Vg 1-1 (10-04) Vegetables National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 1, 2004, 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 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. Fresh Vegetable Harvested Acreage Up Less Than 1 Percent The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables during the fall quarter is forecast at 163,900 acres, up less than 1 percent from last year. Acreage increased for snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, head lettuce, and bell peppers while acreage decreased for carrots, celery, sweet corn, and tomatoes. Acreage for cauliflower and cucumbers remained the same. Area forecasted for melon harvest is 16,400 acres, up 28 percent from last year. Cantaloup harvested area is forecast at 11,600 acres, up 38 percent from 2003. Honeydew harvested area is forecast at 4,800 acres, up 9 percent from last fall. Summer Storage Onion Production Up 11 Percent Summer storage onion production is forecast at 54.9 million hundredweight, up 11 percent from last year. Storage onion harvested area is forecast at 109,250 acres, up 2 percent from 2003. California production, at 11.8 million hundredweight, is 5 percent below 2003. Harvested area is expected to be 27,500 acres, down 11 percent from last year. Contents Fresh Market Page By Crops Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Harvested Acres of Selected Vegetables, Melons, and Dual Purpose Crops by State Beans, Snap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Broccoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cabbage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cantaloups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Carrots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cauliflower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Celery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Corn, Sweet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cucumbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Honeydews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Lettuce, Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Peppers, Bell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Tomatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Watermelons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fresh Market Crop Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Onions: Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season Onions, Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onions, Summer Non-storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onions, Summer Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onion Crop Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 2002-2003 and Forecasted Area 2004 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Winter : 177,600 176,500 181,400 : Spring : 297,900 301,200 306,100 : Summer : 437,600 436,400 434,000 : Fall : Snap Beans : 17,700 17,800 18,200 Broccoli 1/ : 27,000 29,000 31,500 Cabbage : 6,900 6,500 6,700 Carrots : 15,700 14,700 14,300 Cauliflower 1/ : 10,000 10,000 10,000 Celery 1/ : 6,700 6,900 6,600 Sweet Corn : 9,300 9,800 9,400 Cucumbers : 8,100 7,800 7,800 Head Lettuce : 31,100 32,500 32,600 Bell Peppers 1/ : 5,300 4,700 5,200 Tomatoes : 23,000 23,800 21,600 : Total 11 Vegetables : 160,800 163,500 163,900 : Cantaloups : 8,200 8,400 11,600 Honeydew Melons : 4,200 4,400 4,800 Watermelons 2/ : 1,000 : Total 3 Melons : 13,400 12,800 16,400 : Total Fall Crop : 174,200 176,300 180,300 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Seasonal forecast for AZ discontinued in 2003. Estimate to be published in the "Vegetables 2004 Summary". Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 2002-2003 and Forecasted Area 2004 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Winter : 71,870 71,430 73,410 : Spring : 120,560 121,890 123,880 : Summer : 177,090 176,610 175,640 : Fall : Snap Beans : 7,160 7,200 7,370 Broccoli 1/ : 10,930 11,740 12,750 Cabbage : 2,790 2,630 2,710 Carrots : 6,350 5,950 5,790 Cauliflower 1/ : 4,050 4,050 4,050 Celery 1/ : 2,710 2,790 2,670 Sweet Corn : 3,760 3,970 3,800 Cucumbers : 3,280 3,160 3,160 Head Lettuce : 12,590 13,150 13,190 Bell Peppers 1/ : 2,140 1,900 2,100 Tomatoes : 9,310 9,630 8,740 : Total 11 Vegetables 2/ : 65,070 66,170 66,330 : Cantaloups : 3,320 3,400 4,690 Honeydew Melons : 1,700 1,780 1,940 Watermelons 3/ : 400 : Total 3 Melons 2/ : 5,420 5,180 6,640 : Total Fall Crop 2/ : 70,500 71,350 72,970 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Totals may not add due to rounding. 3/ Seasonal forecast for AZ discontinued in 2003. Estimate to be published in the "Vegetables 2004 Summary". Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 2002-2003 and Forecasted Area 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area Crop : Usual :----------------------------------------- and : Harvest : Harvested : For State : Period :---------------------------: Harvest : : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- Acres ------------- : Snap Beans : FL : Oct-Dec 9,200 10,000 10,000 GA : Oct-Dec 5,000 5,000 5,000 NJ : Sep-Oct 1,600 900 1,600 VA : Sep-Oct 1,900 1,900 1,600 : Total : 17,700 17,800 18,200 : Broccoli 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 27,000 29,000 31,500 : Cabbage : FL : Oct-Dec 500 500 500 GA : Oct-Dec 4,900 4,700 4,200 NJ : Sep-Nov 500 400 500 TX : Sep-Nov 1,000 900 1,500 : Total : 6,900 6,500 6,700 : Cantaloups : AZ : Oct-Dec 4,600 5,000 8,300 CA : Oct-Dec 3,600 3,400 3,300 : Total : 8,200 8,400 11,600 : Carrots : CA : Oct-Dec 15,500 14,500 14,000 TX : Sep-Nov 200 200 300 : Total : 15,700 14,700 14,300 : Cauliflower 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 10,000 10,000 10,000 : Celery 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 6,700 6,900 6,600 : Sweet Corn : CA : Oct-Dec 4,400 5,000 4,900 FL : Oct-Dec 4,900 4,800 4,500 : Total : 9,300 9,800 9,400 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 2002-2003 and Forecasted Area 2004 (continued) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area Crop : Usual :----------------------------------------- and : Harvest : Harvested : For State : Period :---------------------------: Harvest : : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- Acres ------------- : Cucumbers : FL : Oct-Dec 4,800 4,700 4,500 SC : Oct-Dec 800 700 1,100 TX : Sep-Nov 1,400 1,100 1,000 VA : Sep-Oct 1,100 1,300 1,200 : Total : 8,100 7,800 7,800 : Honeydews : AZ : Oct-Dec 800 1,000 1,700 CA : Oct-Dec 3,400 3,400 3,100 : Total : 4,200 4,400 4,800 : Head Lettuce : AZ - Other 2/ : Oct-Dec 300 200 CA : Oct-Dec 30,500 32,000 32,000 NJ 2/ : Sep-Nov 300 300 : Other States 3/ : 600 : Total : 31,100 32,500 32,600 : Bell Peppers 1/ : FL : Oct-Dec 4,900 4,500 4,900 TX : Sep-Nov 400 200 300 : Total : 5,300 4,700 5,200 : Tomatoes : CA : Oct-Dec 9,500 9,600 9,600 FL : Oct-Dec 13,500 14,200 12,000 : Total : 23,000 23,800 21,600 : Watermelons : AZ 4/ : Oct-Dec 1,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Not published to avoid disclosure of individual operations. 3/ 2004 - AZ and NJ. 4/ Seasonal forecast discontinued in 2003. Estimate to be published in the "Vegetables 2004 Summary". Snap Beans: Fall fresh market area for harvest is forecast at 18,200 acres, up 2 percent from last year and 3 percent above 2002. Dade County, Florida snap beans escaped damage from the many hurricanes that have swept through the State this season. Georgia growers experienced wet and windy conditions resulting from Tropical Storm Frances and Hurricane Ivan. These storms damaged crops, slowed harvest, and delayed other field work throughout the vegetable growing areas. The New Jersey crop was planted early this year. Sufficient rainfall during August has benefitted the crop and good yields are expected. In Virginia, excessive rainfall from hurricanes and tropical storms has prevented growers from tending their fields in a timely manner. Broccoli: California's area for fall harvest is forecast at 31,500 acres, 9 percent above last year and 17 percent more than 2002. Cool weather has been favorable for the crop. Conditions were good during planting and no major pest or disease problems have been reported. Growers have stepped up production in response to increased broccoli consumption stemming from the popularity of the latest low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets. Cabbage: Fresh market area for harvest is forecast at 6,700 acres, up 3 percent from last year but 3 percent below two years earlier. Florida's vegetable growers were spared significant damage from hurricanes this season since they had not yet begun planting. Land preparation was disrupted and some plastic film damaged. Growers expect to repair the damage and begin planting by early October. Harvest of Georgia cabbage was slowed by two consecutive storms that brought heavy rains, strong winds, and tornados through the growing areas during September. In New Jersey, growing conditions varied throughout the State. In the northwest, flooding caused heavy crop loss while other parts of the State had more favorable conditions. In Texas, planting has just finished and the crop is beginning to emerge. Rainfall has been beneficial this season. Cantaloups: Fall cantaloup area for harvest is forecast at 11,600 acres, up 38 percent from 2003 and 41 percent above two years ago. The Arizona cantaloup fall crop was planted on schedule and harvest is expected to begin on time. Western regions expect harvest to begin by October 1 and central regions are expected to follow close behind. No quality issues have been reported. The California crop is progressing well under favorable conditions. Quality is good and no major insect or disease problems have been reported. However, supply gluts and low prices have