fl crop weather 

Week ending January 10, 1999
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                           January 11, 1999

WEATHER SUMMARY: Freezing temperatures dipped into central and some
southern Peninsula localities early in the week of January 3 through 9. The
low temperatures in Palmetto- Ruskin, Apopka, Pierson, and Dover were in
the mid-to-upper 20s; the low 30s in Immokalee; the mid 30s in Belle Glade
and Ft. Pierce; and the low 40s in Homestead. Temperatures for the week at
the major stations averaged four to nine degrees below normal. Rainfall
ranged from a third to about one and a half inches with most falling as a
cold front passed over the State on January 2 and 3.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the Panhandle is adequate. The
northern Peninsula topsoil moisture is short to adequate with areas of very
short moisture. Moisture in the southern part of the Peninsula is short to
adequate. Growers are completing tobacco bed planting. Sugarcane harvest
and planting are active.

     Moisture              Topsoil                      Subsoil
     Rating        Last week     This week     Last week      This week

                                         Percent
 Very short                 4              1             4              2
 Short                     33             38            18             32
 Adequate                  63             61            75             60
 Surplus                    0              0             3              6

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: The condition of pastures in the north and central
areas was lowered by hard frost. Winter forage looks good in west central
areas. Many areas were generally still dry. Statewide, the condition of
cattle and calves was mostly fair to good.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                  Last week      This week     Last week      This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                 10             10             5              0
 Poor                      10             25             5              5
 Fair                      50             55            55             75
 Good                      30             10            35             20
 Excellent                  0              0             0              0

CITRUS: Monday and Tuesday were the coldest days of this fruit season.
Temperatures were generally in the low thirties and upper twenties except
the lower east coast which was around the mid thirties. Cold pockets and
lowland groves which historically are the coldest recorded the lows. There
was some minimal icing in a little of the fruit but on a statewide basis
there was not much damage. New foliage got burned in some groves with a
flush of growth. Picking crews had one of the busiest weeks of the year
with near ideal conditions. Movement of early and midseason oranges to the
processors was very active this week with some of the juice plants running
around the clock to utilize this large volume of fruit. Fresh fruit packers
are shipping early oranges, white and colored grapefruit, tangerines,
tangelos and Temples.

Caretakers are busy mowing and discing cover crops prior to harvesting and
for fire protection. There are a few sprays and fertilizers being applied.
Abandoned grapefruit groves and dead trees are being pushed and burned.
Resetting is going on in the southern part of the citrus belt.

                   Estimated boxes harvested week ended
             Crop                 Dec 27         Jan 3          Jan 10

 Navel oranges                       134,000        76,000         85,000
 Early & Mid oranges               5,305,000     6,495,000      8,850,000
 All grapefruit                      600,000       801,000      1,134,000
 Tangerines                          146,000       193,000        136,000
 K-Early Citrus Fruit                  1,000         2,000          5,000
 Tangelos                            101,000       111,000        222,000
 Temples                                   0        56,000         33,000

FOLIAGE, FERNS, AND OTHER FLORICULTURE: Most producers provided protection
from the cold through heating and sprinkling water to form ice caps on
plants. Icing damaged some younger growth with most plants expected to
recover. Supplies for the mid-February market may be affected somewhat.

VEGETABLES: The cold temperatures damaged some squash and cucumbers around
Immokalee with tomatoes suffering only minor leaf burn. Mature berries in
the Plant City and Dover area were damaged by the icing of strawberry
plants which saved the immature fruit and the plants. The cool temperatures
slowed plant growth and fruit development in the East Coast region during
the first part of the week. Major crops shipped during the week included
snap beans, cabbage, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole,
lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, pickles, radishes, squash, strawberries,
and tomatoes.

SNAP BEANS: Dade--Condition is good. Harvesting continues. Quality and
yield are good with a good volume available. Planting remains active. East
Coast--Plant growth slowed due the cool temperatures during the first part
of the week. Harvesting of a very light volume continues. Quality is
generally good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Cold
winds burned some leaves. Planting is steady. Picking is winding down.
Quality is fair to good.

CABBAGE: West Central--Harvest is steady. Quality is fair to good. Size is
small to medium and color is good. Cabbage planting is steady. The crop is
in fair to good condition. Crop growth and development are normal.
Hastings--Harvest is steady. Planting is active. The crop is in good
condition. Crop growth and development are normal. No harm from cold
weather. Zellwood--Both red and green are being harvested. Quality is very
good. Dade--Cabbage harvest is starting.

