California Ag Network

Tag: Current Crop Status

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (April 20, 2018) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Corn is still being planted as weather and soil conditions allow. Some fields are emerging. Winter wheat and oats enjoyed the latest rains, growth is excellent. Alfalfa is maturing and harvest has started. Ground preparation is continuing for spring forage and row crops. Cover crops are being incorporated into the soil.

    Vineyards are leafing-out and some are in the early stages of flowering. Leaf removal is being conducted in some vineyards. Stone fruit has completed its bloom period. Immature fruit on early varieties is being thinned. New orchards are being planted. Cherries are sizing and some are starting to show color. Pomegranates and persimmons are producing flower buds. Walnuts and pistachios are starting to bloom. Pistachio nuts are being exported to Australia, Chile, China, Cyprus, Hong Kong, and Latvia. This season’s almonds are developing nicely. Almonds are being shipped to Belgium, Colombia Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Taiwan, and Trinidad and Tobago.

    The harvest of late variety navel and Valencia oranges continues. Navel orange fruits are showing some grading issues. Navel and Valencia oranges are being exported to China, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. Seedless tangerine groves remain netted for the bloom. Lemons continue to be harvested and packed for export to China and Japan. Grapefruit are being packed and exported to China, Japan, and Korea. Some citrus trees are being planted. Bee keepers are maintaining hives in citrus and olives groves.

    Squash and cucumber seedlings continue to grow in the fields. Greenhouse vegetables continue to be harvested. Strawberry and plantings are progressing well, with bloom and mature fruit being picked. Blueberries are being exported to Taiwan. Additional summer vegetable fields are now being prepared for planting.

    Rangeland forage is in good condition, and recent rains will benefit the new growth of grasses and forbs. The fed cattle market is at $119 per hundred weight this week.

    Retail nurseries are stocking up on both perennial and annual plants for the spring season. Some mature olive trees are being dug for landscape purposes. Bare-root roses are still being processed and shipped to various states and Canada. Local wholesale nurseries are busy shipping nursery stock to local and out-of-state nursery outlets, as the demand for spring plants grows.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (February 9, 2018) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains, and forage mixes continue to be planted. Overall, grains and field crops are showing good signs of germination and growth. Alfalfa fields are progressing well, and some growers are continuing to plant new alfalfa fields. Pre-emergent herbicides are being applied to fields, and weed control is expected to pick up in the next few weeks. As always more rain is needed to maintain good growth and avoid irrigation.

    Stone fruit, pecan, walnut, and pistachio orchards, along with grape vineyards, continue to be pruned and debris shredded. Some old orchards and vineyards are being pushed out to make way for new plantings. Tree fruit growers are applying fertilizers to prepare for the upcoming bloom. Dormant sprays are being applied as the weather permits. Some early varieties of tree fruit are beginning to show bud swell and a few of the earliest are starting to bloom. Bee colonies are now being moved into almond orchards in anticipation of the coming bloom.

    Navel orange, Mandarin, and lemon harvest continues, while grapefruit and pomelo harvest is nearly finished. Some pruning and skirting of orange groves is occurring. Navel oranges continue to be packed and shipped domestically and exported to Australia, Chile, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Singapore. The warm weather is starting to impact navel orange quality. There is a steady demand for Minneola tangelos going to Japan and Korea. Lemon exports continue to Japan, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Avocado trees are showing some early bloom. Olive groves continue to be pruned.

    Some late winter vegetable crops continue to grow well and are being harvested. Harvesting of broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and onions are steady. Greenhouse vegetables continue to be harvested. Field preparations for spring planting have begun. Strawberry and blueberry plantings are progressing well and some are starting to bloom.

    The recent rainfall has been beneficial for rangeland forage, but conditions are fair until more growth is seen. More rain is needed to help with germination and growth of rangeland forage. The fed cattle market traded at $126.00 per hundred weight this week.

    Retail nurseries are receiving more shipments of stock for spring planting. Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, with most shipments going to Florida and Canada. Wholesale nurseries are shipping out bare-root trees and shrubs to domestic and export markets. Camellias are being sent to local and out-of-state nurseries.

    Preparations are underway for next week’s World Ag Expo, happening from February13-15 in Tulare, CA.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (January 19, 2018) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Winter forage crops, such as wheat, barley, other cereal grains and forage mixes, continue to be planted where the ground allows. Persistent fog and rain late in the week will reduce the need for irrigation. As always more rain is needed in the weeks to follow. Shipments of corn seed are being received in preparation for spring planting.

    The last of the stored table grapes continue to be exported to China and Mexico. Persimmon harvest was slow, with export demand primarily to Mexico. Kiwifruit are being sent to domestic markets and exported to Mexico. Pistachio nuts continue to be exported to Austria, Hong Kong, India, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Almonds continue to be shipped to Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, Sweden, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Walnuts are being exported to China. Pruning continues in vineyards, and the brush is being shredded. Dormant sprays are being applied as the weather allows. Some field activities in fruit and nut orchards have been put on hold as fog and rain makes accessibility difficult.

