Across California planting and harvesting is occurring throughout the state.
Orange producers are reporting that production is almost the best they have ever seen. A cool spring has allowed for the fruits to grow without becoming overripe. The quality is great and the crop numbers are large. The Mandarin harvest is complete, and Valencia harvest is going on now. Farmers plan to be picking the fruit through the end of June. Most of the fruit will be used for domestic sales opposed to exports.
Although oranges are having a great season, the cool weather is attributed to not-great conditions with other crops.
Tomatoes are reported to be about two weeks behind due to wet and cool conditions that are inappropriate for tomato seed planting. According to the weekly report from the USDA, tomato acreage is down across California as well. California is the country’s leading tomato producing state, but only 12 million acres are planted this year. This is down 6 percent from 2009.
Olive producers are also having problems due to the cold weather. The California Farm Bureau reports that olive trees are more than two weeks behind schedule because the weather is too cool for the crop to mature. The crop is so far behind that farmers cannot estimate how large the crop will be.
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