CARROTS: Lake Placid--Harvesting is active with no significant damage from
the cold temperatures.

CELERY: Everglades--Harvesting is active. The crop suffered no significant
damage from the cold.

SWEET CORN: Dade--Young fields are in good condition. Planting continues.
Harvesting is active. Yield and quality are good. Everglades--Harvesting
continues with generally good quality available. East Coast--Crop condition
is generally good. Plant growth and ear development slowed due to the cool
temperatures during the first part of the week. Oldest fields are silking
and tasseling. Growers are fertilizing and cultivating younger acreage.

CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: Southwest--Crop condition is poor to fair with a
significant acreage suffering severe cold damage. Producers are salvaging
some ripe fruit. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Producers are making
final picks of oldest acreage. Planting continues with recent seedings
germinating well. Workers cleaned fields completely picked and ran overhead
irrigation to ensure adequate moisture for young acreage.

PICKLES: Dade--Damage to the crop by the recent inclement weather is
currently being assessed.

EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Fruit set slowed during the
cool temperatures. Cutting of a light volume continued with very good
quality and color available. First picks are providing mostly fancy grades
and a light volume of choice. Dade--Young fields are in good condition.
Cutting remains active. Quality and yield are good. Southwest--Crop
condition is fair to good with plants showing some wind burn. Planting
continues at a very slow pace. Harvesting is steady with fair to good
quality available.

ENDIVE/ESCAROLE: Everglades--Plants suffered some wind burn but will
recover. Harvesting continues with generally good quality available.

LETTUCE: Everglades--The cold caused some leaf burn with plants expected to
recover. Harvesting is active with generally good quality available.

OKRA: Dade--Harvesting of a light supply continues. Yield and quality are
good.

PEPPERS: Southwest--Condition remains fair to good. Some leaves burned in
colder spots with plants expected to recover. Picking remains steady with
fair to good quality available. Planting is active. East Coast--Crop
condition is mostly good. Plant growth and fruit development slowed due to
the cool temperatures. Picking of green and red Bells is active with some
specialty types harvested. Laying of plastic and transplanting are active.
West Central--Commercial harvesting is finished.

POTATOES: Dade--Potato planting is complete. The potato crop looks good.
The dry weather is helping fields dry out after last week's rain.
Southwest--Planting is winding down. The crop is in fair to good condition.
Growth and development are slow to normal. West Central--Planting is
starting to wind down. The crop is in fair to good condition. Growth and
development are slow to normal. Hastings--Planting is starting.

RADISHES: Everglades, Lake Placid--The crop suffered no significant cold
damage. Digging continues with generally good quality available.

SQUASH: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. The cold killed some plants
in colder spots while others show very little damage. Picking continues at
a steady pace with fair to good quality available. Planting remains active.
Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Harvesting is active with good
quality and yield. Growers are replanting fields completely picked. East
Coast-- Cool temperatures slowed plant growth and development during the
first part of the week. Cutting of a very light amount of zucchini is
active. Quality and color are good.

STRAWBERRIES: Plant City, Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is rated fair to
good. Mature berries were damaged by the icing of strawberry plants which
saved the immature fruit and the plants. Harvesting slowed. Dade--U-Pic
harvesting is active. The cooler temperatures are helping plant yield.

TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop suffered very little cold damage with
condition rated fair to good. Fruit set and sizing slowed due to the cold.
Transplanting continues at a steady pace. Harvesting is active with good
quality available. Yield is improving with a good supply of all sizes
available. Gradeout is about normal. Dade--Condition remains good. The cool
weather is aiding fruit set. Picking continues to gain momentum as more
acreage reaches maturity. Fruit quality and sizes are good. Packout is good
with a good volume of all sizes available. East Coast--Crop condition is
fair to mostly good. Wet, cool weather slowed plant growth and fruit
development during the first part of the week with some harvesting and
planting delayed. Fruit sizes are improving on second and third hands.
First picks are yielding good quality and improved sizes. Palmetto-Ruskin--
Condition is fair. Transplanting is slow. Workers are cleaning fall acreage
and laying plastic for spring crop planting.

CHERRY TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting of a
limited acreage continues. Picking is steady. Quality is fair to good.
Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting is winding down.
Quality, size, and color are fair.

PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Planting is
active. Picking continues at a steady pace with fair to good quality
available. Palmetto-Ruskin_Harvesting is virtually finished.

WATERMELONS: Southwest--Planting is underway with condition rated fair to
good.