The prospective area for harvest of 13 selected fresh-market vegetables during the winter quarter is forecast at 193,000 acres. This is 2 percent below 2000 but 2 percent above 1999. Acreage decreases in broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, head lettuce, bell peppers, and spinach more than offset increases in snap beans, celery, sweet corn, escarole/endive, and tomatoes.
Area planted for spring onions, at 37,000 acres, is down 11 percent from 2000, and 8 percent below 1999. All four spring onion states decreased planted acreage for 2001.
Florida’s winter strawberry acreage is estimated at 6,500 acres, an increase of 3 percent over 2000 and 5 percent above 1999.
*Released January 12, 2001 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
For information on ‘Vegetables’ call Biz Wallingsford at (202) 720-2157 or Debbie Flippin at (202) 720-3250, office hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST.
This article appeared in the March 2001 issue of Vegetable Production & Marketing News, edited by Frank J. Dainello, Ph.D., and produced by Extension Horticulture, Texas Agricultural Extension Service, The Texas A&M University System, College Station, Texas.