The Week in Florida Agriculture
October 26 - November 1, 2009
Growers continue to harvest peanuts, cotton and soybeans in fields that are adequately dry. Peanut harvesting is 74 percent complete, compared to 89 percent this time last year and 5-year average of 90 percent. A few growers baled the last hay cutting. Condition peanuts, cotton and soybeans continues to decline. Wet conditions are delaying the tomato harvest. A few growers baled the last hay cutting. Planting of winter season vegetables continues. Sugarcane harvest remains active. Weather Summary: Rain was mostly light across the state with most of the rain in the Panhandle. Other areas were dry. Forestry: Land owners are preparing for winter tree planting and prescribed burning. Seafood: Red grouper, amberjack, flounder, spiny lobster, red snapper, yellowfin tuna, stone crab claws and oysters are plentiful. Vegetables: Harvesting of vegetables is increasing seasonally with light volumes of cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash, sweet corn, tomatoes, watermelons and specialty items coming to market. Avocados, okra and some greens are moving through the market. Livestock and Pastures: Pasture conditions are declining with shorter days and cooler nights. Winter forage planting is active. In the Panhandle, pasture condition is fair to excellent. In the northern areas, pasture condition is poor to good with most fair. Permanent pasture has gone into dormancy. Planting of ryegrass and winter wheat for winter forage continues. Cattle condition is poor to excellent with most good. In the central areas, pasture condition is very poor to excellent with most fair. Forage growth has been hurt by drought, armyworms and seasonally cooler weather. Cattle condition is poor to good with most good. In the Southwest, pasture condition is very poor to excellent with most good. The condition of pasture grasses decreased due to another week of drought and hot weather. The fall calving season is under way. Statewide, cattle condition is poor to excellent with most good. Citrus: A cool front on Sunday brought relief from record highs, but had no impact on Florida’s citrus. High temperatures for the week were mostly in the low-90s, with weekend lows reaching the upper-50s or lower-60s for most of the citrus region. Rainfall continued to be light for the week across the citrus belt. Putnam Hall received over an inch of rain, but proved to be the exception, with all other stations in the citrus-growing areas receiving a half-inch or less. Grove activity includes limited harvesting, herbiciding and mowing. Scouting for greening and removal of affected trees continues. Thirty-nine packinghouses have are open and shipping fruit, with only a few left that could open. Varieties being packed include early oranges (Navels, Ambersweet, and Hamlin), white and colored grapefruit, and early tangerines (Fallglo and Sunburst). Seven processors are open and accepting fruit.
