mi-press-releases News Release NR-12-61 September 7, 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director Michigan Vegetable Report Snap bean processors contracted 17,800 acres in Michigan for 2012, an increase of 15 percent from last year, according to the Jay Johnson, Director of the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. The estimated production of processing snap beans under contract increased 19 percent to 62,300 tons. Hot and dry weather throughout June and July caused some green beans to abort their flowers, particularly on early plantings, but by early August, plants with mature pods were flowering again. Tomato processors contracted 3,400 acres in Michigan for 2012, a decrease of 100 acres from the previous year. Processing tomato production is forecast at 115,600 tons, up 10 percent from 2011. Tomato planting finished by late June, with staking and tying continuing into early July. By mid-July, tomatoes were bearing fruit, but excessive hot and dry conditions caused fruit to ripen faster than normal. In addition, high soil temperatures under plastic stunted root growth. Cool, cloudy, and wet conditions in early August were expected to cause decreases in fruit quality and yields Michigan's asparagus production totaled 191,000 hundredweight (cwt) in 2012, down 12 percent from the previous year. The area harvested for fresh market and processing was 9,100 acres, down 700 acres from 2011. Yield, at 21 cwt per acre, was down 1 cwt per acre from the previous year. Total value of Michigan's asparagus production was $17.28 million, down less than 1 percent from 2011. Warm weather in March sparked early crop development, but multiple frost events in April followed by hot and dry weather in May and June resulted in lost fields. Asparagus harvest was complete by mid-June in the southwest, but continued through late June in the west central region. Nationally, the 2012 contracted processing vegetable production for the four major processing crops (snap beans, sweet corn, green peas, and tomatoes) is forecast at 17.2 million tons, up 8 percent from last year. Production of processing tomatoes, at 13.5 million tons, is up 9 percent from last year. Snap bean production, at 672,370 tons, is up slightly from last year's production. Sweet corn production, at 2.70 million tons, is up 3 percent from last year. Green pea production, at 350,490 tons, is 19 percent above 2011. Contracted area for harvest of the four major processing vegetable crops, at 955,550 acres, is 5 percent above 2011. At the U.S. level, production of the 2012 asparagus crop is forecast at 759,000 cwt, down 10 percent from 2011. Area harvested, at 25,300 acres, is down 7 percent from last year. Fresh production, at 626,000 cwt, is down 7 percent from 2011. Processed production, at 6,650 tons, is down 22 percent from last year. Michigan's onion growers intend to harvest 2,900 acres of summer storage onions in 2012, down 15 percent from last year. Onion yield was forecast at 310 hundredweight (cwt) per acre, up 70 cwt per acre from last year's final. Total production was forecast at 899,000 cwt, up 10 percent from a year ago. At the U.S. level, growers expect to harvest 99,850 acres of storage onions this year, up 1 percent from last year. Michigan and U.S. vegetable production -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Michigan : United States Commodity :------------------------------------------- : 2011 : 2012 : 2011 : 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Snap beans, contracted for processing......Acres: 15,500 17,800 160,200 160,100 Snap beans, contracted for processing.......Tons: 52,300 62,300 669,075 672,370 Tomatoes, contracted for processing........Acres: 3,500 3,400 266,800 276,900 Tomatoes, contracted for processing.........Tons: 105,000 115,600 12,355,150 13,501,790 Asparagus, dual purpose 1/.................Acres: 9,800 9,100 27,300 25,300 Asparagus, dual purpose 1/.............1,000 Cwt: 216 191 840 759 Onions, summer storage.....................Acres: 3,400 2,900 99,230 99,850 Onions, summer storage.................1,000 Cwt: 816 899 54,800 53,290 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Fresh market and processing.