fl-crop-weather

Week ending May 24, 1998
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                               May 26, 1998

WEATHER SUMMARY: Some east central localities welcomed rainfall for the
week of May 17 through 23 with Daytona Beach recording a little over a
tenth inch and Orlando reporting about a half inch accumulation.
Jacksonville also recorded a trace of rain. Dade County also received
spotty showers of a trace to a quarter inch. Temperatures remained hot with
the weekly averages mostly two to four degrees above normal. Lows averaged
in the 60s and 70s while highs averaged in the 80s and 90s.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is very short to short
with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Wheat growers have started
harvesting. Dry soil continues to delay cotton, peanut, and soybean
planting in most areas. Dry weather is slowing forage development in most
areas. Seventy-eight percent of the peanuts are planted. Peanut condition:
very poor 3%, poor 14%, fair 57%, good 24%, and excellent 2%. Sugarcane
growth is normal. Field preparations for spring planted crops are active.

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

                                         Percent
 Very short                37            56             13             28
 Short                     62            44             44             50
 Adequate                   1             0             43             22
 Surplus                    0             0              0              0

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Pasture conditions throughout the State were poor
to fair. Hay was being fed in the north, if available. In the central area,
pastures were stressed because of so little rain. Permanent pastures were
in poor condition due to drought. In the west central area, pasture growth
was at a standstill due to drought. There have been brush fires in the
southwest area due to the dry conditions. There was very little pasture
grass growth. Pastures are running short of water as no rain has fallen
there in the past 3-4 weeks. Statewide, the cattle condition continues fair
to poor.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                 Last week      This week     Last week       This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                10              5             5               5
 Poor                     30             50            10               5
 Fair                     45             45            60              60
 Good                     15              0            25              30
 Excellent                 0              0             0               0

CITRUS: It was very hot and dry again this week in all areas of Florida's
citrus belt. Growers and caretakers are using all types of irrigation
equipment around the clock to try to keep their trees in good condition.
Many groves that are not irrigated are wilting and showing varying degrees
of stress. Droppage of little green fruit varies depending on general grove
care and post bloom fruit drop (blight). Some shedding of the little green
fruit is normal at this time. New growth is limited to some trees that have
had excellent care. Valencia harvest continues active in all areas. Harvest
of all seedless grapefruit is slowing as many fresh fruit packing houses
have closed for the season. The extreme dry conditions are causing some
softening of fruit remaining to be picked. Virtually all fruit being
harvested at this time is going to the processors. Caretakers are cutting
cover crops, spraying and fertilizing.
                    Estimated boxes harvested week ended

           Crop                May 10         May 17          May 25

 Valencia oranges               7,531,000      6,219,000        6,731,000
 All grapefruit                   985,000        800,000          665,000
 Honey tangerines                   9,000          7,000            2,000

VEGETABLES: Tomato growers in southern areas took a harvesting holiday at
the end of the week with none picked on May 23 and 24. Growers in Manatee
County are taking special measures for the harvesting of tomatoes due to
the Medfly quarantine with only green tomatoes allowed to be marketed from
quarantined fields. Major crops shipped during the week include snap beans,
blueberries, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant,
endive, escarole, okra, parsley, peppers, potatoes, radishes, squash,
tomatoes, and watermelons.

SNAP BEANS: North--Picking remains active. Quality is mostly good.
Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is winding
down. Quality is fair to good. West Central--Condition is fair to good.
U-Pic harvesting is slowing. Quality is fair to good. Zellwood--Harvesting
of a small acreage continues. Quality is mostly good. East Coast--Condition
is mostly good. Harvesting of a small acreage is slowing seasonally with
hand picks yielding good quality and color. Dade--Picking for local sales
is active. Everglades--The season is virtually over.

BLUEBERRIES: West Central, North--Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Quality
is mostly good.

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CABBAGE: Dade--Harvest is complete. West Central--Harvest is winding down.
Crop condition is fair. Growth and development are normal. Head quality and
size are variable. Central, Hastings-- Harvest is active. Head size and
quality are close to normal. Growth and development are normal.

CARROTS: Zellwood--Harvesting continues. Quality is generally good.

CELERY: Zellwood--Picking continues with good quality available.
Everglades--Harvesting is virtually over.

