Vg 1-1 (10-01) Vegetables National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 5, 2001, 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 or Debbie Flippin at (202) 720-3250, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. Fresh Vegetable Harvested Acreage Up 4 Percent The prospective area for harvest of 13 selected fresh market vegetables during the fall quarter is forecast at 177,400 acres, up 4 percent from last year. Acreage increased for snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, sweet corn, head lettuce, bell peppers, and tomatoes, while cucumbers showed the only acreage decrease. Cauliflower, eggplant, and escarole/endive acreage were unchanged from a year ago. Area forecasted for melon harvest is 15,100 acres, up 9 percent from last year. Cantaloup acreage is forecast at 8,900 acres, up 3 percent from 2000. Honeydew acreage is forecast at 5,300 acres, up 23 percent from last fall. Watermelon acreage is forecast at 900 acres, down 10 percent from last year. Summer Storage Onion Production Down 9 Percent Summer storage onion production, including California, is forecast at 46.4 million hundredweight, down 9 percent from last year. Storage onion harvested acres are forecast at 104,190 acres, 4 percent below 2000. The California crop is expected to be 29,200 acres, down 20 percent from last year. California production, at 12.6 million hundredweight, is 22 percent less than 2000. Contents Page Beans, Snap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Broccoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cabbage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cantaloups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Carrots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cauliflower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Celery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Corn, Sweet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cucumbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Eggplant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Escarole/Endive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fresh Market Vegetable Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Fresh Market Vegetable Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Honeydews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Information Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Lettuce, Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Onions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Crop Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Peppers, Bell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Tomatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Watermelons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 1999-2000 and Forecasted Area 2001 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Winter : 189,950 197,500 193,000 : Spring : 336,450 312,500 319,600 : Summer : 482,900 445,600 454,800 : Fall : Snap Beans : 19,500 18,400 18,500 Broccoli 1/ : 28,500 27,000 27,500 Cabbage : 6,400 6,200 6,400 Carrots : 23,600 17,900 19,100 Cauliflower 1/ : 10,500 11,000 11,000 Celery 1/ : 6,900 6,400 6,900 Sweet Corn 2/ : 7,900 8,200 10,200 Cucumbers : 9,700 8,000 7,900 Eggplant : 700 700 700 Escarole/Endive : 750 800 800 Head Lettuce : 34,700 34,400 35,400 Bell Peppers 1/ : 8,000 8,200 8,400 Tomatoes 2/ : 29,100 23,900 24,600 : Total 13 Vegetables 2/ : 186,250 171,100 177,400 : Cantaloups : 11,300 8,600 8,900 Honeydew Melons : 5,300 4,300 5,300 Watermelons : 1,000 1,000 900 : Total 3 Melons : 17,600 13,900 15,100 : Total Fall Crop 2/ : 203,850 185,000 192,500 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ 2000 revised. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 1999-2000 and Forecasted Area 2001 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Winter : 76,870 79,930 78,110 : Spring : 136,160 126,470 129,340 : Summer : 195,420 180,330 184,050 : Fall : Snap Beans : 7,890 7,450 7,490 Broccoli 1/ : 11,530 10,930 11,130 Cabbage : 2,590 2,510 2,590 Carrots : 9,550 7,240 7,730 Cauliflower 1/ : 4,250 4,450 4,450 Celery 1/ : 2,790 2,590 2,790 Sweet Corn 2/ : 3,200 3,320 4,130 Cucumbers : 3,930 3,240 3,200 Eggplant : 280 280 280 Escarole/Endive : 300 320 320 Head Lettuce : 14,040 13,920 14,330 Bell Peppers 1/ : 3,240 3,320 3,400 Tomatoes 2/ : 11,780 9,670 9,960 : Total 13 Vegetables 2/ 3/ : 75,370 69,240 71,790 : Cantaloups : 4,570 3,480 3,600 Honeydew Melons : 2,140 1,740 2,140 Watermelons : 400 400 360 : Total 3 Melons 3/ : 7,120 5,630 6,110 : Total Fall Crop 2/ 3/ : 82,500 74,870 77,900 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ 2000 revised. 3/ Totals may not add due to rounding. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 1999-2000 and Forecasted Area 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area : Crop : Usual :--------------------------------: Area for and : Harvest : Harvested : For : Harvest State : Period :---------------------: Harvest :Percent of : : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 : 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : ----------- Acres ---------- Percent : : Snap Beans : : FL : Oct-Dec : 10,500 10,000 10,300 103 GA : Oct-Dec : 4,000 4,500 4,500 100 MD 1/ : Oct-Oct : 400 NJ : Sep-Nov : 2,100 2,000 1,800 90 SC 1/ : Oct-Dec : 600 VA : Sep-Oct : 1,900 1,900 1,900 100 : : Total : : 19,500 18,400 18,500 101 : : Broccoli 2/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 28,500 27,000 27,500 102 : : Cabbage : : FL : Oct-Dec : 900 900 900 100 GA : Oct-Dec : 3,400 3,000 3,500 117 NJ : Sep-Nov : 700 700 600 86 TX : Sep-Nov : 1,400 1,600 1,400 88 : : Total : : 6,400 6,200 6,400 103 : : Cantaloups : : AZ : Oct-Nov : 6,300 4,600 4,600 100 CA : Oct-Dec : 5,000 4,000 4,300 108 : : Total : : 11,300 8,600 8,900 103 : : Carrots : : CA : Oct-Dec : 23,000 17,500 18,500 106 TX : Sep-Nov : 600 400 600 150 : : Total : : 23,600 17,900 19,100 107 : : Cauliflower 2/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 10,500 11,000 11,000 100 : : Celery 2/ : : CA : Oct-Dec : 6,900 6,400 6,900 108 : : Sweet Corn : : CA : Oct-Dec : 4,000 4,000 4,400 110 FL 3/ : Oct-Dec : 3,900 4,200 5,800 138 : : Total 3/ : : 7,900 8,200 10,200 124 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 1999-2000 and Forecasted Area 2001 (continued) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area : Crop : Usual :--------------------------------: Area for and : Harvest : Harvested : For : Harvest State : Period :---------------------: Harvest :Percent of : : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 : 2000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : ----------- Acres ---------- Percent : : Cucumbers : : FL : Oct-Dec : 5,400 4,700 4,200 89 SC : Oct-Dec : 900 600 900 150 TX : Sep-Nov : 1,200 1,400 1,500 107 VA : Sep-Oct : 2,200 1,300 1,300 100 : : Total : : 9,700 8,000 7,900 99 : : Eggplant : : FL : Oct-Dec : 700 700 700 100 : : Escarole/Endive : : FL 4/ : Oct-Dec : 350 400 NJ 4/ : Sep-Nov : 400 400 : : Total : : 750 800 800 100 : : Honeydews : : AZ : Nov-Apr : 1,400 1,300 1,300 100 CA : Oct-Dec : 3,900 3,000 4,000 133 : : Total : : 5,300 4,300 5,300 123 : : Head Lettuce : : AZ - Other : Nov-Apr : 1,700 1,000 1,100 110 CA : Oct-Dec : 32,000 33,000 34,000 103 NJ : Sep-Nov : 300 400 300 75 NM 5/ : Oct-Nov : 700 : : Total : : 34,700 34,400 35,400 103 : : Bell Peppers 2/ : : FL : Oct-Dec : 7,000 7,400 7,700 104 TX : Sep-Nov : 1,000 800 700 88 : : Total : : 8,000 8,200 8,400 102 : : Tomatoes : : CA : Oct-Dec : 12,000 10,600 9,500 90 FL 3/ : Sep-Dec : 17,100 13,300 15,100 114 : : Total 3/ : : 29,100 23,900 24,600 103 : : Watermelons : : AZ : Oct-Dec : 1,000 1,000 900 90 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Seasonal estimate discontinued in 2000. Estimates to be published in the Vegetable 2001 Summary, released January 2002. 2/ Includes fresh market and processing. 3/ 2000 revised. 4/ Not published for 2001 to avoid disclosure of individual operations. 5/ Estimate discontinued in 2000. Snap Beans: Fall fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 18,500 acres, up 1 percent from last year but 5 percent below 1999. Florida's planting is active in the major growing areas. Conditions are reported to be good and the crop is on schedule. Planting in Georgia was active during most of August. The State had scattered showers during this time but they did not seem to affect planting schedules. Soil moisture conditions were mostly adequate. New Jersey's planting was on schedule this year. Despite heavy rains, Virginia's planting was on schedule. Prospects for the crop look excellent. Broccoli: California's acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 27,500 acres, 2 percent above last year but 4 percent below 1999. Quality of the crop appears to be good due to cool temperatures which allowed the crop to grow well. Harvest is expected to start in November. Cabbage: Fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 6,400 acres, up 3 percent from last year but unchanged from two years ago. Florida's cabbage planting is getting underway. In Georgia, weather conditions were favorable for planting. New Jersey's harvested acreage is down due to low market prices and unfavorable weather conditions. In Texas, the crop is progressing well with good moisture conditions. The fall harvest is mostly complete in the High Plains. Cantaloups: Fall cantaloup acreage for harvest is forecast at 8,900 acres, up 3 percent from the previous year but 21 percent below 1999. Arizona experienced above average temperatures during planting and harvesting. However, because producers used irrigation, it does not appear to have damaged the crop. California's acreage is up for the fall, but yields are lower due to weather related problems. Carrots: Acreage for fresh market harvest is forecast at 