LEMONS: The 1978-79 lemon production is forecast at 21.3 million boxes (734 thousand metric tons),

18 percent below last season. The crop in California at 15.0 million boxes is 26 percent
below the 1977-78 season. Harvest in California is 38 percent complete compared with 30 percent
on February 1 last year.

In California, packing continues in the desert and coastal areas with much fruit of substan-
dard quality. Central Valley lemons show some tree damage and fruit is experiencing some dryness.
Coastal Temons have been hit very hard with large amounts of defoliation. Ripe fruit remains on
trees. Smaller fruit has already dropped because of the earlier freezes.

The Arizona crop at 6.30 million boxes is 10 percent below the January 1 forecast as a result
of damage from low temperatures but is 11 percent above last season. Harvest is over 70 percent
complete.

TANGELOS: Florida's tangelo crop is now forecast at 4.00 million boxes (163 thousand metric tons)
5 percent above the January 1 forecast but 18 percent below last season. Harvest is
95 percent complete.

TANGERINES: The U.S. tangerine crop is expected to total 5.40 million boxes (217 thousand metric

tons), 9 percent below last month's forecast, but the same as last season. Florida
growers expect to utilize 3.60 million boxes of this year's crop, 300 thousand boxes less than
the estimated production of size 210 or larger fruit. The California crop, damaged by December
freezes, continued to decline and is now expected to total 1.25 million boxes, 17 percent below
last season. Fruit currently moving to fresh market is good quality. The Arizona crop is fore-
cast at 550 thousand boxes, down 100 thousand boxes from last month and 21 percent below last
season.

TEMPLES: Production of temples in Florida is forecast at 4.80 million boxes (196 thousand metric
tons), unchanged from last month, but 2 percent below last season. The crop was 27 per=
cent harvested by February 1 compared with 31 percent on the same date last year.

PAPAYAS: Hawaii papaya production during February is forecast at 4.00 million pounds (1810 metric

tons), 5 percent higher than a year ago and up 9 percent from danuary. January's esti-
mate of 3.67 million pounds (1660 metric tons) was down 10 percent from December. The decline
was the result of a normal seasonal downturn which was compounded by an abnormally wet and windy
period in mid-January. Production is forecast to drop to 3.90 million pounds (1770 metric tons)
in March then begin to climb upward with expectations of 4.10 and 4.30 million pounds (1860 and
1950 metric tons} in April and May, respectively.

Estimated total area for harvest in January, at 2210 acres (890 hectares), was 65 acres more
than December but was 70 acres below January 1978.

POTATOES: Production of winter crop potatoes in California and Florida is-forecast at 2.72 mil-

lion cwt. (124 thousand metric tons). This is 1 percent above the January 1 fi
i t 2 . . orecast
as potatoes in California are turning out somewhat better than expected a month aa. he
February 1 forecast is 4 percent above the 1978 output.

California's production is forecast at 792 thousand cwt up 4 percent from the Jani
5 + $ oy uary 7
estimate with yields 10 cwt. higher than a month ago. Harvest is active in Kern and Riverside
Counties as weather conditions allow. The earlier freeze has resulted in some additional cullage.

Florida's February 1 forecast at 1.93 million cwt. is unchanged from a month ago. Harvest
has been slow but volume increased near the end of January as more growers began digging. Har-

vest is expected to be active during February. Quality has improved as more fields have come
into production.

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 5 CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA




Most Kansas winter wheat remained snow covered and insulated from the bitter cold during
January but some wheat lay unprotected part of the month and may suffer some winterkill. Low
temperatures on the Texas High and Low Plains pushed wheat into dormancy early in January.
Stands furnished little or no grazing all month. Winter wheat from the Blacklands southward re-
ceived damage from January freezes as these stands had tender top growth. Soi] moisture rated
adequate in most Texas areas but parts of the Plains could use additional moisture.

ORANGES: This season's U.S. orange crop is forecast at 205 million boxes (8.11 million metric
tons), virtually unchanged from last month but 7 percent less than the 1977-78 crop.