    Citrus harvest continues as the weather permits. Navel and Mandarin oranges continue to be exported to Australia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, New Zealand, and Peru. Navel oranges are trending towards larger sizes, with some packers having difficulty fulfilling orders for the smaller sizes. Pomelos are being harvested and sold domestically, as well as exported to China and Japan. Melogold hybrid grapefruit continue being exported to Japan. Lemon exports are in high demand for China, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand. Finger limes are still in high demand, with exports going to France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Olive growers continue to prune groves.

    Fields are being prepared and planted with winter vegetable crops, but activities have been on the slow side due to wet soils. Lettuce continues to benefit from the recent damp weather, and growth looks ideal. Strawberries are growing well at roadside stands. Blueberries are still being brought into the county for planting.

    This week’s rainfall will be beneficial for rangeland forage, but conditions are fair until more growth is seen. More rain is needed to help with germination and growth of rangeland forage. Supplemental feeding has been required. The fed cattle market price is holding at $120.00 per hundred weight this week.

    Bare-root roses are being received and processed for reshipment out-of-state, with exports to Canada. Bare-root berries are being received at wholesale nurseries Nursery shipments have slowed due to the winter weather conditions.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (October 6, 2017) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Alfalfa fields continue to be irrigated, cut, and baled. Sorghum fields are being harvested. Corn silage continues to be harvested. Cotton harvesting has started in some county fields. Black-eyed beans continue to be harvested.

    Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and New Zealand. A few old stone fruit orchards are being pushed out. Soil amendments are being applied to some stone fruit orchards. Pistachio harvest continues, with exports to China, the European Union, Germany, Hong Kong, Mexico, Poland, Turkey, and Vietnam. Almond harvest continues throughout the county. Almonds are being exported to Argentina, Chile, Germany, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, and the United Arab Emirates. Walnuts continue to be harvested. Pears are being exported to Mexico. Table grape harvest continues, and are being exported to Australia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, and Vietnam. Thompson seedless grapes are being rolled and picked up. Pomegranate harvest continues, with exports going to Brazil and Australia. Kiwifruit are being harvested, and exported to Mexico and Panama. Persimmons are now coloring.

    Valencia oranges are being exported to China and Korea. Most citrus packing houses are getting ready for the new navel orange season. Citrus orchards are being skirted and trimmed for the coming season. Some orange groves are being pushed out to make way for new plantings. Finger limes are being exported to Japan, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The olive crop is heavy and continues to be harvested.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, sweet corn, okra, cucumbers, squash, and peppers. Commercial plantings of Yellow squash, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables are developing well and some early varieties are almost ready for harvest. Strawberries continue to grow. Pumpkins patches look very mature and should be ready for picking soon.

    Rangeland grazing is much better this year and helping ranchers off-set higher than average feed costs. The fed cattle market price is down to $104.00 per hundred weight. Harvested grain fields continue to be sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.

    Nursery shipments continue to be slow. Wholesale nurseries are shipping small amounts of stock to local and out-of-state retail outlets. Potted roses are being shipped to Texas. New wells continue to be drilled.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (September 15, 2017) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Alfalfa fields continue to be irrigated, cut, and baled. Sorghum for silage is in various stages of development, with some fields close to maturity. Corn silage continues to be harvested. Cotton is still being irrigated and bolls continue to develop. Black-eyed beans are being exported to Korea.

    Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan. A few old stone fruit orchards are being pushed out. Pistachio harvest is continuing, with exports to China, the European Union, Hong Kong, Mexico, and Turkey. Almond harvest continues throughout the county. Almonds are being exported to Belgium, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Korea, and the Philippines. Walnuts are being harvested. Pears are being exported to Mexico. Asian pears are being shipped to Colombia and El Salvador. Table grape harvest continues, with exports going to Australia, China, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Thompson seedless grapes are being placed on trays for drying. Pomegranate harvest continues, with exports going to Brazil and Australia. Kiwifruit are nearing maturity and harvest should begin in one to two weeks. Persimmons are starting to color up in some areas.

    Valencia orange harvest continues, primarily for the domestic market. Valencia oranges are being exported to China, Korea, and Mexico. Most citrus packing houses are wrapping up Valencias, and getting ready for the new navel orange season. Some orange groves are being pushed out to make way for new plantings. Finger limes are being exported to France and the Netherlands. Olives continue to develop, and are nearing maturity.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at those local Farmer’s Markets that are still open. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables have been planted and are developing well. Recently planted strawberries continue to grow. Pumpkins are being prepared for harvest.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair. Feed costs for cattle remains high. The fed cattle market price is staying at $107.00 per hundred weight. Harvested grain fields continue to be sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.

    Nursery shipments continue to be slow. Wholesale nurseries are shipping small amounts of stock to local and out-of-state retail outlets. New wells continue to be drilled.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (September 8, 2017) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Alfalfa fields continue to be irrigated, cut, and baled. Sorghum for silage is in various stages of development, with some fields close to maturity. Corn silage continues to be harvested. Cotton is still being irrigated and bolls continue to develop. Cotton is blooming and forming bolls. Black-eyed beans are drying and nearing harvest.

    Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Pistachio harvest has begun. Almond harvest is continues throughout the county. Almonds are being exported to Chile, China, Costa Rica, France, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates. Pears are being exported to Mexico. Table grape harvest continues, with exports going to Australia, China, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Panama, the Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad & Tobago, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Pomegranate harvest is now underway, with exports going to Brazil. All permanent plantings are being irrigated.

    Valencia orange harvest continues, primarily for the domestic market. Valencia oranges are being exported to China, Korea, and Mexico. Valencia oranges and Meyer lemons are being bagged for export to Mexico. Finger limes are being harvested and exported to France, Japan, and the Netherlands. Olives continue to develop.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables have been planted and are developing well.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair to good, but quality is continuing to decrease. Cattle are still being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remains high. The fed cattle market price is down to $110.00 per hundred weight. Harvested grain fields continue to be sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.

    Nursery shipments are slowing overall. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets have decreased due to the hot summer temperatures. Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continue to be sold. Kiwi pollen is being exported to Chile, Japan, and South Africa. New wells continue to be drilled, with many existing wells showing higher levels due to increases in the water table.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (August 25, 2017) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that Alfalfa fields continue being irrigated, cut, and baled. Sorghum for silage is in various stages of development, with some fields close to maturity. Corn silage continues to be harvested. Cotton is still being irrigated and growing well. Cotton is blooming and forming bolls. Black-eyed beans are drying and nearing harvest.

    Peaches, nectarines, and plums continue to be picked and shipped to both domestic and export markets. Stone fruit is being exported to Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, New Zealand, and Taiwan. Almond harvest is underway throughout the county. Last season’s almonds and pistachios are being exported to Hong Kong, India, and Turkey. Pears are being exported to Canada, Mexico, and Panama. Table grape harvest continues, with exports going to Australia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, and Taiwan. All permanent plantings are being irrigated.

    Valencia orange harvest continues, primarily for the domestic market. Valencia oranges are being exported to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan. Valencia oranges and Meyer lemons are being bagged for export to Mexico. Variegated lemons are being exported to China. Finger limes are being harvested and exported to France, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands. Olives continue to develop.

    Certified producers are picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, Zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green Chili peppers, and cucumbers are being harvested and shipped domestically. Fall vegetables have been planted and are developing well.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry and conditions are fair to good, but quality is continuing to decrease. Cattle are still being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations are providing more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remains high. The fed cattle market price is down to $114.00 per hundred weight. Harvested grain fields continue to be sheeped-off in the southern portions of the county.

    Nursery shipments are slowing overall. Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets have decreased due to the hot summer temperatures. Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continue to be sold. Kiwi pollen is being exported to Chile, Japan, and South Africa. New wells continue to be drilled, with many existing wells showing higher levels due to increases in the water table.

  • Tulare County Reports on Current Crop Status

    Visalia, Calif., (June 2, 2017) – Tulare County Agricultural Commissioner released the current status today of Major crops in the most valued county in the California Ag portfolio. They report that The last of the winter wheat is being dried and baled. Alfalfa fields are making excellent progress; and being cut, dried, and baled. Last year’s Black-eyed beans are being exported to Hong Kong, Korea, and Malaysia. Corn continues being planted, and earlier planted fields are growing well. Corn field are being injected with nitrogen to promote growth. Cotton is emerging and being irrigated.

    Stone fruit harvest is going strong, with a strong domestic market. Peaches are being exported to Australia, Canada, Mexico, and Taiwan. Nectarines are being shipped to Brazil, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. Apricots are being exported to Canada and Mexico. Summer pruning of stone fruit has begun. Orchard floors continue to be lined with reflective plastic to improve color prior to harvest. Cherry harvest continues. Last year’s almonds are being exported to Belgium, Colombia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. Pistachios in storage are being exported to Australia, Bulgaria, France, Hong Kong, Israel, Korea, Lithuania, and the United Kingdom. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continues in orchards. Grapevines continue to have leaves removed to allow for improved air circulation and light around the developing bunches to improve color.

    Valencia oranges continue to be harvested and exported to China, Japan, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Grapefruit harvest is finishing up, with Star Ruby grapefruit being exported to Guatemala, Japan, and Mexico. Old citrus trees are being pulled to make way for new citrus varieties. Seedless tangerines are still netted. Olives are still blooming.

    Summer vegetables are being harvested and shipped domestically. Melons are being irrigated, and cantaloupes are being picked. Zucchini is being harvested. Blueberries are being harvested, with exports to Canada, Japan, Mexico, and Taiwan. Strawberries are being harvested and sold at roadside stands.

    Low elevation rangeland continues to dry, and cattle are being moved to higher elevations. Fed cattle prices are at $138.00 per hundredweight.

    Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets continue.