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**FLORIDA**![](media/image3.wmf){width="1.2743055555555556in"
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**Vegetable Report**

**January 10, 2006**

Number range CHAPTER**WEATHER:** Storms during the first days of
**October,** remnants of Hurricane Rita, delayed some planting in the
central and southern Peninsula. In the Hastings area, drier conditions
allowed cabbage planting to continue on schedule. Okra cutting continued
throughout the month in Dade County. Pickle harvesting got underway in
the central and southern Peninsula. Tomato harvesting was active all
month around the Quincy area. Drier conditions in some central and
southern Peninsula areas allowed planting and harvesting to stay mostly
on schedule. However, saturated soils in Miami-Dade County delayed some
planting. Snap bean, squash and sweet corn picking got underway by
mid-month with very light amounts available. In St. Johns County, rains
from Tropical Storm Tammy and sea breeze clashes accounted for an
abundance of rain throughout the area, which suspended cabbage planting
until fields dried out a little. The dry weather that followed, coupled
with plenty of sunshine allowed planting to progress on schedule in most
areas. By mid-October, saturated fields from continuous rains in parts
of Dade County delayed fall planting by two weeks. Strawberry
transplanting remained active in the Plant City area. The last week in
October ended with a pause in most planting and harvesting over the
Peninsula due to Hurricane Wilma, which damaged several vegetable fields
across the southern Peninsula as the storm made landfall.

Harvesting was curtailed in many areas across the central and southern
Peninsula due to storm damage or saturated fields. A lack of labor
hindered the salvaging of transplants, which delayed scheduled planting
in some areas. Around Immokalee, some snap beans, sweet corn and
watermelons were at 100 percent loss with only a minimal amount of
squash salvaged. In Manatee County, some fruit from tomato vines and
plants looked wind-whipped but were expected to recover. Growers
continued to plant cabbage in St. Johns County. Producers marketed light
supplies of snap beans, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, peppers, squash,
tomatoes and watermelons.

Dry weather during the first week of **November** around Immokalee and
Homestead helped drain fields saturated by Wilma's rains. However, there
were significant delays in the production of all vegetables for most
southern Peninsula areas. The following crops and areas suffered heavy
damages and losses: okra, sweet corn, snap beans and tomatoes in
Miami-Dade County; most bean fields south of Lake Okeechobee; almost all
sweet corn around Lake Okeechobee; and peppers, watermelons and tomatoes
in the Immokalee area. Producers in areas affected by Wilma continued
salvaging older plants and replanting lost acreage with some activity
hindered by a lack of labor. Very light amounts of sweet corn, snap
beans, watermelons, cucumbers, peppers, squash and eggplant were
available from other central and northern areas with modest amounts of
tomatoes harvested around Quincy and in other central Peninsula
production regions. Producers harvested vegetables while trying to meet
the Thanksgiving Day demand. Drier weather in the central and southern
Peninsula allowed fieldwork to progress at a normal pace and allowed
some saturated fields in the southern Peninsula to drain. Okra
harvesting slowed due to extensive storm damage around the Miami-Dade
County area, but started back up with very light amounts available by
the latter part of November.

Towards the end of November harvesting gained momentum over the central
and southern Peninsula with the volume of cucumbers, peppers and
tomatoes increasing. Tomato picking in the Quincy area was nearly
complete with a reduced volume as temperatures plunged to near freezing,
while tomato harvesting in the central and southern Peninsula areas
increased seasonally. A very light volume of sweet corn was also picked
in northern and central Peninsula localities. Strawberry growers around
Plant City and Dover welcomed cooler temperatures, which enhanced berry
development. Blueberry harvesting got underway.

**December** started with showers in the Immokalee and Palmetto-Ruskin
areas slowing some planting and harvesting, but dry and clear weather
for most areas throughout the rest of December allowed planting and
harvesting to proceed at a normal pace with growers shipping crops for
the holiday market. The harvesting of endive, escarole, Romaine lettuce,
radishes and cabbage started with only very light supplies available. A
very light amount of strawberries were also marketed from the Plant City
and Dover areas, where strawberry picking slowly gained momentum. Other
vegetables available included snap beans, peppers, squash and tomatoes,
and very light amounts of sweet corn, eggplant and okra. Significant
rains in the Hastings area slowed some cabbage cutting. Also, adverse
weather significantly slowed the celery crop around Lake Okeechobee with
no significant amount available until late December. Growers paused to
observe the holidays while cool temperatures slowed some plant
development.