Florida's crop at 163 million boxes is unchanged from last month but is 3 percent below last
season, The early and mid-season crops in Florida are expected to produce 93.0 million boxes, 5
percent more than was harvested last season. The Valencia crop is forecast at 70.0 million boxes,
12 percent below the 1977-78 crop. Florida's early-mid harvest was active during January. Groves
are in excellent condition,

In California prospects for the crop remain unchanged at 33.0 million boxes, 21 percent below
last season. The Navel crop at 18.0 million boxes is down 10 percent from last year. The Valen-
cia crop forecast at 15.0 million boxes is 32 percent less than was harvested in 1977-78, In
California, the Navel shipping season is expected to end early. Quality of the fruit is fair.
Valencia harvest will get underway in the desert this month.

Texas orange prospects at 5.70 million boxes are 10 percent below January 1 because of
freezing temperatures on January 2nd and 3rd, Fruit suffered extensive damage and fruit droppage
was widespread. Harvest of fallen fruit as well as freeze damaged fruit on trees was rapid during
the manth as juice processors operated at full capacity. The Arizona crop is placed at 3.40 mil-
lion boxes, unchanged from last month but 9 percent below the 1977-78 season.

As of February 1 the U.S. orange crop was 33 percent harvested compared with 30 percent on
the same data last year. Harvest of the early mid-season and Navel crop is 58 percent complete
compared with 59 percent on February | last year. Valencia harvest has not begun in volume ex-
cept in Texas.

Changes in U.S. orange production between the February ? forecast and fina? production have
averaged 7.08 million boxes over the past 10 seasons, ranging from 1.45 million boxes in 1971-72
to 18.5 million boxes in the 1970-71 season.

FLORIDA FROZEN CONCENTRATED JUICE YIELD: The Florida all orange juice yield for the 1978-79 crop
is projected at 1.32 gallons of 45 degree brix compared
with the January 1 projection of 1.29 gallons. The yield from the 1977-78 crop was 1.23 gallons
per box.

GRAPEFRUIT: The 1978-79 U.S. grapefruit crap is forecast at 67.4 million boxes (2.50 million

metric tons), 5 percent below the January | forecast and 9 percent below last season
The Florida grapefruit crop is expected to total 50.0 million boxes, 3 percent below last season
The Texas crop at 9.00 million boxes is 24 percent lower than a year earlier and 20 percent less
than was expected on January 1. The decline from January 1 is attributed to a freeze on January 2
and 3 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Fruit damage was extensive, and droppage and leaf defolia-
tion were widespread. In California, the crop is placed at 6.00 million boxes, 20 percent less
than last season. The Arizona crop of 2.40 million boxes is 37 percent below 1977-78.

U.S. grapefruit harvest was 39 percent complete on February 1 compared with 31 percent on
the same date last year. Picking in Florida was 39 percent complete compared with 35 percent on
February 1 a year ago. Harvest in Texas was 57 percent complete compared with 31 percent on the
same date a year ago and the Arizona harvest at 30 percent complete is ahead of last year.

Changes in the U.S. production between the February 1 forecast and final production have

averaged 1.93 mitlion boxes over the past 10 seasons, ranging from 280 thousand boxes in 1975-76
to 4.70 million boxes in 1976-77.

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 4 CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA


PAPAYAS - HAWAII

AREA
wontH TOTALIN-CROP TARVESTED UTILIZED PRODUCTION
1978 1979 {1978 E1979 1978} 1979: FORECKST
ACRES T,000 POUNDS
DEC : 3,275 2,145 4,084
JAN 3,095 3,295 2; 280 2,210 43256 3,670
FEB 3,100 2,270 3,804 4,000
MAR : 3,150 23210 43317 33900
APR : 3,218 23220 33971 43100
MAY 13,120 2,175 5,546 45300
CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION JAN 4,256 3,670
POTATOES
AREA HARVESTED YIELD PRODUCTION
STATE i
1977 : 1978 : 1979 : 1977 1978 1979 1977 : 1978 : 1979
T;000-ACRESTM CHT 1,000 CHT
WINTER
CALIF 4.5 3.0 3.3 235 230 240 1,058 690 792
FLA 8.9 9.9 9.9 180 195 195 -1,602=S «1,937 1,931
TOTAL 13.4 12.9 13.2 199 203 206 = «2,660 2,621 = 2,723

