Vg 1-1 (10-02) Vegetables National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 4, 2002, 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 Virtually Unchanged The prospective area for harvest of 11 selected fresh market vegetables during the fall quarter is forecast at 168,550 acres, virtually unchanged from comparable commodities last year. Acreage increased for snap beans, cabbage, cucumbers, head lettuce, bell peppers, and tomatoes, while acreage decreased for broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, celery, and sweet corn. Area forecasted for melon harvest is 15,600 acres, up 6 percent from last year. Cantaloup acreage is forecast at 9,700 acres, up 9 percent from 2001. Honeydew acreage is forecast at 4,900 acres, up 2 percent from last fall. Watermelon acreage is forecast at 1,000 acres, the same as last year. Summer Storage Onion Production Down 2 Percent Summer storage onion production is forecast at 45.9 million hundredweight, down 2 percent from last year. Storage onion harvested area is forecast at 100,110 acres, 2 percent below 2001. California production, at 12.4 million hundredweight, is 5 percent higher than 2001. Harvested acreage is expected to be 28,200 acres, unchanged from last year. Contents Fresh Market Page By Crops Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Harvested Acres of Selected Vegetables, Melons, and Dual Purpose Crops by State Beans, Snap. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Broccoli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cabbage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cantaloups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Carrots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cauliflower. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Celery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Corn, Sweet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Cucumbers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Eggplant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Escarole/Endive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Honeydews. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Lettuce, Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Peppers, Bell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Tomatoes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Watermelons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7 Fresh Market Crop Comments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Onions, Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season Onions, Spring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onions, Summer Non-storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onions, Summer Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Onion Crop Comments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 2000-2001 and Forecasted Area 2002 (Domestic Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Acres : Winter : 196,000 191,100 179,700 : Spring : 309,900 312,200 304,400 : Summer : 441,000 452,100 454,600 : Fall : Snap Beans : 18,400 17,300 19,300 Broccoli 1/ : 31,000 29,000 27,000 Cabbage : 6,200 5,900 6,300 Carrots : 17,900 19,600 17,400 Cauliflower 1/ : 11,000 11,000 10,500 Celery 1/ : 6,400 7,000 6,800 Sweet Corn : 8,200 9,500 9,000 Cucumbers : 8,000 7,200 8,050 Eggplant 2/ : 700 700 Escarole/Endive 2/ : 800 700 Head Lettuce : 30,900 32,800 33,300 Bell Peppers 1/ : 7,800 5,200 5,400 Tomatoes : 22,800 24,500 25,500 : Total 13 Vegetables : 170,100 170,400 168,550 : Cantaloups : 8,900 8,900 9,700 Honeydew Melons : 3,300 4,800 4,900 Watermelons : 1,000 1,000 1,000 : Total 3 Melons : 13,200 14,700 15,600 : Total Fall Crop : 183,300 185,100 184,150 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2002. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Season, and Crop, Major States, 2000-2001 and Forecasted Area 2002 (Metric Units) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area Season :----------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For Crop :-----------------------------------: Harvest : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Hectares : Winter : 79,320 77,340 72,720 : Spring : 125,410 126,340 123,190 : Summer : 178,470 182,960 183,970 : Fall : Snap Beans : 7,450 7,000 7,810 Broccoli 1/ : 12,550 11,740 10,930 Cabbage : 2,510 2,390 2,550 Carrots : 7,240 7,930 7,040 Cauliflower 1/ : 4,450 4,450 4,250 Celery 1/ : 2,590 2,830 2,750 Sweet Corn : 3,320 3,840 3,640 Cucumbers : 3,240 2,910 3,260 Eggplant 2/ : 280 280 Escarole/Endive 2/ : 320 280 Head Lettuce : 12,500 13,270 13,480 Bell Peppers 1/ : 3,160 2,100 2,190 Tomatoes : 9,230 9,910 10,320 : Total 13 Vegetables 3/ : 68,840 68,960 68,210 : Cantaloups : 3,600 3,600 3,930 Honeydew Melons : 1,340 1,940 1,980 Watermelons : 400 400 400 : Total 3 Melons 3/ : 5,340 5,950 6,310 : Total Fall Crop 3/ : 74,180 74,910 74,520 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2002. 