**[Snap Beans]{.smallcaps}:** Area for harvest is forecast at 13,200
acres, up 6 percent from last year and 10 percent above 2004. Some
acreage south of Lake Okeechobee and in the Miami-Dade County area was
replanted after damage from Hurricane Wilma. Mostly mild conditions
since the hurricane have aided crop growth.

**[Cabbage]{.smallcaps}:** Producers hope to cut 5,500 acres, up 500
acres or 10 percent from last year. Hurricane Wilma slowed planting of
the winter crop around Hastings with only minor damage from the storm\'s
wind and rain. Some southern Peninsula acreage was damaged by the
hurricane. Harvesting in other central and southern Peninsula areas
started by the first of December with producers marketing very light
amounts.

**[Sweet Corn]{.smallcaps}:** Harvested area is forecast at 7,200 acres,
8 percent less than last year and 14 percent below 2004. Hurricane Wilma
caused major damage and losses to sweet corn acreage in the Miami-Dade
County area in late October. A few growers righted stalks blown over by
Wilma\'s strong winds in the days following the storm. Mostly mild
conditions since the storm aided replanting and crop growth. Harvesting
began by early October with small amounts available during November and
December.

**[Bell Peppers]{.smallcaps}:** Winter acreage is forecast at 6,200
acres, 2 percent below last year but 2 percent above 2004. Bell peppers
grown in the southern Peninsula suffered significant damage from
Hurricane Wilma in October. Dry weather around Jupiter, Stuart,
Immokalee, and Homestead during November helped drain fields saturated
by Wilma\'s rain. Dry weather continued into December which allowed
planting and harvesting to progress on schedule.

**[Strawberries]{.smallcaps}:** Area harvested is forecast at 7,400
acres, up 100 acres or 1 percent from last year. Preparation for the
winter crop began at the end of September as growers laid plastic and
started transplanting. The strawberry crop received no damage from
Hurricane Wilma at the end of October, at which time 90 percent of the
winter crop had been transplanted. Cool temperatures during November and
December boosted berry development but slowed plant growth. Picking
began by Thanksgiving.

**[Tomatoes]{.smallcaps}:** Winter tomato acreage is forecast at 11,000
acres, down 12 percent from 2005 and 15 percent below 2004. Hurricane
Wilma caused major damage and losses to the tomato crop in the areas of
Immokalee, Jupiter, Stuart, Palmetto-Ruskin, and Miami-Dade during late
October. Mostly mild conditions in November and December aided
replanting and crop growth with acreage planted after the storm reported
in good condition. Growers in the Quincy area extended harvest by almost
two months to help close the gap in supplies from the central and
southern Peninsula. Producers started picking acreage hurt by Wilma in
early January.

**UNITED STATES**

The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables
during the winter quarter is forecast at 183,900 acres. This is 2
percent above 2005 and 3 percent greater than 2004. Acreage increases
for carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, snap beans, spinach, and broccoli
more than offset decreases for tomatoes, sweet corn, celery, bell
pepper, and head lettuce. Strawberry area planted for major States
(California, Florida, and Oregon) in 2006 is forecast at 46,300 acres,
up 4 percent for the same States in 2005 and 6 percent above the same
States in 2004.

**[Cabbage:]{.smallcaps}** Winter acreage for harvest is forecast at
13,900 acres, 10 percent above 2005 and up 11 percent from 2004. The
Texas crop did well early in the season under perfect growing
conditions. Some irrigation was needed as the weather became cool and
dry during crop development. The last week of December brought hot
weather which the crop did not tolerate well.

**[Celery]{.smallcaps}**: The winter celery crop for harvest in
California is forecast at 7,200 acres, down 5 percent from last year and
6 percent below the year before. In Oxnard, the winter celery crop is in
good condition. Minimal flooding and damage from the recent rainfall was
reported.

**[Head Lettuce]{.smallcaps}**: Area for harvest is forecast at 63,000
acres, down 2 percent from last year but 2 percent above the year
before. In Arizona, harvest began two weeks earlier than normal in
November because of above average temperatures during the growing
season. Quality was good during November. In December, crews had to wait
up to six hours on some days to harvest because of ice on the lettuce.
This caused variable quality during December. The California desert
lettuce crop is doing well this season. Harvest began earlier than
usual. Temperatures began to drop the first week of December, which
slowed development and delayed harvest, creating a small supply gap that
caused higher lettuce prices.

