Florida Orange Estimate Squeezed Again
February 9, 2011 USDA released its February orange crop forecast for the 2010-2011 season, reducing its earlier estimate by 2 million boxes to 138 million boxes.
“We continue to see the effects of the freeze events that hit Florida citrus in December as well as smaller fruit sizes,” said Michael W. Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “The reports I’m hearing from the field is that growers are still producing a high quality crop that will translate into great tasting fresh citrus and juices.”
The USDA estimate for grapefruit remained unchanged at 19.6 million boxes.
The forecast for early and midseason varieties in Florida shrunk by 1 million to 66 million while the projection for Valencias also decreased by 1 million boxes to 72 million boxes this season. For Florida specialty fruit, the USDA’s tangelo estimate remained unchanged at 1 million boxes, while the tangerine forecast was increased by 200,000 boxes to 4.4 million.
The all variety yield for from frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) dropped to 1.57 gallons per 90-pound box from January’s yield of 1.61. The Valencia yield dropped to 1.64 from 1.70 per box.
•ºClick here for the complete USDA estimate.
The USDA makes its initial forecast in October and then revises it monthly until the end of the season in July.
Source: Florida Citrus Mutual news release
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