TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Highlands Today

USDA raises orange crop estimate

ADVERTISEMENT

Special to Highlands Today

Published: June 14, 2009

LAKELAND - The U.S. Department of Agriculture raised Florida's 2008-09 orange crop estimate by 2 million boxes to 159.6 million boxes in its revised citrus forecast released today.

"The season is coming to a close and this is another quality crop produced by Florida citrus growers," said Michael W. Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. "Thank goodness we received some rain over the last month which will help us heading into next season."

The USDA said the increase is comprised entirely of Valencias, which is now estimated at 75 million boxes. Early and midseason varieties are final at 84.6 million boxes.

Visit www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/Publ... for the complete USDA estimate.

The USDA makes the initial forecast in October and then revises it monthly until the end of the season in July. In 2007-2008, Florida harvested 170.2 million boxes of oranges.

The USDA reduced the Florida grapefruit projection by 700,000 boxes to 21.8 million for the 2008-2009 season. Colored grapefruit accounted for a 400,000 box change, with 15.1 million, down from the 15.5 million announced in May. White grapefruit was down 300,000 boxes to 6.7 million from the previously reported 7 million boxes.

Florida specialty fruit saw no change with tangelos holding steady at 1.15 million boxes and tangerines at 3.9 million boxes. The yield for from-concentrate orange juice (FCOJ) is expected to average 1.66 gallons per 90-pound box, up from 1.65 gallons.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT