Orange Production Down 1 Percent from February Forecast
The United States all orange forecast for the 2014-2015 season is 6.68 million tons, down 1 percent from the previous forecast and down 2 percent from the 2013-2014 final utilization. The Florida all orange forecast, at 102 million boxes (4.59 million tons), is down 1 percent from the previous forecast and down 2 percent from last season's final utilization. Early, midseason, and Navel varieties in Florida are forecast at 47.0 million boxes (2.12 million tons), down 2 percent from the previous forecast and down 12 percent last season's final utilization. The Florida Valencia orange forecast, at 55.0 million boxes (2.48 million tons), is unchanged from previous forecast but up 7 percent from last season's final utilization.
The California Valencia orange forecast is 10.0 million boxes (400,000 tons), unchanged from previous forecast but down 9 percent from the previous season. This results in a California all orange forecast of 50.0 million boxes (2.00 million tons), unchanged from the January forecast. Objective survey measurements taken during January and February indicated that fruit set per tree was lower than the previous year and the lowest since 2009, but the measured average fruit size was slightly larger than the previous year. The forecast for Texas is carried forward from January.
Florida frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) yield forecast for the 2014-2015 season is 1.55 gallons per box at 42.0 degrees Brix, down 1 percent from the February forecast and down 1 percent from last season's final yield of 1.57 gallons per box. The non-Valencia portion is projected at 1.45 gallons per box, down 1 percent from last month and down 5 percent from last season's yield. The Valencia portion is projected at 1.65 gallons, down 2 percent from last month's forecast but up slightly from last season's final yield of 1.64 gallons per box. All projections of yield assume the processing relationships this season will be similar to those of the past several seasons.
Source: USDA