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VEGETABLE REPORT

April 2009

Seasonal
No. 984-2-09

STORAGE ONIONS

New York growers intend to plant 10,500 acres in 2009, 100 less than 2008 final acreage.  U.S. storage planted area is 110,020 acres, up slightly from 2008.  California acreage, which is primarily dehydrated or otherwise processed, is up 3 percent from last year.  Despite concerns with water availability during planting, good growing conditions are currently being reported.  In Colorado, labor shortages are a major concern.  In Idaho, water availability is not a concern.  In Oregon, spring conditions have been colder than normal throughout the state.

ONIONS:  Area Planted by Season, State, and United States, 2007-2009

Season and State

Acres Planted

2007

2008

2009
 

Acres
   

  Spring 1/

33,000

31,200

29,500
       

  Summer 1/

    

    Non-storage

      

        CA

8,000

7,800

6,000

        NV

2,800

2,600

2,500

        NM

7,300

7,000

5,000

        TX

1,100

800

700

        WA 2/

1,500

1,900

2,000
       

        Total

20,700

20,100

16,200
       

    Storage

      

        CA 3/

30,000

32,500

33,500

        CO

9,000

8,000

7,000

        ID

9,300

8,800

8,700

        MI

3,900

4,000

4,000

        NY

11,200

10,600

10,500

        OR

      

      Malheur

12,600

12,400

12,200

          Other

10,300

9,600

9,300

        WA

22,500

20,000

21,000

        WI

2,200

1,900

1,900
       

        Other States 4/

2,180

1,690

1,920
       

        Total

113,180

109,490

110,020
       

        Total Summer

133,880

129,590

126,220
       

  U.S.

166,880

160,790

155,720
       

1/  Primarily fresh market.
2/  Includes Walla Walla and other non-storage onions.
3/  Primarily dehydrated and other processing.
4/  OH and UT.

SPRING ONIONS:   

Producers intend to harvest 27,400 acres, down 4 percent from last year.  In California, the spring onion crop is in good condition.  In Georgia, precipitation during the winter months was near normal.  Heading into spring the State had adequate moisture levels.  The crop is doing well and disease problems are minimal.  Harvest should begin around mid-April.

 

STRAWBERRIES:

Area intended for harvest is forecast at 48,900 acres, up 6 percent from last year.  California's area for harvest is forecast at 39,000 acres, up 4   percent from 2008.  California's strawberry fields are rebounding despite recent rainfall in the state.  Quality of the berry crop is reported to be good. In Florida, planting was complete in Hillsborough County by last October.  Some plantings continued into mid-November. Unseasonably cold temperatures during December hindered some berry development. Fields in central Florida rebounded quickly after freezing temperatures in late January and early February slowed picking. The Oregon crop looks good.

VEGETABLES FOR FRESH MARKET

Crop and State

Area

Yield per acre

Production

Harvested

For Harv
2009

2007

2008

2009

2007

2008

2009

2007

2008
 

Acres

Cwt.

1,000 cwt.

  ONIONS

                  

    Spring 2/

                  

      AZ 3/

1,100

1,500

1,400

450

440

  

495

660

  

CA 3/

6,700

6,500

6,100

450

440

  

3,015

2,860

  

GA

12,000

11,500

11,000

270

320

290

3,240

3,680

3,190

TX

10,400

8,900

8,900

300

270

355

3,120

2,403

3,160
                   

TOTAL

30,200

28,400

27,400

327

338

  

9,870

9,603

  
                   

STRAWBERRIES 2/

                  

CA

35,500

37,600

39,000

605

605

605

21,540

22,675

23,595

FL

6,600

6,900

8,300

320

260

220

2,112

1,794

1,826

OR 3/

1,900

1,600

1,600

130

130

  

247

238

  
                   

Major States

                  

TOTAL

44,000

46,300

48,900

543

534

  

23,899

24,707

  
                   

1/  Primarily fresh market.
2/  Includes fresh market and processing.
3/  First forecast will be published on July 10, 2009.

