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VEGETABLE REPORT
September 2008

Seasonal
No. 984-4-8

U.S. CONTRACTED PROCESSING PRODUCTION
DOWN 2 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR

The 2008 contracted processing vegetable production for the four major processing crops (snap beans, sweet corn, green peas, and tomatoes) is forecast at 16.3 million tons, down 2 percent from last year.  Production of processing tomatoes, at 12.1 million tons, is 3 percent below 2007.  Snap bean production, at 769,760 tons, is up 2 percent from last year’s production.  Sweet corn production, at 2.99 million tons, is up 3 percent from last year, and green pea production, at 426,830 tons, is 2 percent below 2007.  Contracted area for harvest of the four major processing vegetable crops, at 1.07 million acres, is 1 percent below 2007.

Sweet Corn:  Contracted sweet corn production is forecast at 2.99 million tons, up 3 percent from last year.  An increase of 3 percent in contracted harvested area is accompanied by a decline in yield of 0.01 ton per acre from 2007.  In Minnesota, cold and wet conditions delayed field work in early April.  Harvest was 22 percent complete as of August 15.  In Washington, conditions have been mostly hot and dry throughout the summer.  Water supplies are adequate and the crop is reported to be mostly average to above average.  Oregon's harvest was delayed due to unseasonably cool and wet conditions during the growing season.  In Maryland, harvest of the sweet corn crop was 71 percent complete as of August 18.

 

 SWEET CORN FOR PROCESSING:   Area Harvested, Yield, and Production
by State, and United States, 2006-2007 and Forecasted 2008

State

Area Harvested

Yield per Acre

Production

2006
Total

2007

2008
Contract 1

2006
Total

2007
Total

2008
Contract 1

2006
Total

2007

2008
Contract 1

Total

Contract 1

Total

Contract 1
 

Acres

Acres

Acres

Acres

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons
                       

DE 2

4,600

      

  5.30

    

24,380

      

MD

6,300

6,300

6,300

6,400

  5.60

  8.40

  6.50

35,280

52,920

52,920

41,600

MN

131,600

120,500

120,500

121,800

  7.33

  6.60

  6.90

964,710

794,850

794,850

840,420

NY 2

17,200

      

  6.70

    

115,240

      

OR

26,000

21,900

21,900

20,500

  9.58

  9.69

  9.90

249,160

212,240

212,240

202,950

WA

79,200

82,500

82,500

82,200

10.18

10.36

10.20

806,140

854,310

854,310

838,440

WI

82,800

83,000

83,000

91,300

  7.38

  6.97

  7.10

611,260

578,720

578,720

648,230
                       

Other
States 3

37,000

53,400

53,400

57,300

  7.55

  7.57

  7.27

279,380

404,390

404,390

416,320
                       

US

384,700

367,600

367,600

379,500

  8.02

  7.88

  7.87

3,085,550

2,897,430

2,897,430

2,987,960
                       

1 Includes acreage from major brokers.
2 Estimates not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
3 2006 - ID, IL, IA, NJ, TN and VA.
   2007 - DE, ID, IL, IA, NJ, PA, TN and VA.
   2008 - DE, ID, IL, IA, NJ, NY, PA, TN, and VA.

 
  

Snap Beans:  Contracted production of snap beans is forecast at 769,760 tons, up 2 percent from last year.  Contracted harvested area is down 6 percent, but yield is up 0.33 tons per acre.  In Oregon, harvest was delayed due to cool and wet conditions.  Cool temperatures in April and May hindered crop development.  The snap bean crop is reported to be in fair to good condition with no disease or insect problems reported.  In Michigan, cool, soil temperatures hampered early planted snap beans.  However, later plantings emerged in good condition by mid-June.  The crop was in full swing by the end of June.  Early crop harvest began in mid-July under normal conditions in most areas of the State.  Minimal rainfall during August led to many fields being irrigated.  In Illinois, planting was delayed due to limited rainfall across the State.  In Indiana, the snap bean crop is reported to be in fair to good condition.  In Minnesota, field preparation was delayed due to cold and wet conditions in early April.

 

 SNAP BEANS FOR PROCESSING:   Area Harvested, Yield, and Production
by State, and United States, 2006-2007 and Forecasted 2008

State

Area Harvested

Yield per Acre

Production

2006

Total

2007

2008
Contract 1

2006
Total

2007
Total

2008
Contract 1

2006
Total

2007

2008
Contract 1

Total

Contract 1

Total

Contract 1
 

Acres

Acres

Acres

Acres

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons

Tons
                       

FL 2

3,300

      

3.47

    

11,460

      

IL

14,800

12,300

11,600

14,100

3.82

4.65

4.14

56,580

57,140

53,430

58,370

IN

5,300

5,000

5,000

6,700

3.18

3.15

2.28

16,860

15,770

15,770

15,280

MI

18,100

22,800

22,800

12,700

3.65

3.45

4.25

66,030

78,620

78,620

53,980

MN 2

      

4,600

    

3.55

      

16,330

NY 2

19,900

      

3.71

    

73,730

      

OR

18,800

19,100

19,100

17,500

4.95

6.02

6.40

92,970

115,010

115,010

112,000

PA

10,800

10,800

9,700

10,800

3.01

3.07

3.60

32,480

33,170

29,600

38,880

WI

70,900

69,900

68,600

73,300

4.19

3.79

4.00

297,030

264,910

259,810

293,200
                       

Oth

Sts 3 4

41,340

62,670

61,100

47,050

3.36

3.24

3.86

138,810

203,150

198,850

181,720
                       

US

203,240

202,570

197,900

186,750

3.87

3.79

4.12

785,950

767,770

751,090

769,760
                       

1  Includes acreage from major brokers.
2  Estimates not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
3   2006 - CA, DE, GA, MD, MN, NJ, NC, TX, and VA.
     2007 - CA, DE, FL, GA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, NC, TX, and VA.
     2008 - CA, DE, FL, GA, MD, NJ, NY, NC, TX, and VA.
4  Seasonal forecasts for AR and MO are not available.  Estimates to be published in the Vegetables 2008 Summary, released January 2009.