FLORIDA WEEKLY WEATHER-CROP NEWS

Week ending December 14, 1997
                             Released 4:00 P.M.
                                                          December 15, 1997

WEATHER SUMMARY: Rains arrived in northern and central areas during the
first part of the week of December 7 through 13. The cold front that
brought the rains slowly moved over the Peninsula with most localities
receiving some rainfall by the end of the week. Cooler, windy weather
followed as the front cleared the Peninsula. Palmetto-Ruskin reported
rainfall totaled from five to twelve inches through Saturday. Plant City
reported that nine inches fell from Wednesday through Sunday, December 14.
East central localities recorded from two and a half to almost twelve
inches through Sunday. Dade County reported two inches fell Saturday and
another one inch fell on Sunday after a week of mostly clear, sunny days.
Southwestern localities had cloudy but dry weather until Thursday. Official
weather stations showed the following rain totals through Saturday:
Jacksonville, about six inches; Tampa, almost seven inches; Orlando, almost
five inches; Daytona Beach, almost four inches; West Palm Beach, about an
inch and a half; and Miami, about an inch. Rivers were nearing flood stage
at the end of the week in some western Peninsula counties. Most
temperatures for the week averaged normal to two degrees above. Lows
averaged in the upper 40s to upper 60s, while most highs averaged in the
60s and 70s.

FIELD CROPS: Topsoil moisture is adequate to surplus in the Panhandle and
northern and Central Peninsula. Southern Peninsula moisture is adequate.
Completion of cotton harvest has been delayed by wet field conditions.
Sugarcane planting and harvest are active. Winter wheat planting is
complete.

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

                                         Percent
 Very short                 0             0              0              0
 Short                      7             0              5             13
 Adequate                  78            74             71             62
 Surplus                   15            26             24             25

LIVESTOCK AND PASTURES: Growth of fall-seeded small grain pasture was good.
Many pastures in the Panhandle and the central and southern areas have
standing water due to recent heavy rains. Supplemental feeding of cattle
picked up in the Panhandle and northern counties. The condition of the
cattle was fair to good.

                           Range                        Cattle
   Condition
                 Last week      This week     Last week       This week
                                         Percent
 Very poor                 0              0             0               0
 Poor                      5              5             0               0
 Fair                     45             55            15              45
 Good                     40             40            75              50
 Excellent                10              0            10               5

CITRUS: Rain, rain and more rain. The upper interior and the west coast
were inundated with continuous showers this week. The southern and central
areas had scattered rains until the weekend when they also were soaked. The
west coast northwest to Orlando was hit with rains all week and some
counties were recording record rains for the month of December and we are
only half through the month. Harvest for both fresh and processed uses were
greatly reduced this week in those counties that had the most rain. Many
picking crews in the drier areas worked long days and overtime to keep the
juice plants supplied with fruit for continuous running.
    Caretakers have been active discing, chopping, and mowing cover crops.
A little hedging and topping were reported this week in the southern
district. Sprays and fertilizer applications are limited at this time. Some
young trees in the coldest areas have been banked with dirt for cold
protection. A few heaters have been placed and fueled in northern groves.

                    Estimated boxes harvested week ended

             Crop                 Nov 30         Dec 7         Dec 14

 Navel oranges                      244,000        628,000        682,000
 Early & Mid oranges              6,447,000      7,785,000      8,274,000
 All grapefruit                     650,000      1,016,000      1,002,000
 Tangerines                         245,000        249,000        267,000
 K-Early Citrus Fruit                 1,000          1,000              0
 Tangelos                           116,000        228,000        250,000

VEGETABLES: Growers are increasing most harvesting to meet the demand for
the end of year holidays. The abundant rain during the week flooded some
fields around Palmetto-Ruskin and in the Everglades area of Dade County.
Quality of some crops may be reduced because of the rain with full effects
currently being assessed. Vegetables marketed during the week include snap
beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, sweet corn, cucumbers,
eggplant, endive, escarole, lettuce, okra, parsley, peppers, radishes,
squash, Chinese cabbage, strawberries, tomatoes, and watermelons.

SNAP BEANS: Dade--Condition is very good. Planting remains active. Picking
continues to produce good yield and quality. Volume is increasing
seasonally with maximum amounts expected for January through March. East
Coast--Crop condition remains good. Growers continue to pick a moderate
volume by machine and hand. Quality is good. Color is good to excellent.
Southwest-- Crop condition is good. Planting and picking are making steady
progress. Quality is good. Everglades--Harvesting is active. East
Central--Recent rainfall significantly reduced fall yield. West
Central--Picking is virtually finished.

CABBAGE: Dade--Cabbage fields were good with cool weather helping. Harvest
to start in mid-December. West Central-- Planting is steady. Crop condition
is fair to good. Growth and development are normal. Harvest slowed due to
weather. Head quality fair to good and size medium to small. Central,
Hastings-- Planting is active. Crop conditions are normal. Growth and
development are normal. Harvest slowed by wet weather. Quality is mostly
good. Hastings' harvest is starting. Everglades--Harvest is getting
underway.

CARROTS: Zellwood--Condition remains very good. Harvesting is gaining
momentum.

