fl-crop-weather

Week ending June 4, 2000
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                               June 5, 2000

WEATHER SUMMARY: Abundant rain fell over the southeastern coast, Dade
County, and some southwestern localities during the week of May 28 through
June 3. A few central Peninsula localities also received welcomed rains.
However, hot and mostly dry conditions continued elsewhere. Homestead
reported over three and a half inches for the week. Tavares recorded about
two and a third inches. West Palm Beach and Miami reported an inch to two
inches. Alachua recorded a little over an inch. Elsewhere, most stations
reported no rain while others reported only traces. Temperatures for the
week averaged one to four degrees above normal at the major stations.
Daytime highs were mostly in the 80s and 90s with Tallahassee reporting at
least one high at 100. Nighttime lows were mostly in the 60s and 70s with
Alachua, Pierson, and Jacksonville recording at least one low in the 50s.
For the month of May, temperatures at the major stations averaged one to
three degrees above normal. Most highs were in the 80s and 90s while most
lows were in the 60s and 70s. There was no measurable rainfall at St.
Petersburg and only traces at Tampa, while almost four inches fell at Ft.
Lauderdale with monthly totals an inch and a third to almost six inches
below normal.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture throughout the State is very short to short
with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Farmers are delaying cotton and
peanut planting due to dry soil. Some fields of cotton and peanuts need to
be replanted. Irrigated tobacco is in good condition. The sugarcane crop is
being irrigated and is in good condition. The corn crop is burning up at a
rapid pace. A large percentage of the dry land corn crop is lost already
and the balance will be lost if no rain comes in the next week. Many of the
irrigation systems are not able to keep up with the demand of the crop
being irrigated. Small grain harvest is virtually complete. Thrips are a
problem in both cotton and peanuts. Very little haying is being done due to
the lack of forage growth. There have been a number of wild fires on the
Peninsula due to the lack of rainfall. Growers reported 83 percent of the
peanuts are planted.

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

                                         Percent
 Very short                64             84            50             71
 Short                     35             15            36             29
 Adequate                   1              1            14              0
 Surplus                    0              0             0              0

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Ranchers in the north and central counties are
feeding supplemental hay. In the Panhan dle, hay supplies are short. In the
northern counties, some cattle are being moved to market because of
grazing/hay shortage. In the central area, most water holes are dry and
some wells are going dry. Pasture grass is extremely short. In the west
central area, the cattle condition continues to fall off. Brush fires are
active. In the southwest, pasture is in fair conditions.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                  Last week      This week     Last week      This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                 45             45            10             10
 Poor                      35             40            40             45
 Fair                      20             15            45             40
 Good                       0              0             5              5
 Excellent                  0              0             0              0

CITRUS: Most of this week was very dry and hot. There were a few scattered
showers in isolated areas that were insufficient to break the current
drought. Sunday, June 4, most areas got rains of varying amounts that were
very helpful. More rain is needed in all areas. Surprisingly, new crop
fruit is making good progress in spite of the arid conditions of the past
several months. Growers and caretakers have been irrigating around the
clock for seven days a week where water is available. Harvest of Valencia
oranges is starting to slow down as some areas are getting picked out.
Grapefruit harvest is limited mostly to the lower east coast as few crops
remain. There are also limited supplies of Honey tangerines.

    Caretakers are mowing, chopping and discing cover crops wherever they
are growing. Herbiciding, fertilizing and spraying continue. Hedging and
topping of harvested groves have been reported in all areas.

                   Estimated boxes harvested week ended
           Crop                May 21          May 28          Jun 4

 Valencia oranges               6,584,000       6,848,000       5,154,000
 All grapefruit                 1,158,000       1,145,000         576,000
 Honey tangerines                  44,000          60,000          23,000

VEGETABLES: The hot, dry conditions are causing poor development of dryland
watermelons with some acreage to be abandoned. Major vegetables available
include sweet corn, peppers, watermelons, okra, potatoes and tomatoes.

SNAP BEANS: West Central--U-Pic harvesting is slowing seasonally.
Southwest, Dade, East Coast--Harvesting is finished.

BLUEBERRIES: North, West Central--Harvesting is nearing completion.

SWEET CORN: North--Picking is active. Quality is good. Zellwood--Picking is
slowing seasonally with harvesting to remain active through mid-June.
Quality is mostly good. Everglades--Harvesting is virtually finished. East
Coast--The season is completed.

CUCUMBERS, Fresh Market: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Growth
and development are normal. Harvesting is winding down. Fruit quality is
fair to good. Dade--Harvest is complete. West Central--Crop condition is
fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is winding down.
Harvest is mostly U-Pics. North Central--Harvest is winding down. East
Coast--Crop remains in fair condition. Fruit is setting and sizing. Harvest
fruit quality and color are mostly good. New blocks provide good quality
and size. Harvest volume is moderate as older fields are picked over and
cleaned up.

PICKLES: Dade--Harvest is complete. West Central--Crop is in fair to good
condition. Growth and development are normal. Harvest is winding down.
Fruit is in fair to good quality. Size is normal. North Central--Harvest is
winding down. The crop is in good condition. Yield and quality are good.

EGGPLANT: North--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good.
Southwest--Condition is fair to good. Cutting is nearing the end. Quality
is fair to good. East Coast--Harvesting continues. Quality is mostly good.
West Central--U-Pic harvesting is slowing seasonally. Dade--Harvesting is
finished.

OKRA: Dade--Rainfall is boosting growth and development. Harvesting
continues. Volume is good. Quality is good. Ample supplies are available
for the next two months.

PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is fair to good. Harvest ing is nearing
the end. Quality is fair to good. East Coast-- Harvesting is slowing
seasonally. Quality is mostly good. West Central--U-Pic harvesting is
slowing seasonally. Quality and color are fair. Sizes are variable.

POTATOES: Other North--Harvesting continues. Quality is good.
Hastings--Harvesting is virtually finished.
SQUASH: Southwest--Harvesting is nearly done. Quality is fair to good.
North--Harvesting of a small volume continues. West Central--U-Pic
harvesting is slowing seasonally. East Coast--Harvesting is virtually done.
Dade--Harvesting is finished.

TOMATOES: Quincy--Harvesting of a limited volume is active. Quality is
mostly good. Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Harvesting is
nearing the end. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Color is fair
with lots of pinks and reds showing in fields left to harvest. East
Coast--Harvesting is active. Quality is mostly good. Dade--The season is
finished. Producers are removing stakes and plastic and planting cover
crops. Rain enabled cover crops to make good stands. Southwest--Harvesting
is finished.

CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--The crop is in fair condition. Harvesting
is nearing the end. Quality is fair. Southwest--Crop condition is fair to
good. Harvesting is slow as the season nears the end. Quality is fair to
good.

PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--The crop is in fair to good condition. Harvesting
is nearly done. Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Condition is
fair. Picking is slow as the season nears the end. Quality and color are
fair to good.

WATERMELONS: North--The drought severely affected dryland acreage with some
acreage to be abandoned. Picking is active with a good volume available.
Sizes are mostly small and medium with a shortage of large sizes available.
Quality is mostly good. West Central--The crop is in fair to good condi
tion. Picking is nearing the end with U-Pic harvesting active. Quality is
fair to good. Sizes are small to medium. Color is good. Southwest--The crop
is in fair condition. Picking is nearing the end. Quality is fair to good.

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