Vg 1-1 (10-98) Vegetables National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 8, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Vegetables" call Biz Wallingsford at (202) 720-2157, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Fresh Vegetables Harvested Acreage Down 2 Percent The prospective area for harvest of 13 selected fresh market vegetables during the fall quarter is forecast at 182,400 acres, down 2 percent from last year and off 1 percent from 1996. Acreage reductions for snap beans, cabbage, carrots, sweet corn, and cucumbers offset increased acreage of cauliflower, celery, eggplant, head lettuce, and tomatoes. Area estimated for melon harvest is 19,200 acres, up 1 percent from last year. Cantaloup acreage is forecast at 12,800 acres, up 2 percent from 1997. Honeydew acreage is estimated at 5,800 acres, down 3 percent from last fall. Watermelon acreage is forecasted at 600 acres, the same as last year. Summer Storage Onion Production(Excluding California) Down 5 Percent Summer storage onion production (excluding California) is forecast at 36.4 million hundredweight, down 5 percent from last year but up 10 percent from 1996. Storage onion harvested acres are estimated at 82,710 acres, slightly below last year. The California crop is estimated to be 28,000 acres, down 3 percent from last year and 10 percent less than 1996. California production, at 11.5 million hundredweight, is 10 percent less than last year and 14 percent less than 1996. Fresh Vegetables Harvested Acreage Down 2 Percent Snap Beans: Fall fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 14,500 acres, down 10 percent from last year and 8 percent less than 1996. Planting was delayed in Florida due to Hurricane Georges. Conditions in some eastern areas were dry and unfavorable for planting. New Jersey experienced a normal season. Broccoli: California's acreage for fall harvest is estimated at 31,000 acres, 2 percent below last year but the same as 1996. Hot weather during July and August slowed development but cooler weather in September helped the crop recover. Heads are slightly smaller than average. Harvest is expected to proceed normally. Cabbage: Fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 7,400 acres, down 6 percent from last year but 4 percent above 1996. Growing conditions in New Jersey have improved since the dry summer weather. Cantaloups: Fall cantaloup acreage for harvest is estimated at 12,800 acres, up 2 percent from last year and up 13 percent from 1996. Fall harvest in California is on schedule. Hot temperatures in July and August created stress in some areas but the crop recovered nicely after more seasonal September temperatures arrived. Demand for cantaloup is increasing with many firms beginning to specialize in fresh-market, precut, products. Carrots: Acreage for fresh market harvest is forecast at 17,300 acres, down 7 percent from last year and 3 percent below 1996. Baby carrot demand remains strong. In California, sizing is nearly normal for the bulk of the crop despite extreme weather conditions at the beginning of the season. Extreme heat in July and August hampered crop growth but more seasonal temperatures in September have helped the crop recover. Cauliflower: Acreage for fall harvest in California is estimated at 10,600 acres, up 4 percent from last year and 1 percent above two years ago. Early season heat affected development but recent seasonal temperatures helped the sizing and quality recover. Celery: California's fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 7,100 acres, up 6 percent from 1997 and 3 percent more than two years ago. Seasonable temperatures late in the season have helped to offset the heat-related stress from early in the season. Harvest is on schedule. Sweet Corn: Fresh market acreage for harvest is estimated at 9,500 acres, down 9 percent from last year, and 12 percent less than 1996. In Florida, the threat of hurricanes delayed planting in some areas. Extremely dry conditions in New Jersey affected fall planting. In California, quality has improved due to recent seasonable temperatures. Harvest is expected to proceed with no unusual problems. Cucumbers: Acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 7,700 acres, 8 percent below last year and 3 percent below 1996. Florida planting in the Palmetto-Ruskin region began in early September while some East Coast planting was delayed by rainfall in mid and late September. The crop showed no significant damage from the strong winds and heavy rains caused by tropical disturbances in September. Eggplant: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest in Florida is forecast at 600 acres, up 20 percent from last year but the same at 1996. Planting in the East Coast area began in August. The oldest plants were blooming by mid-September and the crop is developing well with good fruit size. Escarole/Endive: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 700 acres, down 22 percent from both 1997 and 1996. In Florida, early September saw limited acreage planted in the Zellwook and Everglades regions. Honeydews: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 5,800 acres, down 3 percent from last year but 21 percent greater than 1996. The California crop was treated for white flies throughout the season. The crop was stressed early in the season by hot weather. By September the temperatures were more seasonable which allowed the crop to recover. Harvest is on schedule. Head Lettuce: Acreage for fall harvest is estimated at 38,200 acres, up 2 percent from last year and 1 percent more than 1996. California growers welcomed the recent cooler weather. Picking is active in the Salinas Valley and quality is good. Bell Peppers: Fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 11,000 acres, 3 percent less than both 1997 and 1996. Planting started along the southeastern coast of of Florida in early August. Growers in the Immokalee area began about mid- month. Palmetto-Ruskin producers started planting during late August. The oldest plants showed blooms and began to set fruit by mid-September. Strong winds caused by the nearby passage of hurricanes during late September knocked a few blooms off the plants, but caused no significant damage to the crop. Tomatoes: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is estimated at 26,800 acres, 2 percent above last year and 6 percent above 1996. In California, recent cooler temperatures helped relieve the stress of extremely hot temperatures early in the season. Harvest is on schedule with few problems reported. 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. Watermelons: Arizona acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 600 acres, unchanged from both 1997 and 1996. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 1996-97 and Prospective Area 1998 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Winter : 197,350 189,100 188,100 : Spring : 349,650 340,050 344,900 : Summer : 457,400 473,650 474,650 : Fall : Snap Beans : 15,800 16,200 14,500 Broccoli 1/ : 31,000 31,500 31,000 Cabbage : 7,100 7,900 7,400 Carrots : 17,800 18,700 17,300 Cauliflower 1/ : 10,500 10,200 10,600 Celery 1/ : 6,900 6,700 7,100 Sweet Corn 2/ : 10,800 10,400 9,500 Cucumbers : 7,900 8,400 7,700 Eggplant : 600 500 600 Escarole/Endive : 900 900 700 Head Lettuce : 37,800 37,400 38,200 Bell Peppers 1/ 2/ : 11,300 11,300 11,000 Tomatoes 2/ : 25,300 26,400 26,800 : Total 13 Vegetables 2/ : 183,700 186,500 182,400 : Cantaloups : 11,300 12,500 12,800 Honeydew Melons : 4,800 6,000 5,800 Watermelons : 600 600 600 : Total Fall Crop 2/ : 200,400 205,600 201,600 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ 1997 revised. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 1996-97 and Prospective Area 1998 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Winter : 79,850 76,510 76,150 : Spring : 141,510 137,620 139,570 : Summer : 185,110 191,680 192,090 : Fall : Snap Beans : 6,390 6,560 5,870 Broccoli 1/ : 12,550 12,750 12,550 Cabbage : 2,870 3,200 2,990 Carrots : 7,200 7,570 7,000 Cauliflower 1/ : 4,250 4,130 4,290 Celery 1/ : 2,790 2,710 2,870 Sweet Corn 2/ : 4,370 4,210 3,840 Cucumbers : 3,200 3,400 3,120 Eggplant : 240 200 240 Escarole/Endive : 360 360 280 Head Lettuce : 15,300 15,140 15,460 Bell Peppers 1/ 2/ : 4,570 4,570 4,450 Tomatoes 2/ : 10,240 10,680 10,850 : Total 13 Vegetables 2/ : 74,330 75,480 73,810 : Cantaloups : 4,570 5,060 5,180 Honeydew Melons : 1,940 2,430 2,350 Watermelons : 240 240 240 : Total Fall Crop 2/ : 81,080 83,210 81,580 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ 1997 revised Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 1996-97 and Prospective Area 1998 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area : Crop : Usual :--------------------------------: Area for and : Harvest : Harvested : For : Harvest State : Period :---------------------: Harvest :Percent of : : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 : 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : ----------- Acres ---------- Percent : : Snap Beans : : FL : Oct-Dec : 6,700 6,700 6,900 103 GA : Oct-Dec : 3,500 4,300 2,600 60 MD : Sep-Oct : 300 300 400 133 NJ : Aug-Oct : 2,600 2,300 2,400 104 SC : Oct-Dec : 600 500 600 120 VA : Sep-Oct : 2,100 2,100 1,600 76 Total : : 15,800 16,200 14,500 90 : : Broccoli 1/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 31,000 31,500 31,000 98 : : Cabbage : : FL : Oct-Dec : 800 1,000 900 90 GA : Oct-Dec : 4,200 4,600 4,500 98 NJ : Sep-Nov : 1,200 1,200 1,200 100 TX : Sep-Nov : 900 1,100 800 73 Total : : 7,100 7,900 7,400 94 : : Cantaloups : : AZ : Oct-Dec : 8,200 8,900 8,700 98 CA : Oct-Dec : 3,100 3,600 4,100 114 Total : : 11,300 12,500 12,800 102 : : Carrots : : CA : Oct-Dec : 17,300 18,300 16,800 92 TX : Sep-Nov : 500 400 500 125 Total : : 17,800 18,700 17,300 93 : : Cauliflower 1/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 10,500 10,200 10,600 104 : : Celery 1/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 6,900 6,700 7,100 106 : : Sweet Corn : : CA : Oct-Dec : 3,300 3,800 4,000 105 FL 2/ : Sep-Dec : 7,500 6,600 5,500 83 Total 2/ : : 10,800 10,400 9,500 91 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See footnotes at end of