Florida strawberries a bit late, but outstanding quality expected
Florida strawberries a bit late, but outstanding quality expected
Cool temperatures during the Florida strawberry growing season have delayed the harvest by about a week or two for some growers, but the lasting effects on the deal should be stronger fruit and a somewhat longer season.
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, a non-profit organization located in Dover, FL, is the parent company of the Florida Strawberry Patent Service and the Florida Strawberry Research & Education Foundation. The association has over 100 grower members representing over 8,000 acres of strawberries in Florida, with the majority being in the state's Plant City-Dover area.
But as a voluntary organization, not all strawberry producers are members. Therefore, its member base voluntarily provides the volume numbers it maintains on acreage and production. Growers also report variety types being produced throughout a season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues actual and final total seasonal production numbers for Florida strawberries at the end of each season.
Since November, Florida has experienced cooler-than-normal temperatures, thought the state has been spared frost conditions that could damage strawberry plants or fruit. But the cooler weather -- even though it does make the plants heartier -- delays production. As of the first week of December, harvest delays were estimated at between one and two weeks.
"Production as reported to the association indicates harvesting is down 53.22 percent on flats picked compared to this time last year," Ted Campbell, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, told The Produce News Dec. 23. "Keep in mind that these figures are voluntarily provided to us and so do not represent the entire Florida industry."
Of the varieties harvested as of that date, the association reported that 0.89 percent were the Albion variety. The Carmine variety harvested was at 0.18 percent, Camino Real at 5.93 percent, the Treasure was at 18.87 percent, Radiance was at 0.28 percent, Winter Dawn at 3.53 percent, Festival at 54.27 percent and Sweet Charlie at 0.11 percent. Other varieties combined were reported at 15.69 percent, and organic strawberries represented 0.25 percent.
The good news for the Florida strawberry crop -- as of Dec. 29 -- was that consistently good weather was forecast into the first week of January with no active advisories issued by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
It may be a bit of a late strawberry season in Florida, but as of the start of 2009, it appears it will be a fabulous one as fruit reaches market.
(For more on Florida strawberries, see the Jan. 5 issue of The Produce News.)
The Florida Strawberry Growers Association, a non-profit organization located in Dover, FL, is the parent company of the Florida Strawberry Patent Service and the Florida Strawberry Research & Education Foundation. The association has over 100 grower members representing over 8,000 acres of strawberries in Florida, with the majority being in the state's Plant City-Dover area.
But as a voluntary organization, not all strawberry producers are members. Therefore, its member base voluntarily provides the volume numbers it maintains on acreage and production. Growers also report variety types being produced throughout a season. The U.S. Department of Agriculture issues actual and final total seasonal production numbers for Florida strawberries at the end of each season.
Since November, Florida has experienced cooler-than-normal temperatures, thought the state has been spared frost conditions that could damage strawberry plants or fruit. But the cooler weather -- even though it does make the plants heartier -- delays production. As of the first week of December, harvest delays were estimated at between one and two weeks.
"Production as reported to the association indicates harvesting is down 53.22 percent on flats picked compared to this time last year," Ted Campbell, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, told The Produce News Dec. 23. "Keep in mind that these figures are voluntarily provided to us and so do not represent the entire Florida industry."
Of the varieties harvested as of that date, the association reported that 0.89 percent were the Albion variety. The Carmine variety harvested was at 0.18 percent, Camino Real at 5.93 percent, the Treasure was at 18.87 percent, Radiance was at 0.28 percent, Winter Dawn at 3.53 percent, Festival at 54.27 percent and Sweet Charlie at 0.11 percent. Other varieties combined were reported at 15.69 percent, and organic strawberries represented 0.25 percent.
The good news for the Florida strawberry crop -- as of Dec. 29 -- was that consistently good weather was forecast into the first week of January with no active advisories issued by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service.
It may be a bit of a late strawberry season in Florida, but as of the start of 2009, it appears it will be a fabulous one as fruit reaches market.
(For more on Florida strawberries, see the Jan. 5 issue of The Produce News.)
