HDR101200019001 FL WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS Week ending June 9, 1996 Released 4:00 P.M.June 10, 1996 WEATHER SUMMARY: Comments on the week's weather and its effect on crop conditions are included in paragraphs below. FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is very short to adequate throughout the State. Rain in some areas has helped but more is needed. Irrigating of field crops is active. Peanuts are 99 percent planted. Cotton and soybean planting continues. Wheat harvest is winding down. Hay cutting is active. Growers are making preparations to start the tobacco harvest. Dry land corn is showing stress in the hot parts of the day. Sugarcane and irrigated tobacco are in good condition. LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of the State's ranges and pastures was rated from very poor to excellent (previous week's rating in parentheses): poor 5% (5%), fair 30% (35%), good 60% (50%), and excellent 5% (10%). The condition of pastures throughout the State is generally improved over last week. Pastures benefited from recent rains. However, more rain is needed, especially in the north Peninsula counties. The State's cattle herds were rated at poor 5% (0%), fair 35% (50%), good 55% (45%), and excellent 5% (5%). CITRUS: Most of Florida's groves are in very good condition. Weather the first half of the week was very hot and dry, but by the weekend there were thunderstorms in all areas of the citrus belt which greatly improved tree condition. Surface soil moisture is generally adequate, however, some caretakers are running low volume irrigation to insure maximum conditions. There continues to be an abundance of new growth on trees of all ages in all areas. New crop fruit is making good progress in most groves. Harvest of Valencia oranges is slowing considerably as supplies are running low in all areas. Movement of grapefruit continues to slow as most groves have been picked. Caretakers are discing, chopping and mowing cover crops. Summer sprays are underway in most groves where the fruit is going to the fresh trade. Some hedging and topping are being done after Valencia and grapefruit harvest. Estimated boxes harvested week ended Crop May 26 Jun 3 Jun 10 1,000 boxes Valencias 5,256 5,603 NA All grapefruit 207 130 NA VEGETABLES VEGETABLES: Typical summer weather of scattered afternoon showers and high temperatures prevailed over most vegetable areas. Temperatures ranged from the 70s to the 80s and 90s over most of the state. Rain totaled from a trace to about two inches in the Palmetto-Ruskin region. Variable amounts fell over other areas with some localities around Lake Okeechobee receiving an unofficial amount of at least 4 inches during one afternoon of storms. Market News Service preliminary rail and truck shipments (in 10,000 pound units) for the weeks ending June 8, 1, and May 25 were 19,446; 23,498; 24,703, respectively. Shipments for individual crops are shown below in the same order and units. SNAP BEANS: (16; 81; 186) North--Picking slowing seasonally. Supply decreasing. West Central--U-Pic harvesting active. Everglades--Picking virtually finished. Dade, East Coast, Southwest--Season finished. BLUEBERRIES: (17; 13; 19) North--Picking slowing seasonally. Supply declining. Quality mostly good. Central--Picking over. CABBAGE: (48; 45; 144) North--Season near end. West Central--Condition fair to good. Harvest virtually complete. Quality fair to good. Size good. Southwest, Dade--Harvest is complete. CARROTS: (35; 17; 16) Central--Season virtually finished with only very light supply remaining. CELERY: (134; 159; 141) Central--Harvesting nearly finished with only very limited volume remaining. Quality mostly good. SWEET CORN: (1,943; 2,029; 3,115) North--Harvesting started. Quality good. Zellwood--Picking active. Good supply available. Quality good. Everglades--Season virtually over. Southwest, East Coast, Dade--Season completed. CUCUMBERS: (662; 968; 1,444) North--Harvest continuing. Quality mostly good. West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking continuing. Quality fair to good. Most production harvested for local sales. Southwest, East Coast, Dade--Season finished. Zellwood--Pickle harvesting active. Steady supply available. FLORIDA VEGETABLES Page 2 June 10, 1996 EGGPLANT: (162; 118; 139) North--Harvest active. Light volume available. Quality generally good. West Central--Crop condition rated fair to good. Most pickings sold for local market. East Coast--Growers wound up harvest with fancy, large fancy, some choice grades cut. Quality, color were good. Season completed. Southwest, Dade--Harvesting over. OKRA: (31; 44; 36) Dade--Crop in good condition. Harvest increasing. PEPPERS: (903; 1,110; 1,314) North--Harvesting continuing. Quality variable but mostly good. Sumter County--Harvest very active. West Central--Crop condition fair. Picking slowing seasonally. Quality fair. Sizes variable. East Coast--Growers finished up spring crop picking with mostly good quality fruit harvested. Workers cleaning fields. Southwest, Dade--Harvesting finished. POTATOES: (4,966; 6,414, 5,244) Hastings, North--Harvest continues. Steady supply available. Crop in fair to good condition. Quality generally good. Dade, Southwest, Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvest over. RADISHES: (9; 30; 58) Central--Light supply available as season nears end. Quality mostly good. Everglades--Digging over. SQUASH: (80; 163; 272) North--Harvest continuing. Light supply available. West Central--Crop condition rated fair to good. U-Pic harvesting continuing. Quality, size fair . Dade, Southwest, East Coast, Sumter County--Harvesting finished. TOMATOES: (3,927; 4,631; 4,278) Gadsden County--Light volume available as season gets underway. Quality mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Harvest slowing. Most growers getting 2 picks. Most 3rd picks considered scrapping. Quality fair to good. Sizes variable. Yield, packout fair. Steady spraying keeping disease, insects under control. East Coast--Commercial picking completed early in the week. Dade, Southwest--All harvesting finished. CHERRY TOMATOES: (91; 139; 118) Gadsden County--Harvest increasing. Quality mostly good. West Central--Crop in fair condition. Harvest slowing seasonally. Quality fair to good. Sizes, color fair. Southwest--Picking over. PLUM TOMATOES: (Shipments included with round varieties of tomatoes) Gadsden County--Picking gaining momentum. West Central--Crop in fair to good condition. Picking winding down. Quality, size good. Southwest--Season finished. WATERMELONS: (6,299; 7,180; 7,949) North--Picking increasing seasonally. Quality fair to good. West Central--Crop condition rated fair to good. Harvest slowing. Good volume available over next 2 weeks. Quality fair to good. Sizes variable. Yield good. Southwest--Harvesting nearing end. Light supply available. Quality fair to good. Sumter County--Cutting increasing seasonally. Quality fair to good.