Reductions in the projected Florida grapefruit and tangerine/tangelo crops were the only changes in the May 12 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) citrus crop forecast.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reduced Florida’s grapefruit crop projection by 2%, to 4.2 million boxes, down from 4.3 million boxes in April. The total 100,000-box reduction was in red grapefruit, which dipped to 3.5 million boxes.
NASS reduced the Florida tangerines and tangelos projections by 5%, to 900,000 boxes, down from 950,000 boxes in April. Harvest of tangerines and tangelos is “relatively over for the season,” according to the report.
The report indicated that 85 percent of Florida’s Valencia orange crop had been harvested by April 29; the non-Valencia harvest is complete. The unchanged Florida orange forecast is for 51.7 million boxes, comprised of 22.7 million boxes of non-Valencias and 29 million boxes of Valencias.
Arizona, California and Texas citrus crop projections were all unchanged.
See the complete USDA citrus crop forecast report.
Mark your calendar for the next USDA citrus crop forecast of the 2020-21 season. It will be on Thursday, June 10, at approximately 12:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time/9:00 a.m. Pacific Time. You will be able to hear the numbers on the Citrus Industry website as they are released from USDA.
Thank you to the 2020-21 citrus crop forecast sponsors: Aerobotics, Farm Credit of Florida, Labor Solutions, OrangeRX and TradeMark Nitrogen Corp.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service
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