The Week in Florida Agriculture
November 22-28, 2010
Minimal field activity due to the holiday. Tomato harvest is nearly complete. Low soil moisture could delay planting of potatoes. Good weather is aiding strawberry development as light harvesting continues. Drought conditions remain severe. Sugarcane harvest continues. Tomato harvest continues. Vegetable harvest continues. Rice harvest is complete. Sweet corn harvest continues. Weather Summary: Dry conditions persisted throughout the week with only a small amount of rainfall. Temperatures averaged 2 to 6 degrees above normal. Highs were in the 80s and lows were mostly in the 30s-50s. Seafood: Spiny lobster, stone crab claws, mullet, grouper, snapper, king mackerel, clams, live blue crabs, crab meat, oysters and shrimp are plentiful. Forestry: Landowners should establish fire lines and prepare plans for dormant season prescribed burns. For winter tree planting, they should order seedlings, select planting contractors, and complete site preparation. Vegetables: Harvesting increased to meet holiday demand. Vegetable movement includes sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, endive, escarole, okra, bell peppers, radishes, squash, strawberries, tomatoes, and avocados. Livestock and Pastures: Pastures are short and supplemental hay feeding is active. Statewide, cattle condition is very poor to excellent with most good. Citrus: Overall, there were abnormally dry conditions in all of the citrus area, according to the U.S. drought monitor last updated on November 23. Moderate to extreme drought conditions extend over a third of the citrus area. Forty-three packinghouses and nine processors are open, with a few more to open soon.