plagued California cantaloup growers this season. Carrots: Area for fresh market harvest is forecast at 14,300 acres, down 3 percent from last year and 9 percent below 2002. Growing conditions for the California crop have been favorable. Baby carrots continue to be in high demand and packaging options are expanding to follow the trend. Texas growers report recently planted carrot acreage is doing well and moisture from recent rainfall has been adequate. Cauliflower: Area for fall harvest in California is forecast at 10,000 acres, unchanged from both last year and 2002. California's fall crop development is normal with no pest or disease problems reported. Weather conditions have been favorable for cauliflower development. Celery: California's fall area for harvest is forecast at 6,600 acres, down 4 percent from 2003 and 1 percent below 2002. Fall season celery is in good condition with no pest or disease problems reported. Sweet Corn: Fresh market area for harvest is forecast at 9,400 acres, down 4 percent from last year but 1 percent above 2002. California's crop is in good condition with no insect or disease problems reported. In Florida, from late August until the present time, windy, stormy weather caused by tropical systems crossing the State prevented growers from planting all intended acres and damaged earlier planted fields. Many producers are currently delaying planting due to the threat of more tropical storms headed for the State. Cucumbers: Area for fall harvest is forecast at 7,800 acres, unchanged from last year but 4 percent lower than 2002. Land preparation in Florida was disrupted by severe wind and rain from hurricanes and tropical storms crossing the State. Plastic film had been ripped up and prepared rows flattened, but growers expect to repair the damage and begin planting by early October. South Carolina's fall acreage for 2004 has increased significantly. It is believed this increase is to make up for decreased acreage during the spring season when wet weather disrupted planting. South Carolina growing areas also received heavy precipitation from the hurricanes and tropical storms that made land fall along the east coast. The Texas cucumber crop is doing well as growers get ready for harvest. Recent rains have caused minimal disease problems. The progress of Virginia's crop has been slowed by frequent storms and hurricanes which have plagued the east coast this season. Wet field conditions have increased disease pressure and made it difficult for growers to treat the problem. Honeydews: Fresh market area for fall harvest is forecast at 4,800 acres, up 9 percent from last year and 14 percent above 2002. Arizona's harvest is expected to being by October 1 in the western regions of the State and the central areas will begin shortly afterward. The California crop is progressing well under favorable growing conditions. Very good quality is reported. The supply gluts and low prices affecting other melons have not been a problem for honeydews. Lower acreage in California this season has kept supplies more in line with demand. Head Lettuce: Area for fall harvest is forecast at 32,600 acres, up less than 1 percent from last year and 5 percent above two years ago. Planting in California is ongoing in many areas. Good crop development is reported in the San Joaquin Valley. Along the Central Coast, warm late summer weather accelerated growth. This, combined with lackluster demand led to poor markets for the summer season. The resulting low prices raised some doubts as to the profitability of planting lettuce for fall harvest. New Jersey growers report good quality for the fall crop. Bell Peppers: Fall area for harvest is forecast at 5,200 acres, up 11 percent from 2003 but 2 percent less than 2002. In Florida, incessant tropical systems have undone land preparations and halted planting activity. Growers should have time to repair the damage once the threat of additional storms has abated. In Texas, the crop is doing well. The peppers are still small and have about 20 more days until harvest begins. Tomatoes: Fresh market area for fall harvest is forecast at 21,600 acres, 9 percent below last year and down 6 percent from 2002. California growers planted fresh market tomatoes as the summer harvest was winding down. Fields have received insecticide treatment as needed. A recent cold snap in the San Joaquin Valley slowed crop development but no significant problems have been noted. The market for California's fresh market tomatoes has improved dramatically following the hurricanes in Florida which have curtailed production in the East. In Florida, the Quincy area was hit by Tropical Storm Bonnie in August and, to a lesser extent, Hurricane Ivan in mid-September. Most acreage in the Immokalee area received rain and wind from the remnants of Ivan but escaped damage from Hurricane Frances. Acreage in Florida's East Coast