USDA Leaves Orange Estimate Unchanged

WASHINGTON - Jun 10/05 - SNS -- The U.S. all orange June 1 forecast for the 2004-05 season is 9.19 million tons, unchanged from the May 1 forecast but 29% below last season's final utilization, according to the latest USDA crop production estimates.

Florida's all orange forecast, at 151 million boxes (6.80 million tons), is unchanged from the previous forecast but 38% below the previous season. The early and midseason forecast in Florida is 79.2 million boxes (3.56 million tons), unchanged from last month but 37% below the previous season.

Harvest of the early and midseason varieties is complete, making this the smallest early-mid-navels crop since the 1989-90 season.

Florida's Valencia forecast is 72.0 million boxes (3.24 million tons), unchanged from the May forecast but 38% below last season's final utilization. The row count survey conducted June 1-2 indicated 80% of the Valencia rows have been harvested. Due to the abnormally high drop rate this season, it is expected that the rows left to harvest will be less productive than the initially harvested rows. Arizona, California, and Texas orange production forecasts are carried over from April.

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