Vg 1-1 (1-03) Vegetables National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 9, 2003, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Vegetables" call Biz Wallingsford at (202) 720-2157, office hours 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Fresh Vegetable Harvested Acreage Up 4 Percent Spring Onion Planted Acreage Down 12 Percent Winter Strawberry Acreage Up 3 Percent The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables during the winter quarter is forecast at 185,200 acres. This is 4 percent above 2002 but 2 percent below 2001 for comparable commodities. Acreage increases for snap beans, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, head lettuce, bell pepper, spinach, and tomatoes more than offset decreases for carrots and sweet corn. Celery acreage remained the same. Area planted for spring onions, at 34,400 acres, is down 12 percent from both 2002 and 2001. Arizona increased planted acreage while the remaining spring onion States decreased area planted from 2002. Florida's winter strawberry acreage is forecast at 7,100 acres, an increase of 3 percent over 2002 and 9 percent above 2001. Spring acreage in Michigan and Oregon is forecast at 4,500, unchanged from last season. Contents Fresh Market Page By Crops Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Harvested Acres of Selected Vegetables and Dual Purpose Crops by State Beans, Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Broccoli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Cabbage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Carrots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Cauliflower . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Celery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Corn, Sweet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Eggplant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Lettuce, Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Peppers, Bell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Spinach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Tomatoes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Planted and Harvested Acres of Onions, Spring. . . . . . . .5 Planted and Harvested Acres of Strawberries. . . . . . . . .5 Fresh Market Crop Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Selected Fresh Market Vegetables: Area Harvested by Season and Crop, Major States, 2001-2002 and Forecasted Area 2003 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Crop :-------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Season :-------------------------------------: Harvest : 2001 : 2002 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Snap Beans : 11,000 12,000 12,500 Broccoli 1/ : 29,500 22,000 23,500 Cabbage : 11,900 12,400 13,200 Carrots : 25,000 23,600 23,500 Cauliflower 1/ : 9,500 8,000 9,000 Celery 1/ : 7,700 7,500 7,500 Sweet Corn : 7,400 8,000 7,900 Eggplant 2/ : 500 Head Lettuce : 66,800 64,500 67,000 Bell Pepper 1/ : 4,400 5,600 6,000 Spinach : 2,500 2,200 2,500 Tomatoes : 14,000 12,500 12,600 : Total Winter Crop : 190,200 178,300 185,200 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2002. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables: Area Harvested by Season and Crop, Major States, 2001-2002 and Forecasted Area 2003 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Crop :-------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Season :-------------------------------------: Harvest : 2001 : 2002 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Snap Beans : 4,450 4,860 5,060 Broccoli 1/ : 11,940 8,900 9,510 Cabbage : 4,820 5,020 5,340 Carrots : 10,120 9,550 9,510 Cauliflower 1/ : 3,840 3,240 3,640 Celery 1/ : 3,120 3,040 3,040 Sweet Corn : 2,990 3,240 3,200 Eggplant 2/ : 200 Head Lettuce : 27,030 26,100 27,110 Bell Pepper 1/ : 1,780 2,270 2,430 Spinach : 1,010 890 1,010 Tomatoes : 5,670 5,060 5,100 : Total Winter Crop 3/ : 76,970 72,160 74,950 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2002. 3/ Total may not add due to rounding. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Winter Season, 2001-2002 and Forecasted Area 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area Crop : Usual :-------------------------------------- and : Harvest : Harvested : For State : Period :-------------------------: Harvest : : 2001 : 2002 : 2003 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ------------- Acres ------------- Percent : Snap Beans : FL : Jan-Mar 11,000 12,000 12,500 : Broccoli 1/ : CA : Jan-Mar 29,500 22,000 23,500 : Cabbage : FL : Jan-Mar 5,000 5,500 5,500 TX : Dec-Mar 6,900 6,900 7,700 : Total : 11,900 12,400 13,200 : Carrots : CA : Jan-Mar 23,000 21,500 21,500 TX : Dec-Mar 2,000 2,100 2,000 : Total : 25,000 23,600 23,500 : Cauliflower 1/ : CA : Jan-Mar 9,500 8,000 9,000 : Celery 1/ : CA : Jan-Mar 7,700 7,500 7,500 : Sweet Corn : FL : Jan-Mar 7,400 8,000 7,900 : Eggplant 2/ : FL : Jan-Mar 500 : Head Lettuce : AZ - Western : Nov-Apr 51,800 50,000 52,000 CA : Jan-Mar 15,000 14,500 15,000 : Total : 66,800 64,500 67,000 : Bell Pepper 1/ : FL : Jan-Mar 4,400 5,600 6,000 : Spinach : TX : Dec-Mar 2,500 2,200 2,500 : Tomatoes : FL : Jan-Mar 14,000 12,500 12,600 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimate discontinued in 2002. Onions and Strawberries for Fresh Market: Area Planted and Harvested by Crop, Season, and Total, 2001-2002 and Forecasted Area 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop, : Planted Area : Harvested Area Season, :--------------------------------------------------------------- and : : : : : : For Harvest State : 2001 : 2002 : 2003 : 2001 : 2002 : 2003 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Onions 1/ : Spring : AZ 2/ : 3,100 1,600 1,700 3,000 1,500 CA 2/ : 6,400 6,400 6,200 6,200 6,200 GA : 14,500 14,700 14,000 13,500 11,500 13,500 TX : 15,200 16,200 12,500 14,200 15,000 12,000 : Total 2/ : 39,200 38,900 34,400 36,900 34,200 : Strawberries 3/ : Winter : FL : 6,500 6,900 7,100 6,500 6,900 7,100 : Spring : CA : 26,400 28,500 26,400 28,500 MI : 1,000 1,000 1,000 900 900 900 NJ 4/ : 500 400 OR : 3,800 3,500 3,500 3,100 3,000 3,000 WA 5/ : 1,600 1,800 1,600 1,800 : Total : 33,300 34,800 32,400 34,200 : Major States : Total : 39,800 41,700 38,900 41,100 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily fresh market. 2/ 2003 harvested acreage published April 4, 2003. 3/ Includes fresh market and processing. 4/ Estimate discontinued in 2002. 5/ Seasonal estimate discontinued. Estimate to be published in January 2004 Annual. Snap Beans: Florida acreage for harvest is 12,500 acres, up 4 percent from last year and 14 percent above 2001. Snap bean harvest is under way with good conditions reported. Broccoli: California acreage is forecast at 23,500 acres, 7 percent above 2002 but 20 percent below 2001. Weather conditions have been favorable for the winter desert broccoli crop. High yields and good quality are reported. Mild fall and early winter weather has stimulated development causing the crop to be a week to ten days ahead of schedule. Cabbage: Winter acreage for harvest is forecast at 13,200 acres, 6 percent above 2002 and up 11 percent from 2001. Florida's harvest is active and the crop is in good condition. In Texas, cabbage production continues to flourish and yield is expected to be good this season as a result of excellent weather conditions. Carrots: Winter harvested acreage is forecast at 23,500 acres, virtually unchanged from last year but 6 percent below two years ago. The California crop is reported in good condition with no major problems. High demand for baby carrots continues. In Texas, growers are expecting better yields due to a new hybrid carrot planted this season. Cauliflower: California acreage is forecast at 9,000 acres, up 13 percent from 2002 but 5 percent below 2001. Weather conditions have been favorable to winter cauliflower and good yields are expected as growers allocated the most fertile fields to vegetables. No disease or pest problems have developed. Celery: The winter celery crop for harvest in California is forecast at 7,500 acres, unchanged from last year but 3 percent below 2001. The quality of this seasons celery crop is good with no pest or disease problems. Sweet Corn: Florida harvested acreage is forecast at 7,900 acres, 1 percent less than last year but 7 percent more than 2001. Growth and ear development of this winter season crop were spurred by frequent rains during November and December. Head Lettuce: Area for harvest is forecast at 67,000 acres, up 4 percent from last year but virtually unchanged from two years ago. Arizona growers are dealing with the typical pests and diseases in the crop. In some areas, warm weather has accelerated crop growth and caused marketing of the crop to begin too early creating depressed prices. California's harvest began early in some areas of the Imperial Valley. Harvest typically runs December 15 through March 15, but began the last week of November this year. The crop is reported in good condition but wet conditions did slow field activity in some areas the last two weeks of December. Onions: Growers intend to plant 34,400 acres of spring onions for 2003, down 12 percent from both 2002 and 2001. Arizona weather has been dry but has not impacted the onion crop due to irrigation. In California, planting began in early November under adequate conditions. Onion fields have shown good growth in many areas in response to recent rains and good growing conditions. In Georgia, temperatures during the fall and early winter have been near normal. Above normal rainfall has delayed transplanting in some areas. Weather conditions in Texas have been ideal which could lead to an excellent crop with good yields. Bell Peppers: Winter acreage in Florida is forecast at 6,000 acres, 7 percent above last year and 36 percent above 2001. Frequent rainfall during the last three months of the year interrupted some planting and harvesting activities and lowered yield expectations. Picking is active with volume down a little from last year. Spinach: Harvested acres of winter spinach in Texas is forecast at 2,500 acres, an increase of 14 percent from 2002 but the same as the 2001 crop. Weather conditions in Texas are excellent and production is expected to increase in the San Antonio/Winter Garden area. Strawberries: Florida winter acreage is forecast at 7,100 acres, up 3 percent from last year and 9 percent above 2001. Florida growers planted less acreage to the early maturing varieties and more to the late maturing reducing shipments at this time. Heavy rains destroyed some berries during the early maturing stage. Spring acreage in Michigan and Oregon is forecast at 4,500 acres, unchanged from 2002 but 6 percent below 2001. In Michigan, winter snowfall and temperatures have been average to date. The crop in Oregon is progressing well with no problems reported. Tomatoes: Florida winter tomato acreage is forecast at 12,600 acres, up 1 percent from 2002 but 10 percent below 2001. Frequent storms delayed some planting and lowered expected yields during the last three months of the year. Most of the southern Peninsula growing areas (Immokalee, Homestead, Jupiter, and Stuart) escaped the freezing temperatures that were felt by many Panhandle and northern and central Peninsula areas during December. Picking was active the last few months of 2002 with volume down slightly due to reduced yields. The next "Vegetables" report will be released at 3 p.m. ET on April 4, 2003. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: http:/www.usda.gov/nass/. Select "Today's Reports" or Publications and then Reports Calendar or Publications and then Search, by Title or Subject. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. Starting with the NASS Home Page at http:/www.usda.gov/nass/, click on Publications, then click on the Subscribe by E-mail button which takes you to the page describing e-mail delivery of reports. Finally, click on Go to the Subscription Page and follow the instructions. AUTOFAX ACCESS NASSFax service is available for some reports from your fax machine. Please call 202-720-2000, using the handset attached to your fax. Respond to the voice prompts. Document 0411 is a list of available reports. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRINTED REPORTS OR DATA PRODUCTS CALL OUR TOLL-FREE ORDER DESK: 800-999-6779 (U.S. and Canada) Other areas, please call 703-605-6220 FAX: 703-605-6900 (Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order acceptable for payment.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASSISTANCE For assistance with general agricultural statistics or further information about NASS or its products or services, contact the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. Competing in the 21st Century February 20-21, 2003 Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel Arlington, Virginia 2003 Commodity Prospects Emerging Export Competitors Farming under New Programs Coping with Regulations Shifting consumer Preferences Ensuring Food Safety Impact of El Nino Sharpen your strategic focus at USDA's 79th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. Note experts, industry leaders and producers will discuss many facets of competing in domestic and world markets. The program will examine growing competition from Central and Eastern Europe, Brazil and Asia, as well as progress in WTO negotiations. Focus sessions will highlight many challenges producers face in the competitive arena, ranging from the growing complexity and cost of regulation, to dealing with food safety and changing eating habits. As always, leading analysts will be on hand to debate planting, trade and price prospects for farm commodities for the year ahead. Attendees will receive new 10-year commodity projections from USDA. Networking opportunities abound at the Forum, which attracted 1,400 attendees last February. Register now for the best value. See full details at www.usda.gov/oce. www.usda.gov/oce agforum@oce.usda.gov (877) 891-2208 toll free