HDR1012000140060118961500VEGETABLES HDR2012000140060118961500VEGE HIGHLIGHTS Released January 18, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Vegetables" call Dave Mueller at (202) 720-2157, office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. For assistance with general agricultural statistics, information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@AG.GOV. Fresh Vegetables Up 6 Percent Spring Onion Acreage Up 8 Percent Winter Strawberry Acreage Unchanged from Last Year The prospective area for harvest of 13 selected fresh market vegetables during the winter quarter is forecast at 184,900 acres. This is 6 percent above last year and down 6 percent from 1994. Acreage for harvest increased for all selected crops except broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant and bell peppers. Escarole\endive acreage increased by 300 acres and carrot acreage showed a 25 percent increase. Cabbage and spinach acreage increased 17 and 12 percent respectively. Eggplant acreage declined by 200 acres. Bell pepper and cauliflower acreage declined by 7 and 6 percent respectively. Acres planted for spring onions in the 4 selected states is estimated at 40,300 acres, up 8 percent from 1995 and 4 percent above 1994. Acreage was up in all states except Texas, which was down 1 percent. Winter strawberry acreage is estimated at 6,000 acres, unchanged from last year and up 200 acres from 1994. Vg 2-1 (1-986) HDR2012000140060118961500SUMMARY TABLES DMSTC & MTRC UNTS Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area for Harvest by Season, Major States, 1994-1996 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Crop :-------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Season :-------------------------------------: Harvest : 1994 : 1995 : 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Snap Beans : 10,200 12,200 12,200 Broccoli 1/ : 25,500 24,000 23,500 Cabbage : 14,000 12,000 14,000 Carrots : 24,500 23,900 29,800 Cauliflower 1/ : 10,000 9,000 8,500 Celery 1/ : 6,900 6,200 6,400 Sweet Corn : 6,500 4,900 5,100 Eggplant : 500 800 600 Escarole/Endive : 1,100 600 900 Head Lettuce : 71,700 59,200 61,000 Bell Pepper 1/ : 6,200 6,000 5,600 Spinach : 2,300 2,500 2,800 Tomatoes : 16,700 13,700 14,500 : Total Winter Crop : 196,100 175,000 184,900 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area for Harvest by Season, Major States, 1994-1996 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Crop :-------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Season :-------------------------------------: Harvest : 1994 : 1995 : 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Snap Beans : 4,130 4,940 4,940 Broccoli 1/ : 10,320 9,710 9,510 Cabbage : 5,670 4,860 5,670 Carrots : 9,910 9,670 12,060 Cauliflower 1/ : 4,050 3,640 3,440 Celery 1/ : 2,790 2,510 2,590 Sweet Corn : 2,630 1,980 2,060 Eggplant : 200 320 240 Escarole/Endive : 450 240 360 Head Lettuce : 29,020 23,960 24,690 Bell Pepper 1/ : 2,510 2,430 2,270 Spinach : 930 1,010 1,130 Tomatoes : 6,760 5,540 5,870 : Total Winter Crop : 79,370 70,810 74,830 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. HDR2012000140060118961500SEL FRSH MRKT VEGES&MELNS:AREA HRV, CRP,ST&TL Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area for Harvest by Crop, State, and Total, Winter Season, 1994-96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area : Crop : Usual :-----------------------------------: 1996 and : Harvest : Harvested : For : as Percent State : Period :-----------------------: Harvest : of 1995 : : 1994 : 1995 : 1996 : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : ------------ Acres ----------- Percent : : Snap Beans : : FL : Jan-Mar : 10,200 12,200 12,200 100 : : Broccoli 1/ : : CA : Jan-Mar : 25,500 24,000 23,500 98 : : Cabbage : : FL : Jan-Mar : 5,800 5,000 5,500 110 TX : Jan-Mar : 8,200 7,000 8,500 121 Total : : 14,000 12,000 14,000 117 : : Carrots : : CA : Jan-Mar : 16,000 17,500 22,000 126 FL : Nov-Mar : 5,100 3,300 4,400 133 TX : Dec-Mar : 3,400 3,100 3,400 110 Total : : 24,500 23,900 29,800 125 : : Cauliflower 1/ : : CA : Jan-Mar : 10,000 9,000 8,500 94 : : Celery 1/ : : CA : Jan-Mar : 6,900 6,200 6,400 103 : : Sweet Corn : : FL : Jan-Mar : 6,500 4,900 5,100 104 : : Eggplant : : FL : Jan-Mar : 500 800 600 75 : : Escarole/Endive : : FL : Jan-Mar : 1,100 600 900 150 : : Head Lettuce : : AZ - Western : Nov-Apr : 50,000 41,700 45,000 108 CA : Dec-Apr : 16,500 17,500 16,000 91 FL 2/ : Jan-Mar : 5,200 Total : : 71,700 59,200 61,000 103 : : Bell Pepper 1/ : : FL : Jan-Mar : 6,200 6,000 5,600 93 : : Spinach : : TX : Jan-Mar : 2,300 2,500 2,800 112 : : Tomatoes : : FL : Jan-Mar : 16,700 13,700 14,500 106 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimate discontinued. HDR2012000140060118961500SUMMARY TABLES DMSTC & MTRC UNT Onions and Strawberries for Fresh Market: Area Planted and Harvested by Crop, Season, and Total, 1994-96 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop, : Planted Area : Harvested Area Season, :--------------------------------------------------------------- and : : : : : : For Harvest State : 1994 : 1995 : 1996 : 1994 : 1995 : 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Onions 1/ : Spring : AZ 2/ : 1,700 1,400 1,800 1,600 1,400 CA 2/ : 7,200 8,000 8,500 6,700 7,500 GA : 11,000 12,800 15,000 10,300 12,500 14,700 TX : 18,700 15,100 15,000 16,800 14,200 14,100 Total : 38,600 37,300 40,300 35,400 35,600 : Strawberries 3/ : Winter : FL : 5,800 6,000 6,000 5,800 6,000 6,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily fresh market. 