California Navel crop estimated at 66 million boxes for 2006-07
California Navel crop estimated at 66 million boxes for 2006-07
The 2005-06 California Navel orange crop came in heavier than expected, at a whopping 91 million cartons. This year, the California Agricultural Statistics Service estimates the 2006-07 crop to be about 27 percent lighter, or about 66 million cartons.
Last year's harvest was characterized by small fruit size. This year, sizes should be better, but some growers said that it is still not sizing as well as they would like.
The expected start dates are one to two weeks later than normal, with some early harvesting expected by the final days of October, but most shippers expecting to start shipping early fruit until some time during the first and second week of November. They did not expect to get into volume until a week or so after that.
Sunkist's Clair Smith told The Produce News that based on "what we are hearing from our growers," the statistics service estimates might be a little low. "People don't think it is going to be down that much," she said. Sunkist did not expect to get into "any real volume" until the week of Nov. 13, she said.
With some time yet for the fruit to grow, Ms. Smith expected sizing to be "pretty good."
The surprising thing this year, according to Keith Wilson of Sunny Cove Citrus LLC in Citrus Cove, CA, is that "to date the sizing has not been as big as you would think it would be. Typically when you take fruit off the tree and you have less load, you have larger fruit. But so far, at this point anyway," he said Oct. 12, "the fruit is only slightly larger than last year." With the start of the season being delayed, he said, "we are hoping ... the fruit will size out there in the field."
Loren Booth of Booth Ranches LLC in Orange Cove had just been talking to the company's field evaluator when The Produce News called her Oct. 13. "We are sure we are going to have packages ready to sell by Nov. 6," she said. Although the industry as a whole might be down in volume on Navels, Booth Ranches expects to be "pretty close to last year," she said. "Some blocks are heavier" and some are "lighter than normal," but overall, "we're in pretty good shape," thanks to a "great farm manager."
"The Navel season this coming year is going to be quite interesting," said David Krause of Paramount Citrus in Delano, CA.
"Supplies could be a little on the tight side," but size structure will be "a little bit larger" than last year," which will be advantageous "to the trade and the consumer." He does expect higher prices, however, because of "the reduction of volume."
Ross Bailey of Cal Sales Marketing in Visalia, CA, said that although the Navel crop is light, "quality looks good, and the fruit is growing, so we are hoping to have some nice size and excellent quality fruit."
Some specialty citrus varieties are also expected to be lighter in volume this year. Sunny Cove's Keith Wilson said that the company expects to have only about half of the Satsuma volume that it had last year, and "early indications from the field" show that Minneolas may have only about half a crop this year as well.
"The Minneola crop is down substantially, almost half ... from last year's numbers," said Paramount's Mr. Krause.
Sunkist's Ms. Smith said that the Sunkist Satsuma crop is down about 25 percent this year, "but it looks like it is going to be a very good quality crop." Cara Caras and Moro oranges will be up in volume, she said, but "the Tangelo crop looks like it is going to be down in all districts ... anywhere from 35 to 50 percent."
Clementine production will be up overall this year in California due to new plantings, Ms. Smith said.
The lemon crop is expected to be a little lighter for the industry this year, with about 43 million cartons expected, compared to 47 million cartons last year.
(For more on the California Navel deal, see the Oct. 30 issue of The Produce News.)
Last year's harvest was characterized by small fruit size. This year, sizes should be better, but some growers said that it is still not sizing as well as they would like.
The expected start dates are one to two weeks later than normal, with some early harvesting expected by the final days of October, but most shippers expecting to start shipping early fruit until some time during the first and second week of November. They did not expect to get into volume until a week or so after that.
Sunkist's Clair Smith told The Produce News that based on "what we are hearing from our growers," the statistics service estimates might be a little low. "People don't think it is going to be down that much," she said. Sunkist did not expect to get into "any real volume" until the week of Nov. 13, she said.
With some time yet for the fruit to grow, Ms. Smith expected sizing to be "pretty good."
The surprising thing this year, according to Keith Wilson of Sunny Cove Citrus LLC in Citrus Cove, CA, is that "to date the sizing has not been as big as you would think it would be. Typically when you take fruit off the tree and you have less load, you have larger fruit. But so far, at this point anyway," he said Oct. 12, "the fruit is only slightly larger than last year." With the start of the season being delayed, he said, "we are hoping ... the fruit will size out there in the field."
Loren Booth of Booth Ranches LLC in Orange Cove had just been talking to the company's field evaluator when The Produce News called her Oct. 13. "We are sure we are going to have packages ready to sell by Nov. 6," she said. Although the industry as a whole might be down in volume on Navels, Booth Ranches expects to be "pretty close to last year," she said. "Some blocks are heavier" and some are "lighter than normal," but overall, "we're in pretty good shape," thanks to a "great farm manager."
"The Navel season this coming year is going to be quite interesting," said David Krause of Paramount Citrus in Delano, CA.
"Supplies could be a little on the tight side," but size structure will be "a little bit larger" than last year," which will be advantageous "to the trade and the consumer." He does expect higher prices, however, because of "the reduction of volume."
Ross Bailey of Cal Sales Marketing in Visalia, CA, said that although the Navel crop is light, "quality looks good, and the fruit is growing, so we are hoping to have some nice size and excellent quality fruit."
Some specialty citrus varieties are also expected to be lighter in volume this year. Sunny Cove's Keith Wilson said that the company expects to have only about half of the Satsuma volume that it had last year, and "early indications from the field" show that Minneolas may have only about half a crop this year as well.
"The Minneola crop is down substantially, almost half ... from last year's numbers," said Paramount's Mr. Krause.
Sunkist's Ms. Smith said that the Sunkist Satsuma crop is down about 25 percent this year, "but it looks like it is going to be a very good quality crop." Cara Caras and Moro oranges will be up in volume, she said, but "the Tangelo crop looks like it is going to be down in all districts ... anywhere from 35 to 50 percent."
Clementine production will be up overall this year in California due to new plantings, Ms. Smith said.
The lemon crop is expected to be a little lighter for the industry this year, with about 43 million cartons expected, compared to 47 million cartons last year.
(For more on the California Navel deal, see the Oct. 30 issue of The Produce News.)
