SMALL GRAINS, OTHER FIELD CROPS:
Corn and sorghum continue to be harvested for silage. Alfalfa cutting and baling for hay continues. Cotton is in bloom with bolls being set.
DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES:
The stone fruit season continues on. Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be exported to Mexico, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, Taiwan, Panama, Colombia, Guatemala, the Philippines, and China. Apricots continue to be exported to Mexico and Australia. Early hand- pruning is taking place in some stone-fruit orchards after harvest. Some stone fruit orchard blocks are being removed after harvest to make way for new plantings. Almond harvest continues, with exports going to Korea, India, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Spain, and Trinidad & Tobago. It is currently the middle of harvest season for pistachios, with nuts being exported to Israel, Italy, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. To the north, pistachios continue to develop. Table grapes are being shipped domestically, as well as exported to Australia, Taiwan, Guatemala, El Salvador, Malaysia, the Philippines, Honduras, Mexico, Costa Rica, Japan, Colombia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Thailand. Raisin grapes are being picked for sun-drying, with raisin beds being prepared. Pears are being exported to El Salvador and Mexico. Persimmons continue to mature and develop external color. Pomegranate harvest is underway. Walnuts continue to develop.
CITRUS, AVOCADOS, AND OLIVES:
Valencia oranges are still being packed for domestic markets and some exports to China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, and Mexico. Limes are being exported to New Zealand. Development and maturation of olives continues. Citrus groves are being hedged and thinning of fruit continues. Pushed-out citrus groves continue to be prepared for planting, and some are now being replaced with young trees.
VEGETABLES, MELONS, HERBS, BERRIES:
Various summer vegetables continue to be grown and sold at roadside stands and farmer’smarkets, including assorted peppers, squash, Zucchini, eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, and cantaloupes.
LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY:
Pasture conditions are poor. Supplemental feeding with hay and/or grain continues. The fed cattle price is at $109 per cwt.
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Fall shipments of nursery stock from local wholesale nurseries continue. Roses are being exported to Lebanon. Most citrus groves, tree fruit, nut tree orchards and row crops are being irrigated.
Prepared by:
Marilyn Wright
Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner/Sealer