2/ 1996 - planting intentions - harvested acreage published Apr 8, 1996. 3/ Includes fresh market and processing. HDR2012000140060118961500FRSH MRKT VEGES NARRATIVE Snap Beans: Florida acreage for harvest is forecast at 12,200 acres, unchanged from last year and 20 percent greater than 1994. Recent cool weather is slowing plant growth. Some leaf burn from recent frosts occurred in a few areas. Planting and harvesting continues. Quality and yield are good. Broccoli: California acreage is estimated at 23,500, 2 percent less than last year and 8 percent less than 1994. Planting was proceeding well with sufficient moisture available. Cabbage: Winter acreage for harvest is estimated at 14,000 acres 17 percent more than last year and unchanged from 1994. In Florida, the crop was in good condition with plant growth being normal. Carrots: Acreage for harvest is forecast at 29,800 acres, up 25 percent from last year and 22 percent greater than in 1994. Planting of the Florida crop started by early September, but much of it was delayed until the heavy fall rainfall passed. Zellwood growers started harvesting in late November. Culling was heavy for the early diggings due to wet weather during early crop development. The late December freeze only singed the tops of some roots and caused no significant damage to the crop. Heavy rainfall over the New Year's holiday brought harvest to a standstill for five to seven days due to muddy fields. Mild weather and adequate moisture encouraged growers in California to increase their carrot acreage. Cauliflower: California acreage is forecast at 8,500 acres down 6 percent from 1995 and 15 percent below 1994. Favorable growing conditions have left the crop progressing well. Celery: The winter celery crop acreage for harvest in California is forecast to be 3 percent above 1995 but 7 percent below the 1994 crop. Harvest began and is continuing along the coast. Sweet corn: Florida harvested acreage is estimated at 5,100 acres, up 4 percent from last year but 22 percent less than in 1994. Rainfall during October delayed planting. Drier, cooler weather during November and most of December aided crop development. Freezing temperatures that arrived in late December caused no significant damage to the crop. The majority of winter acreage, located around Lake Okeechobee, escaped significant damage from the heavy rains falling over the New Year holiday. Eggplant: After increasing in 1995, winter eggplant acres for harvest in Florida are forecast to decline by 200 for 1996. This is 100 acres greater than the 1994 harvest. Escarole/endive: The harvested acreage of Florida's winter crop of escarole and endive is forecast to be above the 1995 crop, but will be smaller in acres than the 1994 crop. Acreage for harvest, at 900 acres is 300 acres more than last year. Lettuce: Warm, seasonal weather has helped early harvest of the 1996 lettuce (head) crop. Acreage for harvest is forecast at 61,000 acres in Arizona and California. Harvested 1996 acreage in the two states is 3 percent above last year, but 8 percent below their 1994 total. The crop quality is reported as good. Onions: Growers intend to plant 40,300 acres of spring onions for 1996, an increase of 8 percent over 1995 and 4 percent more than 1994 acres planted. Acreage is expected to increase in three of the four major states, with the fourth state, Texas, down only 100 acres. Bell Peppers: Florida winter acreage for harvest is estimated at 5,600 acres, 7 percent less than last year and 10 percent below 1994. Strong winds from Hurricane Opal in early October blew blooms off plants and bruised young fruit which reduced yield prospects in parts of the southwestern and southeastern production areas. Heavy rainfall during most of October continued to blow blooms off plants in most southern Peninsula areas. Freezing temperatures burned the leaves of some plants in the East Coast area in late December with most plants expected to recover. Southwestern fields escaped damage from the late December icing. Spinach: The harvested acres of winter spinach for 1996 is forecast at 2,800 acres in Texas. This is 12 percent above 1995 and 22 percent more acreage than 1994. Strawberries: Florida winter acreage is estimated at 6000 acres, unchanged from last year and 200 acres greater than 1994. Overall, harvest is later this year. The late December freezes did very little damage to the crop. Some damage from the heavy rains on January 1, could be minimized if the weather clears up. Tomatoes: Florida acreage is forecasted at 14,500 acres, up 6 percent from last year but 13 percent below 1994. Strong winds from Hurricane Opal during early October laid over some plants in the northern and Palmetto-Ruskin areas. The wind lowered production prospects by blowing blooms off plants and bruising young fruit in all areas except Dade County. In early November, heavy showers in the Palmetto-Ruskin area again reduced yield prospects. Cooler, drier weather for most of November boosted plant growth and fruit development. Ideal planting and harvesting weather persisted over the southern Peninsula during most of December. Freezing temperatures in late December damaged some plants and fruit in some East Coast and Palmetto-Ruskin localities. Heavy rains during early January fell over the southern Peninsula with effects from the rainy weather still to be assessed. HDR2012000140060118961500NXT RLSE DATE & EEO STATEMENTS The next "Vegetables" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on April 8, 1996. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer.