California Navels on track for good season despite January freeze
California Navels on track for good season despite January freeze
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistical Service, in cooperation with the California Department of Food & Agriculture, has released its estimate for the 2007-08 California Navel crop, and the numbers are good news for the industry.
The estimate calls for a Navel orange crop of 86 million cartons (37.5-pound equivalents), which is 26 percent above last season's freeze-shortened crop of 68 million cartons and is considered to be in the normal range.
Following a week-long sustained freeze in mid-January, there was concern that there could be some residual effect on the 2007-08 Navel crop due to possible tree damage, which had occurred after some previous severe freezes. But that residual effect did not materialize. Another concern was that if the trees did not sustain damage, they might actually come back with an exceptionally large crop of small-sized fruit, but that also does not appear to the case.
Lemons were not so fortunate. Winter lemons in the San Joaquin Valley are expected to be significantly lighter than normal due to tree damage from the freeze, growers say.
"Our review of the growers and the shippers in the industry ... clearly shows that [for Navels] the trees have rebounded in excellent shape from the freeze," Joel Nelsen of California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, CA, told The Produce News.
But often in the past, when trees have rebounded from a freeze, "they have a tendency to produce too much fruit, and thus your sizes are small," Mr. Nelsen said. But partly due to a considerable acreage of young groves, "the size demographics are positive."
The average individual fruit count per tree is "well within the normal range," he said.
The exterior quality of the fruit looks good, although the oranges are "not quite as well shaped" as last year. "But the fruit is blemish free," and thanks to some recent cool evenings, "the color break is starting to occur."
The interior quality of the fruit has yet to be determined, Mr. Nelsen said. "We are out running tests now. But we are hoping that we can have flavor this year comparable to last year."
Even though the 2006-07 crop size was diminished by the freeze, from a flavor standpoint, "it was just about the most optimum crop I have ever witnessed," he said.
Claire Smith of Sunkist Growers Inc. in Sherman Oaks, CA, said that the 86 million-carton Navel estimate, of which 84 million will be in the San Joaquin Valley, "is basically a normal-sized crop. The really good news is that we don't see, as far as Navels are concerned, any lingering effects from the freeze. It doesn't look like any trees were harmed to any great extent, and the upcoming crop looks really good."
The fruit size is also very good, with a fair amount of fruit expected to be in the medium and large sizes, she said. "Right now it looks like it is going to peak on 88s, 72s and 56s, which are the sizes that consumers really like. We are already getting a great deal of interest from customers on this," she said.
"We are going to be up in volume on our Navel crop," with sizes expected to peak around 88s, 72s and 113s, said Steve Nelsen of Valhalla Sales & Marketing Inc. in Kingsburg, CA, who is expecting a start date of mid- to late October. "It looks like it is going to be an excellent crop as far as quality goes," and it appears to have "the makings of a very good Navel year for us and for the industry."
Joe Berberian of Bee Sweet Citrus Inc. in Fowler, CA, also expects "good quality with pretty decent sizing," although the early fruit will be smaller than the fruit harvested from January on, he said. "With these cool nights that we have had, it has really helped out on the color."
"What I am seeing [in the Navels] is a good fruit structure," with the fruit spread evenly throughout the trees, said Winslow Woods of Wildwood Produce Sales Inc. The crop is maturing a little earlier than normal, but Wildwood plans to start picking fruit on its normal schedule, around Oct. 23-24. "I'd rather have a better-matured crop" and pick at the normal time, he said. "I'd rather put out a good product and have people come back and buy more."
Lemons did not fare as well as Navels in the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Winslow said that he sees "a lighter crop" in the lemons due to the January freeze, although not all groves were uniformly affected. Trees that lost fruit from the freeze last winter "have been knocked back again this year" due to residual damage to the trees. But those groves that avoided crop loss from the freeze also have a nice crop this year, he said.
"The freeze really hurt the lemon crop," said Mr. Berberian of Bee Sweet. "Lemon trees are really sensitive to the cold," so the set for the 2007-08 crop "was extremely light."