19,100 acres, up 7 percent from last year but 19 percent below 1999. California's carrot crop is in good condition. No unusual disease or pest problems were reported. In Texas, the crop is progressing well with good moisture conditions statewide. Cauliflower: Acreage for fall harvest in California is forecast at 11,000 acres, unchanged from last year but 5 percent above the year before. California's crop is in good condition due to cooler temperatures. Celery: California's fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 6,900 acres, up 8 percent in 2000 but unchanged from 1999. Celery production returned to normal for the fall season after erratic weather patterns caused disease and bolting problems the first half of 2001. Sweet Corn: Fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 10,200 acres, up 24 percent from last year and 29 percent more than 1999. In California, the grounding of crop duster planes caused some problems with the crop. Occasional reports of worm damage resulted from spraying intervals that went beyond three days. Most of Florida's crop was planted by early-to-mid September. Heavy rains and strong winds from Tropical Storm Danielle caused no significant damage to the crop. Cucumbers: Acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 7,900 acres, 1 percent below last year and 19 percent less than 1999. Planting in Florida is active in the major growing areas. Conditions are reported to be fair to good and the crop is on schedule. In South Carolina, precipitation has been below normal thus far. Additional rainfall is needed to make a good crop. In Texas, the crop is developing well with good moisture conditions. Planting in Virginia was on schedule despite heavy rains. Harvest will continue until a heavy frost arrives. Eggplant: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest in Florida is forecast at 700 acres, unchanged from both 2000 and 1999. Planting is active in the major growing areas. Conditions are reported to be good and the crop is on schedule. Escarole/Endive: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 800 acres, the same as 2000 but 7 percent above 1999. In Florida, planting began in September with favorable conditions. Most acreage escaped damage from the wind and rain caused by Tropical Storm Danielle. New Jersey's higher than normal temperatures during late summer adversely affected growth of the crop. Growing conditions improved during the fall. Honeydews: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 5,300 acres, up 23 percent from last year but unchanged from 1999. Arizona experienced above average temperatures during planting and harvesting. However, with the use of irrigation, the hot weather has not damaged the crop. In California, delays in planting due to water uncertainties resulted in some acreage being harvested in the fall that would normally have been harvested in the summer. Head Lettuce: Acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 35,400 acres, up 3 percent from last year and 2 percent above the year before. In Arizona, above average temperatures during planting and harvesting does not appear to have damaged their head lettuce crop. In California, early wet conditions in the spring caused some of the crop to fall a little behind schedule, but warm, sunny weather during the remainder of the spring helped the lettuce get back on track. Bell Peppers: Fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 8,400 acres, up 2 percent from 2000 and 5 percent more than 1999. Florida's planting increased during September in the Southwest, East Coast and West Central regions. Tropical Storm Danielle's strong winds and heavy rains caused some bloom drop near mid-September with only minimal damage expected. In Texas, the crop is progressing well with good moisture reported. Newly planted peppers are maturing well. Tomatoes: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 24,600 acres, up 3 percent from last year but 15 percent below 1999. California experienced ideal growing conditions in early July. However, by mid-to-late July the weather was cooler than normal. By July's end through mid-August ideal growing conditions returned, however, hot weather set in by late August. Despite these weather fluctuations, the crop is progressing normally. In Florida, harvesting around Quincy is expected to begin by early October. Almost daily showers during August and the first half of September kept soil moisture supplies adequate over the southern Peninsula but delayed some plantings. The formation off the west coast and the passage over the central and northern Peninsula of Tropical Storm Danielle in mid-September brought significant rains and strong winds to some southern fields. Growers reported only minor damage from the storm with some leaves broken and some blooms blown off plants. Most blooms were not open when the storm passed. Drier and somewhat