growing areas received severe damage from Hurricane Frances with losses currently being assessed. Onions: Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season, State, and United States, 2002-2003 and Forecasted 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area : Yield per Acre Season :----------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For : : : State :-------------------: Harvest : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 : : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- Acres ---------- --------- Cwt --------- : Spring : 33,700 31,200 35,300 284 304 323 Summer : Non-Storage : 21,800 21,700 22,400 495 512 448 : Storage : CA 1/ : 28,200 30,800 27,500 410 405 430 CO : 11,000 9,600 11,500 400 385 450 ID : 9,800 9,800 10,800 640 600 700 MI : 3,900 3,600 3,700 230 320 300 MN : 250 210 150 310 310 300 NY : 12,300 11,900 12,000 230 320 400 OH : 470 380 400 260 320 350 OR : Malheur : 12,000 12,200 13,000 650 590 600 Other : 7,300 6,900 8,000 530 470 520 UT : 2,100 1,800 1,300 500 460 500 WA : 18,000 18,000 19,000 560 570 580 WI : 1,900 2,000 1,900 280 345 325 : Total : 107,220 107,190 109,250 462 461 503 : Summer : 129,020 128,890 131,650 467 470 493 : US : 162,720 160,090 166,950 429 437 457 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Production :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2002 : 2003 : 2004 :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Cwt : Spring : 9,561 9,496 11,387 Summer : Non-Storage : 10,792 11,113 10,036 : Storage : CA 1/ : 11,562 12,474 11,825 CO : 4,400 3,696 5,175 ID : 6,272 5,880 7,560 MI : 897 1,152 1,110 MN : 78 65 45 NY : 2,829 3,808 4,800 OH : 122 122 140 OR : Malheur : 7,800 7,198 7,800 Other : 3,869 3,243 4,160 UT : 1,050 828 650 WA : 10,080 10,260 11,020 WI : 532 690 618 : Total : 49,491 49,416 54,903 : Summer : 60,283 60,529 64,939 : US : 69,844 70,025 76,326 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily for dehydrated and other processing. Summer Storage Onion Production Up 11 Percent Summer storage onion production is forecast at 54.9 million hundredweight (cwt), up 11 percent from last year. Harvested area is forecast at 109,250 acres, up 2 percent from 2003. The yield is up 42 cwt from last year at 503 cwt per acre. The California crop was planted with no major problems reported. Ideal growing conditions persisted throughout the season with light insect and disease pressure. Quality and yield were very good this year. Weather in the Colorado onion growing areas has been ideal. Yield has hit a record high this year due to adequate irrigation water and minimal hail. In Idaho, onion harvest is progressing ahead of schedule. Yield is up 100 cwt from last year due to timely rains and relatively disease free fields. Bulb size is above average. Michigan's onion growers expect lower yields from this year's crop. The downy mildew problems of last year persisted via overwintered spores which thrived in the wet and cold conditions of this past spring in Michigan. However, preventative fungicide sprays limited the disease for some growers. Minnesota harvest is expected to begin around October 7 for acreage that has not been damaged or submerged by heavy rains. In New York, the onion crop received enough summer rainfall that irrigation was not needed. In mid-August, however, a hail storm damaged acreage in Orange County, the largest onion producing area in the State. It is too early to determine the extent of the damage. Early September brought 4 to 5 inches of rainfall to the area as the remnants of Hurricane Ivan passed over New York. Despite the rain and hail, growers are expecting high yields and growers in the northern regions report this year's crop as the best ever. Ohio growers have experienced above average precipitation and temperatures close to normal. Growers report the increased rainfall has benefitted this year's crop. Oregon's harvest is in full swing and should finish by October 8 in Malheur County. Harvest ended about September 26 in all other counties in the State. Reservoir levels have been adequate throughout the growing season. Rainfall during the week of September 19 slowed onion harvest but was otherwise welcomed by growers. In Utah, water shortages are a continuing problem as the State suffers through the sixth year of drought. Growers have reduced acreage due to the water shortage. Bulb sizes range from good to smaller than normal. Washington onion growers are still harvesting. There were some occurrences of Iris Yellow Spot Virus and powdery mildew, however, this did not lower yield expectations. Wisconsin growers expect lower yields due to excessive moisture early in the season. Some acreage was flooded and downy mildew has been reported due to the cool and wet conditions during development. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! 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