The estimate calls for a Navel orange crop of 86 million cartons (37.5-pound equivalents), which is 26 percent above last season's freeze-shortened crop of 68 million cartons and is considered to be in the normal range.
Following a week-long sustained freeze in mid-January, there was concern that there could be some residual effect on the 2007-08 Navel crop due to possible tree damage, which had occurred after some previous severe freezes. But that residual effect did not materialize. Another concern was that if the trees did not sustain damage, they might actually come back with an exceptionally large crop of small-sized fruit, but that also does not appear to the case.
Lemons were not so fortunate. Winter lemons in the San Joaquin Valley are expected to be significantly lighter than normal due to tree damage from the freeze, growers say.
"Our review of the growers and the shippers in the industry ... clearly shows that [for Navels] the trees have rebounded in excellent shape from the freeze," Joel Nelsen of California Citrus Mutual in Exeter, CA, told The Produce News.
But often in the past, when trees have rebounded from a freeze, "they have a tendency to produce too much fruit, and thus your sizes are small," Mr. Nelsen said. But partly due to a considerable acreage of young groves, "the size demographics are positive."
The average individual fruit count per tree is "well within the normal range," he said.
The exterior quality of the fruit looks good, although the oranges are "not quite as well shaped" as last year. "But the fruit is blemish free," and thanks to some recent cool evenings, "the color break is starting to occur."
The interior quality of the fruit has yet to be determined, Mr. Nelsen said. "We are out running tests now. But we are hoping that we can have flavor this year comparable to last year."
Even though the 2006-07 crop size was diminished by the freeze, from a flavor standpoint, "it was just about the most optimum crop I have ever witnessed," he said.
Claire Smith of Sunkist Growers Inc. in Sherman Oaks, CA, said that the 86 million-carton Navel estimate, of which 84 million will be in the San Joaquin Valley, "is basically a normal-sized crop. The really good news is that we don't see, as far as Navels are concerned, any lingering effects from the freeze. It doesn't look like any trees were harmed to any great extent, and the upcoming crop looks really good."
The fruit size is also very good, with a fair amount of fruit expected to be in the medium and large sizes, she said. "Right now it looks like it is going to peak on 88s, 72s and 56s, which are the sizes that consumers really like. We are already getting a great deal of interest from customers on this," she said.
"We are going to be up in volume on our Navel crop," with sizes expected to peak around 88s, 72s and 113s, said Steve Nelsen of Valhalla Sales & Marketing Inc. in Kingsburg, CA, who is expecting a start date of mid- to late October. "It looks like it is going to be an excellent crop as far as quality goes," and it appears to have "the makings of a very good Navel year for us and for the industry."
Joe Berberian of Bee Sweet Citrus Inc. in Fowler, CA, also expects "good quality with pretty decent sizing," although the early fruit will be smaller than the fruit harvested from January on, he said. "With these cool nights that we have had, it has really helped out on the color."
"What I am seeing [in the Navels] is a good fruit structure," with the fruit spread evenly throughout the trees, said Winslow Woods of Wildwood Produce Sales Inc. The crop is maturing a little earlier than normal, but Wildwood plans to start picking fruit on its normal schedule, around Oct. 23-24. "I'd rather have a better-matured crop" and pick at the normal time, he said. "I'd rather put out a good product and have people come back and buy more."
Lemons did not fare as well as Navels in the San Joaquin Valley. Mr. Winslow said that he sees "a lighter crop" in the lemons due to the January freeze, although not all groves were uniformly affected. Trees that lost fruit from the freeze last winter "have been knocked back again this year" due to residual damage to the trees. But those groves that avoided crop loss from the freeze also have a nice crop this year, he said.
"The freeze really hurt the lemon crop," said Mr. Berberian of Bee Sweet. "Lemon trees are really sensitive to the cold," so the set for the 2007-08 crop "was extremely light."