SNAP BEANS:

U.S. processors contracted to plant 191,350 acres of snap beans, down 6 percent from last year.  Contracted area for freezing, at 60,050 acres, is down 18 percent from 2008.  Contracted area for canning, at 131,300 acres, is up 1 percent from 2008.  Wisconsin's contracted area, at 75,300 acres, is down 7 percent from the previous year.  In Indiana, cool and wet weather delayed planting and field preparation.

GREEN PEAS:

U.S. contract intentions are forecast at 213,500 acres in 2009, down 1 percent from 2008.  Contract intentions for freezing, at 128,700 acres, are 7 percent below last year.  Contracted area for canning, at 84,800 acres, is 9 percent above 2008.  In Minnesota, snow melt was reported throughout the southern portion of the state, however, remaining frost layer prevented melting snow from soaking into the subsoil.

VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING:   Area Planted and Utilization
by State and United States, 2007-2009

 

State
and
Utilization

Area Planted
 

2007
Total

2008

2009 Contract
Intentions 1/
 

Total

Contract 1/
   

Acres
 

SNAP BEANS:

  
 

IL

13,400

12,700

12,700

12,600
 

IN

5,300

5,300

5,300

3,300
 

MI

18,500

15,500

15,500

17,000
 

MN 2/

  

4,900

4,900

7,500
 

NY 2/

  

21,500

21,500

20,100
 

OR

19,100

18,700

18,700

17,900
 

PA

10,900

10,700

10,700

10,900
 

WI

74,000

82,300

80,700

75,300
           
 

Other States 3/ 4/

68,270

35,170

33,200

26,750
           
 

U.S.

209,470

206,770

203,200

191,350
           
 

Canning

132,300

132,630

129,810

131,300
 

Freezing

77,170

74,140

73,390

60,050
           
 

GREEN PEAS:

        
 

DE

5,500

5,600

5,600

5,900
 

MN 2/

75,300

 74,800

 74,800

75,800
 

OR

17,600

18,700

18,700

12,400
 

WA

38,900

41,900

41,900

47,300
 

WI

38,500

40,700

40,700

40,400
           
 

Other States 5/

32,500

34,400

34,400

31,700
           
 

U.S.

208,300

216,100

216,100

213,500
           
 

Canning

80,800

77,500

77,500

84,800
 

Freezing

127,500

138,600

138,600

128,700
           

1/  Includes acreage from major brokers.
2/  Missing data not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
3/  2006 - CA, DE, FL, GA, MD, MN, NJ, NY, NC, TX, and VA
     2007 - CA, DE, FL, GA, MD, 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 2009  Summary, released in January 2010.
5/  2006 - IL, MD, NJ, and NY.
     2007 - IL, MD, NJ, and NY.
     2008 - IL, MD, NJ, and NY.

 


SWEET CORN:

Contract intentions call for 382,150 acres of sweet corn in 2009, up 5 percent from last year.  Contracted area for freezing, at 193,950 acres, is up 4 percent from last year’s total.  Contracted area for canning, at 188,200 acres, is up 6 percent from 2008.  In Minnesota, warm temperatures and precipitation during mid-March helped to melt snow throughout the southern areas of the state, however, remaining frost layer prevented melting snow from soaking into the subsoil

VEGETABLES FOR PROCESSING:   Area Planted and Utilization
by State and United States, 2007-2009

State
and
Utilization

Area Planted

2007

Total

2008

2009 Contract

Intentions 1/

Total

Contract 1/
 

Acres

SWEET CORN

        

        MD 2/

6,300

6,900

6,900

  

        MN

122,100

127,900

127,900

132,400

        OR

21,900

18,700

18,700

24,000

        WA

84,500

68,900

68,900

74,500

        WI

87,600

88,900

88,900

90,700
         
         

        Other States 3/

57,700

59,480

52,500

60,550
         

        U.S.

380,100

370,750

363,800

382,150
         

Canning

180,000

182,200

177,800

188,200

Freezing

200,100

188,550

186,000

193,950
         

1/  Includes acreage from major brokers.
2/  Missing data not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
3/  2007 - DE, ID, IL, IA, NJ, NY, PA, TN and VA.
     2008 - DE, ID, IL, IA, NJ, NY, PA, TN, and VA.
     2009 - DE, ID, IL, IA, MD, NJ, NY, and PA.