The Week in Florida Agriculture
September 13-19, 2010
Hot and dry conditions have hurt some peanut and cotton yields. Peanut crop condition is rated 3 percent very poor, 25 percent poor, 19 percent fair, 43 percent good, and 10 percent excellent. Peanut digging is 23 percent complete, compared to 21 percent this time last year and the five-year average of 13 percent. Soybean harvest is expected to begin early October. Dry conditions have hindered peanut digging. Vegetable planting continues. Tomato harvest is expected to begin soon. Soybeans, cotton and especially peanuts are suffering from significant drought conditions. Many soybean plants are aborting pods and dropping leaves. Vegetable planting continues. Sugarcane planting continues. Mills expect to begin harvesting in the next few weeks. Light supplies of okra are being marketed. Weather Summary: Rain is needed to aid field crops. Seafood: Grouper, spiny lobster, red snapper, amberjack, flounder, mullet, live blue crab, blue crab meat, and shrimp are plentiful. Forestry: Land owners should prepare for winter planting by ordering pine seedlings, selecting tree planting contractors, completing mechanical and chemical site preparation, and conducting growing-season prescribed burns in suitable pine stands. Vegetables: Okra and avocadoes are moving through the market. Livestock and Pastures: Statewide, pastures are fair to excellent with most fair. Statewide, cattle are poor to excellent. Citrus: Growing conditions continue to be good across the citrus region.
