SOUTH CAROLINA FRUIT PRODUCTION

Columbia, S.C., January 28, 2005: Based on end of season data, SOUTH CAROLINA’S 14,500 bearing acres of peach trees produced 140 million pounds of fruit, down 20 million pounds from last year’s production, according to USDA NASS, South Carolina Statistical Office. The state’s utilized production of 110 million pounds sold for an average of 27.9 cents a pound, resulting in a value of production of $30,623,000.

South Carolina had 1,000 bearing acres of apple trees which produced 6 million pounds of fruit, the same as in 2003, but down from the 9 million pounds in 2002. The value of the 3.0 million pounds of utilized production was $317,000. The low fruit production yield in South Carolina was the result of poor pollination and excessive moisture during this growing season.

U.S. NONCITRUS UTILIZED PRODUCTION

UNITED STATES utilized peach production in 2004 is estimated at 1.23 million tons, up 2 percent from the previous year and 1 percent above 2002. The California crop, accounting for 76 percent of the U.S. utilized peach production, is up 1 percent from 2003. For California, the Clingstone peach estimate is up 7 percent but the Freestone estimate is down 6 percent from 2003.

U. S. utilized apple production for 2004 is estimated at 9.93 billion pounds, up 15 percent from the 2003 level. Utilized production for Washington and New York increased 30 percent and 7 percent, respectively, while Michigan's utilized production decreased 19 percent compared to last year. In Washington, excellent growing conditions allowed production to rebound from the short 2003 crop. Yield potential in Michigan was reduced by a hard freeze during the first week of May. Widespread hail storms in the early Fall further curtailed Michigan production. Heat in California and remnants of the hurricanes in Pennsylvania reduced utilized production from 2003.

NUT PRODUCTION AND VALUE

SOUTH CAROLINA’S 2004 pecan crop had 0.80 million pounds of utilized production with a value of production of $1,420,000, DOWN from $3,669,000 in 2003.

The 2004 UNITED STATES nut production (in-shell basis) is estimated at 1.50 million tons, a 3 percent increase from a year earlier. Pecan production for 2004 is estimated at 90,500 tons, a 36 percent decrease from 2003.

For additional information call:

                             Robert A. Graham, State Director

                             Stan Cheek, Agricultural Statistician