In Florida, conditions were dry at the beginning of the season, but tropical waves passing over the Peninsula during September brought rain to the area. Picking will begin in the Quincy area by early October. The condition of the Quincy crop is good. The California crop is estimated at 28,000 acres, down 3 percent from last year and 10 percent less than 1996. Production, at 11.5 million cwt., is 10 percent less than last year and 14 percent less than 1996.
Harvest is on schedule for most growers.
Excessive moisture associated with El Nino resulted in wide yield variability reported by shippers and producers. Nationally, summer storage onion production for 1998 is forecast at 36.4 million cwt. The storage onion crop should be harvested from 82,710 acres, slightly below last year.