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 6

CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA


CROP PRODUCTION Ce

Released: i isti
ease February 9, 1979 Coovaratves Sonics”

3:00 P.M. ET
US. Department
of Agriculture

Washington, D.C.
20250

HIGHLIGHTS

CITRUS production is expected to total 13.1 million tons (11.9 million
metric tons), 2 percent below the January 1 forecast and 7 per-
cent below the 1977-78 season.

ORANGE output is forecast at 205 million boxes (8.11 million metric
tons), virtually unchanged from the month earlier level, but 7
percent less than last season's total.

GRAPEFRUIT production is placed at 67.4 million boxes (2.50 million
metric tons), 5 percent below last month's forecast and 9 per-
cent below last season.

LEMON production is estimated at 21.3 million boxes (734 thousand metric
tons), 3 percent below January 1? prospects and 18 percent below
last season.

POTATO production for the winter season is forecast at 2.72 million
cwt. (124 thousand metric tons), 1 percent above the January 1
forecast and 4 percent more than a year earlier.

CrPr 2-2 (2-79) For Information Call: (202) 447-2127


CITRUS FRUIT Vv

‘ PRODUCTION ' PRODUCTION
cROP ‘ BOXES. 1 TON Ef
AND t UTILIZED SINDICATEDS UTILIZED
STATE: 41976877 3 1977078 $ 1976879 1976677 1977 978=:
T 1000 U 7000 U
ORANGESsEARLY MID & NAVEL: 378
ARIZ ‘ 800 820 700 30 31 26:
CaLIF 4 254600 20,000 182000 960 756 67s
FLA $1 1159000 = 8B»300 = 939000 5175 13997. 40185:
TEX ‘ 49350 35850 e100 185: 164. 1%
u S. $ 1655750 = 1129970 1150600 69350 4919 50060
ORANGES» VALENCIA '
ARIZ ' 39150 2900 29700 118 109: 103
CALIF: ' 199700 229000 159000 139 825 563.
FLA ' 715800 799500 709000 EITEDY 39578 39150
TER ‘ "29550 20250 19600 108 9 68.
us 4 979200 1069650 899300 49196 49608 32882.
ALL ORANGES
ARIZ ‘ 39950 39720 1468 140 127
CALIF ' 459300 425000 19699 19575 10238
FLA $ 1869800 1679800 89406 'TeS52 79335:
TEX ' 69900 69100 293 260 262.
us 4 2620950 219620 109566 99527 8,942
TEMPLES: ’
FLA i] 3+800 49900 41800 7 221 216
GRAPEFRUIT WHITE SEEDLESS i?
FLA ' 299900 289700 269000 49271 19220 19190
GRAPEFRUIT »PINK. SEEOLESS ‘
FLA s 12,500 149300 139000 531 608. ‘$53.
GRAPEFRUIT OTHER '
FLA ‘ 99100 89400 99000 387 3s? 363
ALL GRAPEFRUIT '
ARIZ i 34000 20900 2400 96 93 7
CALIF i
OESERT ‘ 49500 49300 39500 144 138: 112.
OTHER aREAS t 39200 30200 29500 107 107 8a
TOTAL. t 7700 79500 69000 251 245: 196
Fla $ -52»S500 510600 502000 29169 ‘20185 20126
TEX i baehog ALs9a0 959000 496 ate 360
Us iy 749600 739700 679400 30032 29999 20789
TANGERINES: i
ARIZ t 650 700 550 an 26 21
CALIF t 19820 40500 19250 68. ‘56 oT
FLA 1 39300 30200 39600 sv 152 17
us ' 50770 $2400 5400 249 a3e 239°
LEMONS ‘
ARIZ % 50000 $¥700 69300 190 “27 239
CALIF. ‘ 212000 200400 159000 798 ‘TTS: 370
us ’ 265000 260100 215300 968. 992 809
TANGELOS ‘
FLA i 41800 49900 41000 216 221 180

1/ THE: CROP YEAR BEGINS WITH THE BLOOM OF THE FIRST YEAR
SHOWN AND ENOS WITH YEAR HARVEST IS COMPLETED.

2/ NET LBS PER BOA ORANGES@CALIF & ARIZ~759FLA=909
TEX@@5} GRAPEFRUIT*CALIF DESERT & ARIZ=66s CALIF
OTHER=67, FLAeBSe TEX@G0} LEMONS@76$ TANGELOS &
TEMPLES=90% TANGERINES= CALIF: & ARIZ©75y FLAC95.

3/ NAVEL AND MISCELLANEOUS VARIETIES IN CALIFORNIA AND
ARIZONA. EARLY AND MIDSEASON VARIETIES IN FLORIOA AND
TEXAS. INCLUDING SMALL QUANTITIES OF TANGERINES IN

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 7 CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA


UNITED STATES CROP SUMMARY
(DOMESTIC UNITS)

CITRUS FRUITS, PRODUCTION 1/ °
7 ; INDICATED 1978-79
cROP : 1977-78 : TaN : rT
Fi 7,000 BOXES
ORANGES : 219,620 208,700 205,100
GRAPEFRUIT : 73,700 70,700 67,400
LEMONS : 26,100 223000 21,300
‘Y/SEASON BEGINS WITH BLOOM OF THE FIRST YEAR SHOWN AND ENDS WITH THE COMPLETION OF HARVEST THE FOLLOW
ING YEAR.
POTATOES
ARER HARVESTED YIELD PER ACRE PRODUCTION
SEASONAL : INDICATED = 7 DICATED 1979
yr 1978 agg 1978 i979 978 7 FEB
: T,O00 ACRES CWT 1,000 CWT
WINTER 1 12.9 13.2 203 206 2,621 2,690 2,723
UNITED STATES CROP SUMMARY
(METRIC UNITS)
CITRUS FRUITS, PRODUCTION 1/
cap 5 o77 7 TNDICATED_T978-79,
: 977-78 : JAN 3 FEB 1
: METRIC TONS
ORANGES : 8 642 750 8 135 630 8 112 050
GRAPEFRUIT : 2 720 650 2 624 490 2 502 920
LEMONS : 899 930 758 410 733 910
‘T7SERSON BEGINS WT r W. TON OF HARVEST THE FOLLOW-
ING YEAR.
POTATOES
SEASONAL AREA HARVESTED = YIELD PER HECTARE = PRODUCTION
ASONAL > INDICATED 7 INDICATED? 7____ INDICATED 1879
21978 gg 1978 979 1978 : FEB I
: HECTARES METRIC TONS —
WINTER > 5 220 5 340 22.78 23.13 118 890 122 020 123 510

The CROP PRODUCTION report contains State and National estimates with related information
on selected agricultural commodities. These data were prepared and adopted by the Crop Re~
porting Board which consists af commodity statisticians from Washington headquarters and the
State Statistical Offices.

CROP REPORTING BOARD:
APPROVED: B. M. Graham, Chairman,
M. L. Koehn, Secretary,

7, ? , J. W. Kirkbride, F. E. Rolf,
AU R. P. SmatT, 0. J. Buckner,
H. J. DeLong, J. R. Garrett,

C. N. Voelket.
ACTING SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 2 CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA


JANUARY WEATHER

Most of the Nation experienced above-normal precipitation in January. Many stations in the
western Great Lakes area noted record amounts of snowfall. Exceptions to the above-normal pre-
cipitation included most of the Pacific Northwest with only 40 to 60 percent of normal, and across
the northern tier of States along the Canadian border west of the Lakes. New England received
well-above-normal precipitation; in the eastern portions of the region, rain caused some flood-
ing. Southwest Texas had drier-than-normal weather.