SWEET CORN: Everglades, Zellwood--Picking continues. Quality is mostly
good. Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is slowing as the
season nears the end. Quality is good. East Coast--Growers continue to pull
a small amount for local sales. Dade--Harvesting is finished for the
season. Growers are clearing fields and planting cover crops.

CUCUMBERS: North--Picking continues. Quality is mostly good. West
Central--Condition is fair to good with hot temperatures affecting plant
growth and fruit development. Picking of wax types is steady. Quality is
fair to good with super select and select sizes available. Color is good.
Harvesting of pickles is yielding good quality. East Coast--Crop condition
is fair to good. Producers continue to make only the first and second picks
from some blocks due to the low market. Volume is mostly moderate. Quality
and color are good. Only a limited acreage remains to be harvested.
Southwest-- Condition is fair to good. Harvesting is steady. Quality is
fair to good. Dade--Pickle picking is producing good quality and yield.
Volume is fair. Growers are harvesting a small acreage of wax types.
Quality and yield are good. Zellwood--Picking continues. Quality is mostly
good.

EGGPLANT: East Coast--Crop condition is good. Producers are making first,
second, and third picks with crop picks yielding good quality, color, and
sizes. Fancy and medium grades are available. Cutting of strings and the
removal of stakes and plastic from acreage completely picked remains
active. Southwest--Condition is fair. Harvesting continues to decline
seasonally. Quality is good. West Central--Harvesting is virtually
finished. Dade--Growers continue to harvest for mostly local sales.

ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Everglades, Zellwood--Harvesting continues to slow
seasonally with hot temperatures affecting growth. Quality is generally
good.

LETTUCE: Everglades, Zellwood--The season is virtually over as hot
temperatures affect plant growth.

OKRA: Dade--Crop condition is good. Harvesting is increasing seasonally.
Quality and yield continue to improve with a fair supply available. Growers
are irrigating as needed.

PEPPERS: West Central--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting is
steady. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are medium and large.
Southwest--Crop condition is rated fair to good. Harvesting is slowing
seasonally. Quality is fair to good. East Coast--Crop condition is rated
fair to good. Crown picks are yielding very good quality and good sizes.
Limb picks are producing variable quality and sizes. The clean up of
acreage completely picked continues.

POTATOES: Southwest, Dade, West Central--Potato harvest is complete.
Hastings--Potato harvest is active. The crop is in fair to good condition.
Growth and development are slow to normal.

RADISHES: Zellwood--Harvesting remains active. Quality is generally good.

SQUASH: North--Picking continues. Quality is generally good. West
Central--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking continues at a steady
pace. Quality of soft types is fair to good with variable sizes available.
Acorn quality and sizes are good. East Coast--Crop condition is mostly
good. Hot temperatures are increasing fruit set and sizing but are
affecting plant growth with

condition rated fair to good. Cutting of fancy and medium grades
is active. Quality and color are good. Southwest--The crop is in fair to
good condition. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is fair to good.
Dade--Picking for local sales remains active. Growers disced some acreage
due to the low market.

STRAWBERRIES: Dade--Only a limited acreage remains open to U-Pic
harvesting.

TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking is
mostly steady. Fruit quality is fair to mostly good with good sizes
available. A Medfly quarantine started the week beginning Sunday May 24
with only green tomatoes allowed to be marketed from quarantined fields.
East Coast--Crop condition is mostly good with hot temperatures and dry
conditions affecting plant development. Harvesting of a light to moderate
volume is active. Crown picks are yielding good sizes and quality.
Southwest--The season is nearing the end with a very light volume being
picked. Sizes are mostly large and medium. Quality is fair to good.
Dade--Harvesting is nearly finished with only pinhooking still in progress.
Quincy--Condition is good. Packing houses will start opening over the next
ten days.

CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting
continues with some delays due to the low market. Quality is fair to good.
Sizes and color are good.

PLUM TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking
continues at a steady pace. Quality is fair to good with normal sizes and
good color available. Volume is steady. Southwest--Crop condition is fair.
Picking continues to slow. Quality is fair.

WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Harvesting remains
steady. Quality is good. Central--Picking continues to gain momentum as
more acreage reaches maturation. Quality is good. North--Vines are healthy.
Some fields show damage from last month's wind borne sand. Some acreage has
football sized fruit. Growers are irrigating as needed.