges from poor to good, with most in good condition. In the Southwest, pasture condition ranges from fair to good, with most in fair condition. Statewide, the condition of cattle was fair to good, with most in good condition. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition This Last This Last week week week week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 10 25 0 0 Fair 55 40 25 55 Good 34 30 65 40 Excellent 1 5 10 5 Fruit Report Citrus: Weather conditions were on average cooler than the last three weeks, primarily cooling down towards the beginning of the week and again over the weekend. All weather stations in the citrus producing areas reported small amounts of rainfall, with the most being reported in the northern area at one and a third inches. Rainfall is still needed in the central and southern portions of the State to compensate for the dry weather over the last few weeks. Sizes are continuing to be below normal while fruit maturity levels on early oranges are beginning to advance more quickly than anticipated from earlier indications. Color break is showing on all crops of early tangerines, early oranges, some mids, and grapefruit. Picking of white grapefruit has increased significantly due to the premium prices they are currently bringing. Still only about half of the fresh fruit packing houses are open with only about three processing plants running. Varieties being packed include early oranges (Navels, Ambersweet, and Hamlins), white and colored grapefruit, Fallglo tangerines and small amounts of Sunburst tangerines. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Oct 31 Nov 07 Nov 14 In thousands of 1-3/5 bushel boxes Early & Mid oranges 97 122 160 Navel oranges 80 90 101 Grapefruit 163 293 312 Tangerines 103 137 201 Tangelos 2 3 9 Comments/Contact Information To receive this report via e-mail, log onto http://www.usda.gov/nass/sso-rpts.htm Then click on “Subscribe” (upper right part of screen), then select “Florida Crop-Weather”, enter your name and your e-mail address, then click on “Subscribe”. The report will be sent automatically to your e-mail address each week.