cooler temperatures during late September boosted plant growth and development. Watermelons: Arizona acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 900 acres, down 10 percent from both 2000 and 1999. Above average temperatures had no influence on harvest and use of irrigation prevented damage to the crop. Onions: Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season, State, and United States, 1999-2000 and Forecasted 2001 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area : Yield per Acre Season :----------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For : : : State :-------------------: Harvest : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 : : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- Acres ---------- --------- Cwt --------- : Spring : 37,500 36,200 36,000 299 326 306 Summer : Non-Storage : 14,400 21,500 20,600 454 410 486 : Storage : CA 1/ : 39,000 36,300 29,200 435 445 430 CO : 14,500 11,500 14,000 375 355 330 ID : 7,900 7,400 7,500 700 650 630 MI : 4,000 3,500 3,400 270 270 260 MN : 420 90 210 280 210 260 NY : 12,600 12,300 12,500 280 380 320 OH : 480 480 480 285 350 370 OR : Malheur : 12,900 11,600 11,400 670 600 560 Other : 7,200 6,100 7,000 500 520 500 UT : 2,700 2,400 2,200 465 475 470 WA : 18,000 15,000 14,500 490 550 540 WI : 1,800 1,800 1,800 380 395 330 : Total : 121,500 108,470 104,190 459 471 445 : Summer : 135,900 129,970 124,790 459 461 452 : US : 173,400 166,170 160,790 424 432 419 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Production :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1999 : 2000 : 2001 :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Cwt : Spring : 11,222 11,812 11,014 Summer : Non-Storage : 6,541 8,823 10,012 : Storage : CA 1/ : 16,965 16,154 12,556 CO : 5,438 4,083 4,620 ID : 5,530 4,810 4,725 MI : 1,080 945 884 MN : 118 19 55 NY : 3,528 4,674 4,000 OH : 137 168 178 OR : Malheur : 8,643 6,960 6,384 Other : 3,600 3,172 3,500 UT : 1,256 1,140 1,034 WA : 8,820 8,250 7,830 WI : 684 711 594 : Total : 55,799 51,086 46,360 : Summer : 62,340 59,909 56,372 : US : 73,562 71,721 67,386 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily for dehydrated and other processing. Summer Storage Onion Production Down 9 Percent Summer storage onion production, including California, is forecast at 46.4 million hundredweight, down 9 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is forecast at 104,190 acres, 4 percent below 2000. California growers reduced acreage as a result of poor prices in 2000. In addition, cold winter weather slowed planting and growth of the crop. Processing onions did well this year with many yellow and white varieties being harvested between late August and early September. Harvest was complete by late September with no major problems and good quality reported. In Colorado, scattered thunderstorms dumped damaging hail on some areas along the Front Range, and lightening storms were common throughout most of June and July. Following July, typical summer conditions, with high temperatures early in the day followed by thunderstorms, prevailed throughout the State. Idaho's weather has been warmer than normal and mostly dry during the month of September providing excellent harvest conditions. However, this warm, dry weather combined with minimal thrip and straw virus, reduced bulb size and yields. Most producers were able to manage their irrigation water supplies for this year's crop. Michigan's onion crop got off to a cool, wet start, followed by hot, dry weather from July through mid-August. Harvest activity progressed with reasonable yields and good quality. Onions are smaller this year due to hot weather. In Minnesota, after a hot, dry summer, September weather conditions have been cooler with several rain showers. New York harvest was near completion at the end of September. Most onions are still field curing and have not been moved into storage facilities. Growers indicate onion size ranges from small to average with very few large onions due to extremely dry conditions during the growing season. The Ohio crop is good with no problems reported. Onion harvest is in full swing throughout Oregon. Conditions remain hot and dry, although some parts of the State received precipitation the last week of September. The condition of Utah's onion crop is varied. Some growers have reported an above average crop. However, there were some complaints about damage from frost and strong winds. Washington bulb size is down slightly resulting from cool spring conditions. Onion quality has been good with a few selected fields experiencing hail damage from June storms. Timely rains in Wisconsin counteracted hot weather to produce average bulb size. The next "Vegetables" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on January 10, 2002. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. 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