3/ Totals may not add due to rounding. Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 2000-2001 and Forecasted Area 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area Crop : Usual :----------------------------------------- and : Harvest : Harvested : For State : Period :---------------------------: Harvest : : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- Acres ------------- : Snap Beans : FL : Oct-Dec 10,000 9,000 11,000 GA : Sep-Dec 4,500 4,500 4,500 NJ : Sep-Oct 2,000 1,800 1,800 VA : Sep-Oct 1,900 2,000 2,000 : Total : 18,400 17,300 19,300 : Broccoli 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 31,000 29,000 27,000 : Cabbage : FL : Oct-Dec 900 500 500 GA : Sep-Dec 3,000 3,500 4,100 NJ : Sep-Nov 700 500 500 TX : Sep-Nov 1,600 1,400 1,200 : Total : 6,200 5,900 6,300 : Cantaloups : AZ : Oct-Dec 4,900 4,600 5,000 CA : Oct-Dec 4,000 4,300 4,700 : Total : 8,900 8,900 9,700 : Carrots : CA : Oct-Dec 17,500 19,000 17,000 TX : Sep-Nov 400 600 400 : Total : 17,900 19,600 17,400 : Cauliflower 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 11,000 11,000 10,500 : Celery 1/ : CA : Oct-Dec 6,400 7,000 6,800 : Sweet Corn : CA : Oct-Dec 4,000 4,600 4,300 FL : Oct-Dec 4,200 4,900 4,700 : Total : 8,200 9,500 9,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- See footnote(s) at end of table. --continued Selected Fresh Market Vegetables and Melons: Area Harvested by Crop, State, and Total, Fall Season, 2000-2001 and Forecasted Area 2002 (continued) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : Area Crop : Usual :----------------------------------------- and : Harvest : Harvested : For State : Period :---------------------------: Harvest : : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : -------------- Acres ------------- : Cucumbers : FL : Oct-Dec 4,700 3,500 4,000 SC : Oct-Dec 600 800 650 TX : Sep-Nov 1,400 1,500 1,400 VA : Sep-Oct 1,300 1,400 2,000 : Total : 8,000 7,200 8,050 : Eggplant : FL 2/ : Oct-Dec 700 700 : Escarole/Endive : FL 2/ 3/ : Sep-Dec 400 NJ 2/ 3/ : Sep-Nov 400 : Total : 800 700 : Honeydews : AZ : Oct-Dec 1,300 800 1,000 CA : Oct-Dec 2,000 4,000 3,900 : Total : 3,300 4,800 4,900 : Head Lettuce : AZ - Other : Sep-Dec 500 500 500 CA : Oct-Dec 30,000 32,000 32,500 NJ : Sep-Nov 400 300 300 : Total : 30,900 32,800 33,300 : Bell Peppers 1/ : FL : Oct-Dec 7,000 4,500 4,900 TX : Sep-Nov 800 700 500 : Total : 7,800 5,200 5,400 : Tomatoes : CA : Oct-Dec 9,500 10,500 10,000 FL : Oct-Dec 13,300 14,000 15,500 : Total : 22,800 24,500 25,500 : Watermelons : AZ : Nov-Apr 1,000 1,000 1,000 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Includes fresh market and processing. 2/ Estimates discontinued in 2002. 3/ Not published for 2001 to avoid disclosure of individual operations. Snap Beans: Fall fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 19,300 acres, up 12 percent from last year and 5 percent above 2000. Florida's planting is active in the major growing areas. The rate of planting is expected to increase in October. The crop is on schedule. Georgia has received several inches of rain in past weeks which should aid crop development. However, drier weather is needed so growers can begin harvest. The New Jersey crop is on schedule but dry conditions have reduced the projected yield. Drought conditions in Virginia had little effect on snap beans since most are irrigated, but high winds and temperature extremes have reduced quality and caused some bloom loss. Broccoli: California's acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 27,000 acres, 7 percent below last year and 13 percent less than 2000. The fall crop was progressing well as of mid-September. No major pest or disease problems have been reported. Cabbage: Fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 6,300 acres, up 7 percent from last year and 2 percent above two years earlier. Florida's crop is on schedule with active planting in the major growing areas. The rate of planting is expected to increase in October. The Georgia crop has benefitted from several inches of rain in recent weeks. However, drier weather is needed to begin harvesting. New Jersey early plantings had sizing problems but conditions have improved for the fall crop. In Texas, wet and unseasonably cool conditions have been ideal for cabbage production. The crop is progressing well with few pest problems reported. Cantaloups: Fall cantaloup acreage for harvest is forecast at 9,700 acres, up 9 percent from the last two years. Arizona's summer was long and hot with below normal precipitation. The California crop was late getting started but growing conditions for the fall are favorable and a good quality crop is expected. Carrots: Acreage for fresh market harvest is forecast at 17,400 acres, down 11 percent from last year and 3 percent below 2000. Planting of the California crop was completed by mid-September with no major problems reported. Texas fresh market acreage is down because producers are switching to processing varieties. Cauliflower: Acreage for fall harvest in California is forecast at 10,500 acres, down 5 percent from both last year and 2000. California's fall crop development is normal with no pest or disease problems reported. Weak summer markets forced some Central Coast growers to disc their cauliflower crops, which helped prices to recover by September. Celery: California's fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 6,800 acres, down 3 percent from 2001 but up 6 percent from 2000. Quality and yield of the early fall crop are good. There are no reported problems with pests or diseases. Sweet Corn: Fresh market acreage for harvest is forecast at 9,000 acres, down 5 percent from last year but 10 percent more than 2000. Yields in California are reported to be excellent. Demand for sweet corn has been very good and it appears the new varieties introduced last year are popular with consumers. Florida has received rains from tropical systems that have boosted sweet corn growth with no significant planting delays. Cucumbers: Acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 8,050 acres, 12 percent above last year and 1 percent greater than 2000. Planting in Florida is active and on schedule in the major growing areas. Also, the rate of planting is expected to increase in October. South Carolina acreage has decreased from last year due to extreme drought conditions at planting time. In some areas of Texas, rains kept harvesters out of the fields and the cucumbers grew too large for use or rotted in the fields. Cucumber harvest in the Plains was nearing completion. In Virginia, hot days and cold nights have slowed crop development. Honeydews: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 4,900 acres, up 2 percent from last year and 48 percent above 2000. Arizona's summer was long and hot with below normal moisture. The California crop was late getting started. However, favorable growing conditions have helped the fall crop attain very good size and shape and excellent flavor. Head Lettuce: Acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 33,300 acres, up 2 percent from last year and 8 percent above the year before. Arizona reports no unusual problems with the fall crop. The summer was long and hot with below normal precipitation. California's fall lettuce crop is progressing well. August temperatures were moderate resulting in a good quality crop with steady volumes. However, recent high temperatures may have caused tip burn in some areas of the San Joaquin Valley. No major pest problems have been reported but the presence of verticillium disease continues to be noted as a small but increasing problem. New Jersey's cooler nighttime temperatures have contributed to a good quality fall crop. Bell Peppers: Fall acreage for harvest is forecast at 5,400 acres, up 4 percent from 2001 but 31 percent less than 2000. In Florida, rain from scattered showers boosted growth and development during September and caused only a few delays in planting. The Texas harvest is mostly complete and appears to be a smaller crop than last year due to lack of moisture in late spring and early summer. Tomatoes: Fresh market acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 25,500 acres, up 4 percent from last year and 12 percent above 2000. California growers expect ample supplies from the fall harvest. Most summer temperatures, except for a heat wave in July that adversely affected yields at that time, were conducive to tomato growth and are expected to help the quality of the fall crop. In Florida, rainfall from tropical storms in September lowered the quality of immature fruit in some areas. Picking began in northern Florida during late September. Watermelons: Arizona acreage for fall harvest is forecast at 1,000 acres, unchanged from both 2001 and 2000. Arizona's fall season is typical following a long and hot summer with below normal moisture. Onions: Area Harvested, Yield, and Production by Season, State, and United States, 2000-2001 and Forecasted 2002 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Area : Yield per Acre Season :----------------------------------------------------------- and : Harvested : For : : : State :-------------------: Harvest : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 : : : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : ---------- Acres ---------- --------- Cwt --------- : Spring : 36,200 36,200 33,300 326 306 283 Summer : Non-Storage : 21,500 20,700 21,700 410 473 484 : Storage : CA 1/ : 36,300 28,200 28,200 445 420 440 CO : 11,500 12,000 11,000 355 345 370 ID : 7,400 7,800 7,900 650 640 640 MI : 3,500 3,500 3,800 270 280 240 MN : 90 220 240 210 330 270 NY : 12,300 12,800 12,100 380 330 250 OH : 480 470 470 350 360 200 OR : Malheur : 11,600 11,300 10,700 600 620 620 Other : 6,100 5,700 5,700 520 520 550 UT : 2,400 2,100 2,100 475 455 470 WA : 15,000 16,000 16,000 550 550 560 WI : 1,800 1,800 1,900 395 330 300 : Total : 108,470 101,890 100,110 471 459 459 : Summer : 129,970 122,590 121,810 461 461 463 : US : 166,170 158,790 155,110 432 426 424 :----------------------------------------------------------- : Production :----------------------------------------------------------- : 2000 : 2001 : 2002 :----------------------------------------------------------- : 1,000 Cwt : Spring : 11,812 11,083 9,424 Summer : Non-Storage : 8,823 9,785 10,502 : Storage : CA 1/ : 16,154 11,844 12,408 CO : 4,083 4,140 4,070 ID : 4,810 4,992 5,056 MI : 945 980 912 MN : 19 73 65 NY : 4,674 4,224 3,025 OH : 168 169 94 OR : Malheur : 6,960 7,006 6,634 Other : 3,172 2,964 3,135 UT : 1,140 956 987 WA : 8,250 8,800 8,960 WI : 711 594 570 : Total : 51,086 46,742 45,916 : Summer : 59,909 56,527 56,418 : US : 71,721 67,610 65,842 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Primarily for dehydrated and other processing. Summer Storage Onion Production Down 2 Percent Summer storage onion production is forecast at 45.9 million hundredweight, down 2 percent from last year. Harvested acreage is forecast at 100,110 acres, 2 percent below 2001. The yield in unchanged from last year at 459 hundredweight per acre. The California summer storage onion crop is doing well and quality is good. Growers experienced good conditions during planting and crop development. The processing portion of the storage crop is in excellent condition. Colorado conditions have been hot and dry this season, which has helped to lower insect and disease pressure and to aid harvest operations. Virtually all the crop is irrigated, but water shortages in the southeastern area have affected yields. Yields were highest on the West Slope. The Idaho onion harvest is underway with 80 percent harvested as of September 30, 2002. Bulb size is smaller than last year with more medium sized onions being harvested due to cool spring temperatures followed by record heat during mid-July. Michigan's onion crop progressed well at the start, followed by hot and humid weather which caused a significant increase in foliar diseases during July. In August, thrip pressure was high in some onion fields. Harvest activity progressed with good quality but sizes are smaller due to the lack of moisture and heat stress. Most areas in Minnesota have been wetter than normal this year. Storms at the end of June and latter half of July brought heavy rains with high winds. In New York, hot and dry conditions caused low yields and pushed the maturity of the crop ahead of schedule, resulting in a higher percentage of small onions. In Orange County, a hail storm in April followed by four heavy frosts in May weakened plants and thinned the crop. In northern growing areas, the wet spring and frosts were followed by hot, dry weather. Large onions are demanding a premium price because of limited supply and growers are having a hard time marketing the large supply of smaller "boiler" onions. Ohio onions are also smaller in size due to hot, dry conditions during the growing season. Oregon is having a good season and reports a steady supply with shipments and prices about the same as they were this time last year. Utah conditions are varied across the State. On average, the crop is doing well, but some growers expect an above average crop with good size and quality while other growers report hot, dry conditions have caused smaller bulb sizes. Washington experienced a few untimely cold snaps this spring that put the crop behind schedule. However, growers report good quality and more bulbs per acre, but slightly smaller bulb size than last year. Wisconsin's central and southern growing areas report lower yields and smaller sizes due to hot and dry conditions in July and August. 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