Smaller U.S. Orange Harvest

WASHINGTON - Mar 9/07 - SNS -- Orange production in the United States this seasons looks to be smaller than originally thought, with the USDA reducing its crop forecast 9% to 7.43 million tons, 18% below last season's revised final utilization of 9.00 million tons.

Florida's all orange forecast, at 132 million boxes (5.94 million tons), is down 6% from February and 11% lower than the revised utilization from the 2005-06 season's crop. Below freezing temperatures were recorded on two different occasions during the month but the duration was not long enough to cause any severe damage to groves.

Early, midseason, and navel varieties in Florida are forecast at 67.0 million boxes (3.02 million tons), down 11% from both the previous forecast and last season's final utilization. The row count survey conducted February 28 and March 1 indicates that less than 3% of the early-midseason orange rows remain to be harvested. The current forecast is reduced from last month based on current utilization data.

Florida's Valencia forecast is 65.0 million boxes (2.93 million tons), unchanged from the February forecast but down 11% from last season's revised final utilization. Valencia harvest had begun, with nearly 1.5 million boxes utilized to March 1.

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