Heavy rainfall in Florida over the New Year's weekend left fields muddy and brought central Florida's vegetable harvest to a standstill. Cucumbers and squash in southwestern Florida suffered major damage from freezing weather early in the week. Harvest activity for Florida's oranges for processing was active, and some tangerines and tangelos moved to processors due to low temperatures. Storms at week's end in the Pacific Northwest brought moisture to already saturated fields, causing some producers to ditch fields to remove excess water. The rains hampered fieldwork in California, but boosted small grain growth.
More rain is needed in California's vegetable region.
Dryland small grain fields in the Texas High Plains benefited from the recent snowfall, but more moisture is needed. Dry conditions and cool weather slowed small grain growth in central Texas.