table. --continued Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 1996-97 and Prospective Area 1998 (continued) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area : Crop : Usual :--------------------------------: Area for and : Harvest : Harvested : For : Harvest State : Period :---------------------: Harvest :Percent of : : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 : 1997 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : ----------- Acres ---------- Percent : : Cucumbers : : FL : Oct-Dec : 3,500 3,600 3,000 83 SC : Oct-Dec : 800 700 800 114 TX : Sep-Nov : 900 1,100 900 82 VA : Sep-Oct : 2,700 3,000 3,000 100 Total : : 7,900 8,400 7,700 92 : : Eggplant : : FL : Sep-Dec : 600 500 600 120 : : Escarole/Endive : : FL : Oct-Dec : 400 400 300 75 NJ : Sep-Nov : 500 500 400 80 Total : : 900 900 700 78 : : Honeydews : : AZ : Oct-Dec : 1,000 1,700 1,500 88 CA : Oct-Dec : 3,800 4,300 4,300 100 Total : : 4,800 6,000 5,800 97 : : Head Lettuce : : AZ - Other : Oct-Dec : 1,300 1,000 1,100 110 CA : Oct-Dec : 35,000 35,000 35,500 101 NJ : Sep-Nov : 500 500 600 120 NM : Oct-Nov : 1,000 900 1,000 111 Total : : 37,800 37,400 38,200 102 : : Bell Peppers 1/ : : FL 2/ : Oct-Dec : 7,100 7,000 7,000 100 TX : Sep-Nov : 4,200 4,300 4,000 93 Total 2/ : : 11,300 11,300 11,000 97 : : Tomatoes : : CA : Oct-Dec : 11,900 11,100 10,800 97 FL 2/ : Sep-Dec : 13,400 15,300 16,000 105 Total 2/ : : 25,300 26,400 26,800 102 : : Watermelons : : AZ : Oct-Dec : 600 600 600 100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ 1997 revised. Summer Storage Onion Production (Excluding California) Down 5 Percent Summer storage onion production (excluding California) is forecast at 36.4 million hundredweight, down 5 percent from last year but 10 percent more than 1996. The storage onion crop should be harvested from 82,710 acres, slightly below last year. Harvest is active in Washington, where the quality of the crop is average but onion size is smaller than normal. Shrinkage is expected to be higher than normal due to hail in some fields and hot summer temperatures. Idaho growers also report onion size smaller than normal due to heat stress. Some incidents of Downey mildew are lowering yields. As of September 27, the Idaho harvest was 37 percent complete, well below normal. In Oregon, Malheur County growers expect decreased yields because of poor weather. Wisconsin growers are experiencing lower yields as a result of dry conditions in July, however, harvest conditions have been favorable during September. In Michigan, stands were thin and size was small due to dry summer conditions. Lower yields resulted from early dry down. Harvest advanced well ahead of normal. A few growers in Orange County, New York plowed under their fields after the hail storm on May 31 damaged their crops. Most growers in the county followed through with their crop and are harvesting low yields and small bulbs. Harvest is just getting underway in the midst of dry conditions. Western New York growers are harvesting an excellent crop with higher than normal yields and good quality reported. 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 hundredweight, 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. Onions: Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season, State, and United States, 1996-98 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area : Yield per Acre Season :----------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For : : : State :-------------------: Harvest : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 : : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- Acres ---------- --------- Cwt --------- : Spring : 36,800 33,200 34,600 252 274 269 Summer : Non-Storage : 13,900 12,700 12,150 400 411 420 : Storage : CO : 16,000 15,300 16,500 325 350 360 ID : 8,600 8,200 8,000 650 690 620 MI : 5,800 6,100 4,500 310 320 270 MN : 520 550 440 220 300 325 NY : 11,400 12,200 11,400 240 300 290 OH : 490 470 470 380 415 351 OR : Malheur : 12,000 12,000 12,000 590 620 570 West : 6,300 7,400 7,500 380 450 430 UT : 2,100 2,400 2,400 470 485 470 WA : 12,700 16,500 17,500 510 520 500 WI : 1,700 1,900 2,000 370 390 360 Subtotal : 77,610 83,020 82,710 428 461 440 : CA 1/ : 31,000 29,000 28,000 430 440 410 : Summer Total : 122,510 124,720 122,860 425 451 431 : US : 159,310 157,920 157,460 385 414 395 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Production :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1996 : 1997 : 1998 :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Cwt : Spring : 9,290 9,087 9,298 Summer : Non-Storage : 5,558 5,221 5,099 : Storage : CO : 5,200 5,355 5,940 ID : 5,590 5,658 4,960 MI : 1,798 1,952 1,215 MN : 114 165 143 NY : 2,736 3,660 3,306 OH : 186 195 165 OR : Malheur : 7,080 7,440 6,840 West : 2,394 3,330 3,225 UT : 987 1,164 1,128 WA : 6,477 8,580 8,750 WI : 629 741 720 Subtotal : 33,191 38,240 36,392 : CA 1/ : 13,330 12,760 11,480 : Summer Total : 52,079 56,221 52,971 : US : 61,369 65,308 62,269 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily for processing. 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