July 2019 - 15

HARVEST OUTLOOK
acres. Most of the summer planted
acreage is located in Oxnard and
Santa Maria.
In some previous years, California
strawberry growers have set
production records while reducing
their planted acres due to higheryielding
plant varieties. But O'Donnell
said she wasn't able to predict whether
the state could set a new record.
" It's possible. It always depends on
the weather, " she said.
Soilborne diseases are also a challenge
for some growers in an age where
standby chemistries for soil fumigation
have been phased out. Fusarium,
macrophomina and verticillium are all
concerns on strawberry crowns.
About half of the California
strawberry crop is harvested after
July 1, according to the California
Strawberry Commission's website. The
commission's " pink sheet " newsletter
that tracks fresh strawberry shipment
data from the USDA, showed that,
by mid-May, California and Florida
shipments of strawberries were behind
where they had been the previous two
years, while Mexico shipments were up.
Asparagus
Asparagus harvests in Washington
state and Michigan were delayed due
to weather.
The Yakima Herald reported cold
weather and snow delayed the harvest
in Washington.
It was the same story in Michigan,
where the
Michigan
Asparagus
Advisory
Board (MAAB)
reported that
late cold weather
dropped six
inches of snow. April snows and coolerthan-usual
temperatures also delayed
the crop, but good yields quality were
expected for the season.
The cold spring weather gave
growers extra time to prepare fields and
complete beginning-of season tasks
like mowing and fertilizer application,
MAAB said in a news release.
Carrots
Fresh carrot
shipments from
central California
through March
2019 were at their
fastest pace in 20
years, according
to the USDA's
Agricultural Marketing Service.
Leafy greens
Southeast greens growers' biggest
challenge was a foodborne illness linked
to romaine lettuce.
Since that
time, growers
in Arizona and
California have
significantly
stepped up their
food safety
activities. For instance, the California
Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement's
board of directors in April voted to
strengthen mandatory food safety
practices required on farms.
Onions
Nationally, onion plantings were at
their slowest pace
in three years, and
that could indicate
a lower final
2019 production,
according to the
USDA.
" The downward
production potential is likely based
on the decline of normal monthly
precipitation and a rise in monthly
normal temperatures during the critical
development period for onions in the
major growing regions, " according to
the Vegetables and Pulses Outlook.
Tomatoes
" California tomato processors are
expecting lower processed tomato
production for the 2019 state total
due to lower area planted, despite
expectation of improved yields over
last year, " according to USDA ERS.
In Florida,
where fresh
tomatoes are the
state's secondbiggest
crop,
second only to
citrus, growers
had a good season.
The harvest that ended in mid-April
went well, McAvoy said. Hurricane
Michael in October 2018 hit the
Florida panhandle and Georgia but
missed most Florida tomatoes.
" We actually had a good year
compared to the last few, " he said. " We
had a very decent year, price-wise,
until the very end of the season. "
Peppers
McAvoy said that Florida growers
last season planted about 10%-20%
fewer acres of
sweet peppers,
due to poor prices
in 2018.
He said there
also appears to be
less demand for
sweet peppers due
to changing demographics and interest
in peppers that are spicier. VGN
LET'S GROW YOUR FINEST
HARVES T
for nearly 40 years growspan
has been helping growers maximize profits with Greenhouse Structures
To find out how we can
help with your structure needs visit or call
www.growspan.com 1.800.476.9715
GrowSpan a Growers Supply Brand
Energy
Efficient
Superior
Warranties
Expert
Project Managers
No Money Down Financing, Terms Up To 7 Yrs and As Low As 5.99% on Greenhouses
VGN | JULY 2019 | 15
http://www.growspan.com
July 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2019
