Citrus Program

March 2019

Every 5 years NASS conducts a program review following the completion of the Census of Agriculture. The primary 

purpose is to ensure that the NASS annual estimating program targets commodities and states most relevant based on 

the latest available information. Last fall we announced the program review and requested stakeholder input.

The primary source of information for the program review is the Census of Agriculture, since it is the most 

comprehensive source of data; however we also take into consideration estimates from the current annual estimating 

program and administrative data.

The program changes balance resources across all of the programs included in the annual estimating program, which 

represents over 400 individual reports.

California and Florida citrus narratives in Crop Production reports discontinued.

NASS is discontinuing narratives that contain information pertaining to citrus crops in California and Florida in the back 

section of monthly Crop Production reports. The same information is found in other locations such as the Agricultural 

Summary narratives in the same publications and the State’s weekly narratives/monthly state stories.

November citrus forecasts discontinued.

NASS is discontinuing the November citrus forecasts currently published for Florida. The November Florida citrus 

forecasts began in 2014 at the request of Florida Citrus industry (and are funded by the State of Florida). Although all 

citrus crops were included, the primary purpose was to provide an update for the early maturing tangerine varieties. 

Since that time, tangerine acreage in Florida has continued to decline to a point where tangerine estimates can no 

longer be published separately for Early and Late varieties each month. 

In-season forecasts for citrus crops.

NASS publishes in-season forecasts for a number of crops. The following table indicates the crops that are forecasted by 

month.

Crop Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Grapefruit Federal EPA1/ EPA1/ Federal EPA1/ EPA1/ Federal Federal Drop EPA1/

Lemons Federal Federal Federal Federal

Oranges Federal EPA1/ EPA2/ Federal EPA1/ EPA1/ Federal EPA3/

Federal Drop EPA1/

Tangerines Federal EPA1/ EPA1/ Federal EPA1/ EPA1/ Federal Federal Drop EPA1/

Note: “Federal” indicates forecast is part of the NASS annual estimating program. “EPA” indicates a forecast that is 

externally funded. “Drop” refers to a previous forecast that will no longer occur.

1/ Florida forecasted for all crops, all other forecasts carried forward.

2/ Florida forecasted for all crops, California forecasted for Valencia oranges, and all other forecasts carried forward.

3/ Only California Navel oranges forecasted.
States included in the estimating program for citrus crops.

For each crop, both production and total value of production were reviewed. Totals were arrayed from largest to 

smallest. States that account for the largest proportion of the total were identified for inclusion in the annual estimating 

program. This allows us to provide the most useful data to the agricultural sector in the most efficient means possible 

given the limited available resources.

Grapefruit

Estimating States States

State

In Season 

Forecast(s)

Annual

Estimates

County

Estimates

Removed

From Program

California P P None

Florida P P

Texas P P

P = Published

Lemons

Estimating States States

State

In Season 

Forecast(s)

Annual

Estimates

County

Estimates

Removed

From Program

Arizona P P None

California P P

P = Published

Oranges

Estimating States States

State

In Season 

Forecast(s)

Annual

Estimates

County

Estimates

Removed

From Program

California P P None

Florida P P

Texas P P

P = Published

Tangerines

Estimating States States

State

In Season 

Forecast(s)

Annual

Estimates

County

Estimates

Removed

From Program

California P P None

Florida P P

P = Published