The USDA-NASS, Pacific Region Field Office today released the crop production forecast for September. The latest survey, which was conducted during the last week of August and the first week of September, included the following commodities:
Oranges, Navel – The initial 2015-16 Navel orange forecast is 86.0 million cartons. Of the total Navel orange forecast, 83.0 million cartons are estimated to be in the Central Valley. Survey data indicated a fruit set per tree of 412, above the five-year average of 336. The average September 1 diameter was at 2.248, above the five-year average of 2.230.
Cotton – Upland cotton production in California is forecast at 160 thousand bales, down 25 percent from the 2014 crop. Harvested acreage is estimated at 46.0 thousand acres, down 18 percent from a year ago. Yield is forecast at 1,670 pounds per acre, down 3 percent from last month. The forecast for American Pima cotton production is 356 thousand bales, down 29 percent from the 2014 crop. Harvested acreage is forecast at 114 thousand acres, down 26 percent from last year. Yield is forecast at 1,499 pounds per acre.
Rice – All rice production in California for 2015 is forecast at 34.1 million cwt., down 8 percent from the previous year. The yield forecast is 8,300 pounds per acre, down 1 percent from last month and down 3 percent from last year. Planted and harvested acreages are forecast at 416 thousand and 411 thousand acres, respectively.
Corn – Corn for grain production in California for 2015 is forecast at 336.7 thousand tons, down 23 percent from last year’s crop, but up 3 percent from the August forecast. With harvested acreage forecast at 65 thousand acres, the yield is 5.18 tons per acre. Compared with the 2014 crop year, harvested acreage is down 32 percent and the yield is up 12 percent.
Sugarcane -The 2015 production of sugarcane in Hawaii is forecast at 1.47 million tons, up 12 percent from the previous year, and unchanged from the August forecast. Harvested acreage is estimated at 18.7 thousand acres, up 3 percent from last year. Yield is forecast at 78.4 tons per acre.
Sugarbeets – The 2015 California sugarbeet production is forecast at 1.11 million tons, down 1 percent from the August forecast, but up 10 percent from last season. With harvested acreage forecast at 25.0 thousand acres, the yield is 44.2 tons per acre.
Production forecasts are released on a monthly basis and do not reflect final production estimates. Late summer and fall harvests may change these estimates considerably. The next production forecast will be issued October 9, 2015.