The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables during the spring quarter is forecast at 214,100 acres, down 5 percent from last year. Acreage decreases for snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, head lettuce, and tomatoes more than offset acreage increases for carrots, sweet corn, and bell peppers. Melon acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 79,100 acres, down 1 percent from last year.
Watermelon acreage is up 3 percent from 2004. Cantaloup acreage is down 4 percent from a year ago. Honeydew melon acreage is down 13 percent. Asparagus acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 49,500 acres, down 6 percent from last year. Strawberry acreage for harvest is forecast at 43,700 acres, up 2 percent for comparable States in 2004.
Processors expect to contract 1.21 million acres of the 5 major processed vegetable crops in the U.S. this year, down 1 percent from last year. Contracted acreage decreases are forecast for tomatoes, snap beans, and sweet corn, while cucumbers for pickles and green peas show increases. Freezing firms expect to contract virtually the same acreage as last year, with 383,600 acres under contract. Acreage for both snap beans and green peas is up 2 percent.
Sweet corn acreage for freezing is down 2 percent from last year. Canneries contracted for 829,500 acres, down 2 percent from 2004. Acreage increased for cucumbers for pickles, green peas, and sweet corn, up 15, 13, and less than 1 percent, respectively, while acreage decreased for tomatoes and snap beans, down 9 and 7 percent, respectively.
Total planted onion acreage for all seasons in 2005 is forecast at 172,300 acres, down 3 percent from last year. Spring onions will be harvested from 37,100 acres in 2005, up 4 percent from 2004.
Georgia and Texas combined production is forecast at 7.59 million cwt, 1 percent below last year. Summer non-storage onion planted acreage, at 24,000 acres, is virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Total summer onion acreage, at 133,000 acres, is down 3 percent from the previous year.
Fresh Market Crop Comments
Asparagus: Intended acreage for harvest is forecast at 49,500 acres, down 6 percent from 2004. Acreage in California decreased 8 percent due to continued rain through February and into early March coupled with competition from Mexico. The season got off to a slow start but warm weather between storms enhanced growth and allowed harvest to begin in the San Joaquin and Salinas Valleys. Michigan's crop wintered well and is looking good.
Growers indicate no change in acreage this season. Washington's weather conditions this winter were mild and snow was very short leaving growers concerned about the water supply for the upcoming season. Harvested acreage is forecast at 13,000 acres, 7 percent below last year.
Snap Beans: Acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 22,100 acres, down 1 percent from last year. Florida and New Jersey acreage increased 1 percent and 13 percent, respectively, while Georgia's acreage decreased 6 percent. Florida growers are harvesting the winter acreage and will soon start on the spring crop. No major problems have been reported. Georgia snap beans are in good to fair condition with favorable conditions reported for this season. New Jersey growers, although intending to plant more snap beans this year because of good prices, are concerned over rising fuel and labor costs.
Broccoli: California's acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 32,600 acres, down 6 percent from 2004. Wet, cool weather in February interrupted planting and slowed development but warmer weather in March stimulated growth. No major pest or disease problems are reported for the spring season.
Cabbage: Acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 7,700 acres, down 6 percent from last year. Acreage is unchanged for Florida, New Jersey, and Texas while Georgia's acreage decreased 11 percent. Florida's harvest is active with no major problems reported. The Georgia crop is in good condition. Soil moisture and temperatures have been favorable for the crop this season. Growing conditions have been favorable for the early cabbage crop in New Jersey. Texas growers report wet and muddy field conditions which have slowed harvest.
Cantaloup: Acreage intended for harvest is forecast at 30,700 acres, down 4 percent from 2004. Arizona's crop is up 8 percent from the previous spring and is expected to be harvested on schedule. California's cantaloup crop is currently expected to be about two weeks late due to cooler than average temperatures, wet conditions, and cloudy skies. The Georgia crop is reported in good to fair condition. Weather in Texas has been favorable for good growth and development and melon growers expect a good season.
Carrots: Acreage for harvest is forecast at 21,000 acres, up 9 percent from last year. Forecasted spring acreage is up in California and Texas. Weather in California has been favorable and development is normal. Baby carrots continue to be popular. Growers and shippers are capitalizing on the demand created by the "5-a-Day the Color Way" marketing efforts and the trend toward packaged vegetables. The Texas crop is progressing well.
Cauliflower: California's acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 9,200 acres, 3 percent below 2004. Wet, cool weather in February delayed planting and slowed growth and development. Conditions warmed in March, allowing continued growth. No major pest or disease problems are reported this season.
Celery: California's acreage for spring harvest is forecast at 5,100 acres, down 2 percent from last year. Excessive rainfall in the central and southern coast areas of the State since last fall has reduced spring production. The crop has been behind for the past few months but more recently has begun to show improvement.
Sweet Corn: Intended acreage for harvest is forecast at 38,600 acres, up 4 percent from a year ago. Both California and Florida expect increased acreage for the spring season. The California crop is in good to excellent condition with no pest or disease problems reported. In Florida, cooler temperatures during most of March slowed stalk and ear development. Recent warmer weather has spurred development and most acreage is reported in good condition.