January will be recorded as a very cold month as many stations broke records for the cold-
est January. From the northern Rockies to the central Plains, monthly averages dipped 13 to
16 degrees colder than normal.

During the first week of January, very cold air plunged into the western U.S. While Tow
temperature records fell in the Plains, new record highs were set in the East. At the onset of
the cold weather, vegetable harvest was delayed in California, but no damage was noted, As the
cold air moved eastward, the South Texas vegetable and citrus area was not so fortunate. A mod-
erate freeze inflicted considerable damage on the second and third days of January. Moving rap-
idly eastward, the cold air nipped parts of Florida, but only slight damage to tender foliage
was reported. Rain or snow preceded the eastward moving cold air and became heaviest from East
Texas to southern New England. Late in the week, heavy rain fell in southern California where the
Los Angeles area measured more than four inches.

The drier-than-normal Pacific Northwest picked up 1 to 2 inches of precipitation during the
second week of January. The rain (snow at higher elevations) extended southward well into Cali-~
fornia and the southern Plateau. Elsewhere, a storm system formed in Missouri and moved north-
eastward spreading snow to its north and west and rain to the east. An additional 6 inches of
snow fell on the hard-hit Chicago area. Cold weather continued to dominate most of the Nation,
but warming began in the West and southern Florida.

The Pacific storm affecting the Northwest moved southward along the California Coast and
then into the Southwest during January's third week. Light to moderate rain or snow accompanied
the storm. A minor disturbance added another couple of inches of snow to the southwestern Great
Lakes area. A third system wound up in the lower Mississippi Valley and spread heavy rain in the
South and freezing rain and then snow from the mid-Atlantic States northward. Colder-than-normal
weather---but not as cold as the previous two weeks---persisted in the northern States and most
of the Southeast. Warmer-than-normal temperatures spread fram California into Alabama.

The last full week of January (Jan. 22-28) brought a return of the very cold weather to
nearly all the U.S. Cold air plunged southward. in the western region and then moved eastward
A low pressure system off the coast of Newfoundland---with its counterclockwise circulation-:
brought warmer air into the Northeast making that area the only part of the Nation where the
temperatures averaged above normal. Nearly all parts of the U.S. received some precipitation,
but most occurred in the South and the Northeast. Heavy rain in some New England areas caused
local flooding. Thunderstorms rumbled over the South as the cold air encountered the warmer
moist air. Nearly an inch of precipitation fell in Arizona and another six or more inches of
snow plagued the western Lakes area.

During the last three days of January, the cold air displaced the warmer air in the Lakes
area and parts of the Northeast. Only New England remained warmer than normal. Moisture from
the Gulf spread northward into Texas and Hght snow fell from the central Plains to the Lakes.

WINTER WHEAT

. Minter wheat. generally rated fair to good on February 1 in spite of the severe weather pre-
vailing throughout January in most of the major production areas. Snowcover protected the crop
from the subnormal temperatures and winds from Oklahoma northward. Winter wheat was virtually
dormant on the southern Plains and appeared to have survived the low temperatures. Across the
South stands rated mostly fair with some poor fields reported. Some areas of the South were
dry during seeding and stands did not go into the winter in good condition. Low temperatures
have slowed growth. Pacific Northwest growers expect some freeze damage to winter wheat as the
crop was vulnerable to wintry temperatures early in the month. Snow finally arrived during the
second half of January and brought protection to the Washington and Oregon crops. Growers in the
Southwest continued to plant some late fields of winter wheat; wet field conditions influenced
some producers to seed fields with aircraft. Earlier planted stands rated excellent and some
growers were spraying for weed control. Most areas of the Nation appeared to have adequate soil
moisture for vigorous growth when warm temperatures return.

CROP PRODUCTION, FEBRUARY 1979 3 CROP REPORTING BOARD, ESCS, USDA