fl-crop-weather State Florida Crop Weather Week Ending/Released Dates Week ending January 02, 2005 Released 4:00 P.M. January 03, 2005 Report Code FL-CW0105 Weather Summary Report Field work progressed normally due to dry and mostly warm conditions during December 27 through January 1. Most stations recorded no rainfall. Tallahassee received over one inch of rainfall for the week. Fort Lauderdale received the most precipitation with one and half inches. Temperatures for the week hovered around normal to two degrees below normal in the major cities. Daytime highs were in the 60s and 70s. Lows were mostly in the 40s and 50s with the exceptions of a few localities reporting nighttime lows in the 30s. Jacksonville recorded at least one low in the 20s. Field Crops Report Sugarcane harvesting continued in the Everglades area. Dry conditions depleted most soil moisture supplies. Statewide, soil moisture supplies are rated short to mostly adequate. However, due to prior rainfall, some soil moisture is rated surplus for spots of Jackson, Union, Hernando, Osceola and Okeechobee counties. In some coastal areas of the southeastern Peninsula, soil moisture remains very short. Soil Moisture Chart Topsoil Subsoil Moisture Rating This Last Last This Last Last week week year week week Year Percent Very short 1 1 1 1 1 1 Short 34 9 4 29 14 4 Adequate 55 75 50 65 80 50 Surplus 10 15 45 5 5 45 Vegetable Report The warm, dry weather allowed planting and harvesting to proceed at a normal pace with most growers taking a break to welcome in the New Year near the end of the week. Vegetables and noncitrus fruit marketed during the week include snap beans, cabbage, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, peppers, radishes, strawberries, squash, and tomatoes. Livestock Report In the Panhandle and northern areas, pasture condition was poor to good with cool temperatures slowing small grain forage growth. In the central and southwest Peninsula, pasture was poor to fair due to drought. Statewide, condition of the cattle is poor to fair with most cattle in fair condition. Livestock Condition Chart Range Cattle Condition This Last This Last week week week week Percent Very poor 0 0 0 0 Poor 40 30 10 5 Fair 50 55 65 55 Good 10 15 20 35 Excellent 0 0 5 5 Fruit Report Citrus: Very limited rainfall occurred in the citrus producing areas with the most being reported on the east coast at about one-quarter of an inch. Some growers are irrigating in the sand hill groves to maintain surface moisture levels. Limited herbiciding and fertilizing is also taking place. Warmer temperatures prevailed throughout the week, reaching the high 70s during the day, and getting only down to the mid 40s at night. Cover crop control and dead tree removal and replacement continues. Most of the early and mid oranges are going to processing plants, while fresh fruit packing houses are still running early oranges (Navels and Hamlins), white and colored grapefruit, Sunburst tangerines, tangelos and small amounts of Honey tangerines and Temples. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop Dec 19 Dec 26 Jan 2 In thousands of 1-3/5 bushel boxes Early & Mid oranges 5,221 4,004 4,221 Navel oranges 200 61 41 Grapefruit 487 367 346 Tangelos 84 39 80 Sunburst tangerines 235 122 111 Honey tangerines 1 6 20 Temples 0 0 7 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.