Cucumbers: Spring harvested acreage is forecast at 7,200 acres, down 3 percent from 2004. Florida's acreage is forecast at 5,900 acres, 3 percent below last year. Planting was on schedule until recent rains interrupted field work. Acreage in South Carolina and Texas is unchanged from last year. Texas growers report favorable growing conditions for this year's spring crop.
Honeydew Melons: Acreage for harvest is forecast at 4,100 acres, down 13 percent from 2004. California's honeydew crop development was hindered by cool temperatures and cloudy skies. The crop could be two weeks late. In general, the weather in Texas has been favorable and the honeydew crop is progressing well.
Head Lettuce: Intended acreage for harvest is forecast at 34,900 acres, down 24 percent from 2004. Acreage is forecasted to decrease in California. The Arizona crop has been delayed by excessive wet and muddy field conditions. Growers report a wide range in crop quality. In California, planting of Salinas Valley lettuce is on schedule despite continued rainfall. The Huron district is expected to begin harvesting by the end of March. Demand for ready to eat bagged salad remains high. In New Jersey, field preparation and planting is slightly behind schedule due to recent cold and rainy weather. However, growers still expect a normal season.
Spring Onions: Producers intend to harvest 37,100 acres, up 4 percent from last year. Arizona growers have been unable to get into fields due to increased rainfall. Some growers are having to spray for mold because of the wet conditions. Some locations throughout California report mild temperatures and good conditions that have led to good stands. Some areas of California, however, are two weeks behind schedule because of below normal temperatures and rain. Some intended acreage was not planted due to wet field conditions. In Georgia, the crop is doing well and disease problems are minimal. Harvest will begin in early April and is expected to peak by the end of April. Irrigation in Georgia has been minimal. Texas onions are doing very well. Milder weather has made for optimum growing conditions.
Summer Non-Storage Onions: Non-storage planted acreage is 24,000 acres, up less than 1 percent from last year. The California summer onion crop was planted with some delays due to rain. Recent mild temperatures and timely rainfall have helped the crop to progress. No major problems have been reported. Planting in Nevada is underway with some growers having difficulty due to wet field conditions. New Mexico planting was 90 percent complete as of the last week of March with the crop reported in mostly good condition. The Texas summer onion crop is doing well due to milder weather conditions and the recent decrease in rainfall.
Washington's winter conditions were good and over wintered onions are in good condition at the present time. Onion growers who irrigate are concerned because water levels are well below normal this year.
Summer Storage Onions: Storage planted acreage is 109,000 acres, down 4 percent from comparable States in 2004. California acreage, which is primarily dehydrated or otherwise processed, is forecast at 29,000 acres, down 1 percent from 2004. The California storage onion crop was planted with some rain delays but no major problems are reported. Mild temperatures in addition to recent rains have helped crop development. Colorado growers remain optimistic for a more normal crop this year due to an above-average snow pack. March precipitation was also above normal this year. Idaho onion planting has already begun due to early spring-like conditions.
Irrigation supplies for the State are expected to be short.
However, growers expect water supplies to be adequate for this year's crop. New York acreage is expected to be about the same as last year. Oregon acreage in Malheur is expected to decrease while acreage in other areas is expected to increase. In Utah, drought conditions have lessened due to good snowfall in the mountains and recent rain and snow in the growing areas. Most of the small and moderate sized reservoirs should be filled this year, but the large reservoirs and lakes will take a few more wet years to fill. In Washington, lack of rain or snow pack over the winter months is a concern for onion growers.
Bell Peppers: Acreage for harvest is forecast at 8,100 acres, up 7 percent from 2004. In Florida, favorable conditions early in the season allowed good growth and development. However, recent rainy weather may have caused damage to the crop. The extent of the damage is currently being assessed. Texas bell peppers are doing well but harvest was slowed by excessive rainfall early in the season.
Strawberries: Acreage intended for harvest is forecast at 43,700 acres, up 2 percent from last year's comparable States. California's acreage for harvest is forecast at 34,300 acres, up 3 percent from 2004. The California strawberry season started slow this year due to heavy rainfall in Southern California which caused fruit damage and delayed harvest. However, production in recent weeks has increased. California acreage is reported to be moving north from the southern districts to Oxnard and Santa Maria. In Florida, the crop started slightly behind last year. Planting got a late start due to hurricanes blowing up the plastic. Harvest began in late November and should be finished in early April.
Quality is reported as better than last year. The Oregon crop is expected to be smaller than last year because of dry conditions over the winter to the present time.
Tomatoes: Acreage for harvest is forecast at 27,600 acres, down 1 percent from 2004. In California, continued rainfall and wet soil conditions slowed field activity throughout March leading to a decrease in harvested acres. No pest or disease problems have been reported thus far. Florida's weather has been cooler than normal, causing slower foliage and fruit development. However, most of the acreage is in good condition. Harvest is active in the southern Peninsula during March.
Watermelons: Acreage intended for harvest is forecast at 44,300 acres, up 3 percent from last year. California's melon crop is progressing slowly due to cool temperatures and cloudy skies and is expected to reach the market two weeks late. Demand is high for the new baby watermelons. Florida's harvest is expected to begin in April and continue into early July. Texas growers are concerned about fungal disease pressure carried over from last year's crop.