Cotton Production Down 2 Percent from November Forecast
Orange Production Down 4 Percent from November Forecast
All cotton production is forecast at 13.0 million 480-pound bales, down 2 percent from last month and down 20 percent from last year. Yield is expected to average 768 pounds per harvested acre, down 70 pounds from last year. Upland cotton production is forecast at 12.6 million 480-pound bales, down 20 percent from 2014. Pima cotton production, forecast at 451,000 bales, was carried forward from last month.
The United States all orange forecast for the 2015-2016 season is 5.28 million tons, down 4 percent from the previous forecast and down 17 percent from the 2014-2015 final utilization. The Florida all orange forecast, at 69.0 million boxes (3.11 million tons), is down 7 percent from last month's forecast and down 29 percent from last season's final utilization. Early, midseason, and Navel varieties in Florida are forecast at 36.0 million boxes (1.62 million tons), down 3 percent from last month and down 24 percent from last season's final utilization. The Florida Valencia orange forecast, at 33.0 million boxes (1.49 million tons), is down 11 percent from last month and down 33 percent from last season's final utilization. California and Texas orange production forecasts were carried forward from the previous forecast.
Florida frozen concentrated orange juice (FCOJ) yield forecast for the 2015-2016 season is 1.56 gallons per box at 42.0 degrees Brix, down 1 percent from the November forecast but up 4 percent from last season's final yield of 1.50 gallons per box. Projected yield from the 2015-2016 non-Valencia and Valencia varieties will be published in the January Crop Production report. All projections of yield assume the processing relationships this season will be similar to those of the past several seasons.
Source: USDA