SWEET CORN: Everglades--Picking is steady. Yields are above average.
Quality is mostly good. Harvesting will continue through January due to
late planting. Southwest--The crop remains in good condition. Picking is
steady. Quality and yield are good. Dade-- The crop is in very good
condition. Older fields are starting to tassel. Condition of some young
plants in low lying areas was reduced by the rain with most expected to
recover. East Coast-- Crop condition is good. Young plants are making good
stands. Older acreage is silking with picking expected to begin within the
next few days in the oldest fields. Cultivation and fertilization continue.
Zellwood--Picking is finished.

CUCUMBERS: East Coast--Condition is good. Fruit is setting and sizing well.
First picks are providing good quality and color. Volume from all picks is
moderate with super select, select, and a few smalls available. Workers are
mowing and cleaning acreage completely picked. Southwest--Crop condition is
fair to good. Harvesting is winding down. Quality is good. Planting is
virtually complete. West Central--Crop condition is fair. Harvesting is
winding down. Quality is fair to good. Sizes are variable. Yield is below
average. Dade--Pickle picking is steady with good volume and quality.
Zellwood--Pickle harvesting is steady. Quality is good.

EGGPLANT: East Coast--Condition is rated very good. Fruit set and sizing
are good. First cuts are yielding excellent quality and color. All picks
are producing a mostly light volume of fancy, a few large, and a very few
choice grades. Southwest--Condition is good. Planting is winding down.
Harvesting is steady. Quality is good. Dade--Cutting is underway with good
quality and yield available. West Central--Condition is fair. Cutting is
winding down with some activity slowed by the rain. Quality is fair to
good. Sizes are mostly medium. North--Cutting is virtually finished.

ESCAROLE/ENDIVE: Zellwood, Everglades--Harvesting continues. Quality is
mostly good.

LETTUCE: Everglades--Harvesting of Romaine, head, and leaf varieties
continues. Quality is good with good volume for most types available.
Zellwood--Harvesting continues. Quality is mostly good.

OKRA: Dade--Harvesting of a low volume continues. Quality and yield are
good.

PEPPERS: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Planting and harvesting are
steady. Quality and yield are good. West Central-- Condition is fair to
good. Harvesting continues with some activity slowed by the rainfall. Some
growers have finished picking of the fall crop. Quality, size, and color
are fair to good. East Coast-- Condition is good. Crown picks of green
Bells are producing very good quality and sizes with limb picks yielding
good quality and sizes. Volume is moderate to heavy. Volume of red Bells
picked is light to moderate with good quality available. Quality of
cubanelles, Hungarian wax, jalapeno, and other hot varieties is good.
Workers continue transplanting.

POTATOES: Southwest--Crop is in good condition. Planting is steady. Growth
and development are good. Dade--Heavy rains are causing flooding problems
in the potato fields. Potato plantings are being delayed by the wet field
conditions. West Central--Crop is in good condition. Potato planting is
slow this week due to the rain. Growth and development are slow.
Hastings--Growers are making preparations to start planting.

RADISHES: Zellwood, Everglades--Digging is active. Quality is good.

SQUASH: Southwest--Crop condition is rated good. Planting and harvesting
continue at a steady pace. Quality and yield are good. East
Coast--Condition is rated generally good. Cutting of zucchini and yellow
varieties is yielding a light volume of good quality and color. Fancy and
medium grades are available. Planting on bare ground and plastic is active.
West Central--Harvesting of the fall crop is nearing the end. Quality is
fair. Dade--Crop condition is good. Picking is producing good quality and
yield. Planting continues with activity on schedule.

STRAWBERRIES: Plant City--Mature fruit was damaged by the rains. Growers
expect more fruit to reach maturation within the next three to five days.
Dade--U-Pic harvesting is expected to start in late December.

TOMATOES: Southwest--Crop condition is good. Transplanting continues at a
steady pace. Picking is steady with first picks yielding mostly extra large
and large sizes; second picks, extra large, large, and medium; third picks,
mostly large and medium. Quality and yield are good. Gradeout is normal.
East Coast--Crop condition is good. Harvesting is producing a moderate
volume of mostly good quality. Sizes from first picks are running extra
large to large with second and third picks yielding mostly large and medium
and a few extra large sizes. Gradeout is normal. Rainfall at the end of the
week delayed some picking. Dade--Crop condition is rated very good. Picking
of a low volume of good quality and size continues. Sizes are good with
good packout. Yield is good. Planting remains active. Palmetto-Ruskin--
Condition is fair. Harvesting is slowing seasonally. Fruit quality is
mostly fair to good with sizes running mostly large to medium with some
extra large sizes available. Wet fields delayed spring crop land
preparations.

CHERRY TOMATOES: Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good. Picking
continues at a steady pace with rains delaying some activity. Quality is
fair to good. Sizes and color are good. Southwest--Crop condition is good.
Planting and harvesting are steady. Quality is good.

PLUM TOMATOES: Southwest--Condition is good. Harvesting and planting are
steady. Quality is good. Palmetto-Ruskin--Crop condition is fair to good.
Picking is steady with activity slowing seasonally. Rainfall delayed some
activity. Quality is fair to good. Color and sizes are good.

WATERMELONS: Southwest--Condition is fair. Cutting is nearing the end.
Quality is fair to good. Palmetto-Ruskin-- Harvesting of the fall crop is
finished.