Smaller Citrus Harvest
WASHINGTON - Nov 10/15 - SNS -- Citrus fruit production is down sharply in the United States nbecause of a steep reduction in the size of the organe crop, according to the latest USDA crop production estimates for 2015.
Orange production in the United States for the 2015-2016 season is expected to total 5.50 million tons, down 5% from the previous forecast and down 14% from the 2014-2015 final utilization.
The 2015-2016 United States grapefruit crop is forecast at 819,000 tons, down slightly from last month's forecast and down 6% from last season's final utilization. In Florida, expected production is down 1% from last month and down 5% from last year. California and Texas grapefruit production estimates were carried forward from previous forecast.
Florida's tangelo forecast is 400,000 boxes (18,000 tons), down 11% from last month and down 41% from last season's final utilization. The production is the lowest since the 1958-1959 season.
The United States tangerine and mandarin crop is forecast at 843,000 tons, unchanged from last month and unchanged from last season's final utilization. California tangerine and mandarin production estimates were carried forward from the previous forecast. Estimates for Arizona have been discontinued.
Utilized Production of Citrus Fruits by Crop - States and United States: 2014-2015 and
Forecasted November 1, 2015
[The crop year begins with the bloom of the first year shown and ends with the completion of harvest the
following year]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: Utilized production boxes 1/ : Utilized production ton equivalent
Crop and State :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: 2014-2015 : 2015-2016 : 2014-2015 : 2015-2016
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
: ------- 1,000 boxes ------- ------- 1,000 tons ------
Oranges :
Early, mid, and Navel 2/ :
California 3/ ..............: 39,500 43,000 1,580 1,720
Florida ....................: 47,400 37,000 2,133 1,665
Texas 3/ ...................: 1,170 1,317 50 56
:
United States ..............: 88,070 81,317 3,763 3,441
:
Valencia :
California 3/ ..............: 9,500 9,500 380 380
Florida ....................: 49,400 37,000 2,223 1,665
Texas 3/ ...................: 282 366 12 16
:
United States ..............: 59,182 46,866 2,615 2,061
:
All :
California 3/ ..............: 49,000 52,500 1,960 2,100
Florida ....................: 96,800 74,000 4,356 3,330
Texas 3/ ...................: 1,452 1,683 62 72
:
United States ..............: 147,252 128,183 6,378 5,502
:
Grapefruit :
White :
Florida ....................: 3,250 2,700 138 115
:
Red :
Florida ....................: 9,650 9,500 410 404
:
All :
California 3/ ..............: 3,800 3,500 152 140
Florida ....................: 12,900 12,200 548 519
Texas 3/ ...................: 4,250 4,000 170 160
:
United States ..............: 20,950 19,700 870 819
:
Tangerines and mandarins :
Arizona 4/ 5/ ................: 170 (NA) 7 (NA)
California 3/ 4/ .............: 18,200 19,000 728 760
Florida ......................: 2,270 1,750 108 83
:
United States ................: 20,640 20,750 843 843
:
Lemons 3/ :
Arizona ......................: 2,000 1,600 80 64
California ...................: 20,500 19,500 820 780
:
United States ................: 22,500 21,100 900 844
:
Tangelos :
Florida ......................: 680 400 31 18
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(NA) Not available.
1/ Net pounds per box: oranges in California-80, Florida-90, Texas-85; grapefruit in California-80,
Florida-85, Texas-80; tangerines and mandarins in Arizona and California-80, Florida-95; lemons-80;
tangelos-90.
2/ Navel and miscellaneous varieties in California. Early (including Navel) and midseason varieties in
Florida and Texas. Small quantities of tangerines Temples in Florida.
3/ Estimates for current year carried forward from previous forecast.
4/ Includes tangelos and tangors.
5/ Estimates discontinued in 2015-2016.
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