The Week in Florida Agriculture
July 28 - August 3, 2008
Peanut pegging was 95 percent complete, compared with 84 percent this time last year, and is slightly higher than the 94 percent five-year average. Peanut condition is rated 16 percent fair, 46 percent good, and 38 percent excellent. Above-average temperatures and frequent showers are providing ideal conditions for pastures. Seafood: The season for the commercial harvest of Florida spiny lobster opens August 6. Vegetables: Vegetable producers are preparing land for fall planting. Okra is the only vegetable being marketed at this time. Livestock and Pastures: Pasture and cattle conditions are fair or better throughout the state for the first time in many months. Canals and lakes are still full and water is plentiful. In the Panhandle and northern areas, pastures are in fair to excellent condition. In the central areas, the condition of pastures and cattle is mostly good. In the southwest, pasture condition is mostly good and cattle condition is fair to good. Statewide, cattle condition is fair to excellent. Citrus: Various amounts of rainfall have been received in and around citrus-producing areas. Canals and lakes are still full and water is plentiful. Activity in the groves includes applying summer oils, cleaning ditches, fertilizing, mowing, and some hedging. Growers are combining efforts to address canker and psyllid control. Some growers are abandoning or pushing severely infected groves. Where caretakers have spent ample time maintaining groves, oranges are progressing well with varying sizes between golf ball and baseball size. Grapefruit were typically between baseball and softball size. Overall, conditions are good in well-managed groves.