+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Selected Fresh  |       |         |         |         |         |
| Market Vegetables  |       |         |         |         |         |
| and                |       |         |         |         |         |
| Strawberri         |       |         |         |         |         |
| es]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
| Area for Harvest   |       |         |         |         |         |
| by Crop, State,    |       |         |         |         |         |
| and                |       |         |         |         |         |
|                    |       |         |         |         |         |
| Total, Winter      |       |         |         |         |         |
| Season, 2004-2005  |       |         |         |         |         |
| and Forecasted     |       |         |         |         |         |
| Area 2006          |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| Selected crops     | Usual | Winter  |         |         | 2006    |
|                    |       | acreage |         |         | area    |
| and States         | ha    |         |         |         |         |
|                    | rvest |         |         |         | for     |
|                    |       |         |         |         | harvest |
|                    | p     |         |         |         |         |
|                    | eriod |         |         |         | as      |
|                    |       |         |         |         | percent |
|                    |       |         |         |         |         |
|                    |       |         |         |         | of 2005 |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
|                    |       | Ha      |         | For     |         |
|                    |       | rvested |         |         |         |
|                    |       |         |         | harvest |         |
|                    |       |         |         |         |         |
|                    |       |         |         | 2006    |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
|                    |       | 2004    | 2005    |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
|                    |       | *Acres* |         |         | *P      |
|                    |       |         |         |         | ercent* |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Snap            |       |         |         |         |         |
| Bea                |       |         |         |         |         |
| ns]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | Ja    | 12,000  | 12,500  | 13,200  | 106     |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Cabba           |       |         |         |         |         |
| ge]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | Ja    | 5,300   | 5,000   | 5,500   | 110     |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Texas            | De    | 7,200   | 7,600   | 8,400   | 111     |
|                    | c-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Total            |       | 12,500  | 12,600  | 13,900  | 110     |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Sweet           |       |         |         |         |         |
| Co                 |       |         |         |         |         |
| rn]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | Ja    | 8,400   | 7,800   | 7,200   | 92      |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Bell            |       |         |         |         |         |
| Pepp               |       |         |         |         |         |
| er]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
| ^1/^               |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | Ja    | 6,100   | 6,300   | 6,200   | 98      |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Tomato          |       |         |         |         |         |
| es]{.smallcaps}:** |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | Ja    | 13,000  | 12,500  | 11,000  | 88      |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Carro           |       |         |         |         |         |
| ts]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > California       | Ja    | 20,000  | 18,000  | 22,000  | 123     |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Texas            | De    | 1,100   | 1,500   | 1,500   | 100     |
|                    | c-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Total            |       | 21,100  | 19,500  | 23,500  | 121     |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Head            |       |         |         |         |         |
| Lettu              |       |         |         |         |         |
| ce]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| >                  | No    | 46,500  | 45,600  | 45,000  | 99      |
|  Arizona\--Western | v-Apr |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > California       | Ja    | 15,000  | 19,000  | 18,000  | 95      |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Total            |       | 61,500  | 64,600  | 63,000  | 98      |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Brocco          |       |         |         |         |         |
| li]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
| ^1/^               |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > California       | Ja    | 26,500  | 26,500  | 27,500  | 104     |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Cauliflow       |       |         |         |         |         |
| er]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
| ^1/^               |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > California       | Ja    | 7,500   | 7,600   | 9,000   | 119     |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Cele            |       |         |         |         |         |
| ry]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
| ^1/^               |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > California       | Ja    | 7,700   | 7,600   | 7,200   | 95      |
|                    | n-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Spina           |       |         |         |         |         |
| ch]{.smallcaps}**: |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Texas            | De    | 2,000   | 2,100   | 2,200   | 105     |
|                    | c-Mar |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **TOTAL OF CROPS   |       |         |         |         |         |
| LISTED**           |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          |       | 44,800  | 44,100  | 43,100  | 98      |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > United States    |       | 138,300 | 139,600 | 183,900 | 132     |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| **[Strawberries]{  |       |         |         |         |         |
| .smallcaps}**:^1/^ |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| > Florida          | De    | 7,100   | 7,300   | 7,400   | 101     |
|                    | c-May |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+
| ^1/^ Includes      |       |         |         |         |         |
| fresh market and   |       |         |         |         |         |
| processing.        |       |         |         |         |         |
+--------------------+-------+---------+---------+---------+---------+