The cotton crop continued to develop slightly ahead of normal. The crop has progressed well thanks to beneficial weather and good growing conditions. The cool weather in late August did slow crop development in some areas, but was not significant. Good boll retention has been reported for this year's crop. The forecast is based on the Navel Orange Objective Measurement Survey conducted in the Central Valley.
Fruit set is down significantly from last year, but individual fruit size is large.
The crop is maturing well with harvest expected to start in Kern County by mid-October. Pistachios - California's 2000 pistachio acreage and production are estimated at 74,600 acres and 205,000,000 pounds, respectively. The number of trees per acre, at 133, is similar to last year. With the increased acreage, the total number of trees increases from 9,443,000 to 9,921,800 trees. The yield is forecast to be 7,900 pounds per acre.