Florida Agricultural Statistics Service

Division of Marketing and Development
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
United States Department of Agriculture

2007-2008 Overview of Activities

Introduction

Reliable information is essential to making production, marketing, and policy decisions for the agricultural community. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services shares in a cooperative federal/state program responsible for collecting and disseminating Florida agricultural statistics. Information on the state’s major commodities is gathered through onsite producer surveys, voluntary mail questionnaires, and telephone and personal interviews. Statistics compiled from these data are available in over 200 reports issued annually.

In the past year, the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service included staffing an informational booth at industry trade shows for citrus, cattle, and nursery producers as part of its public relations efforts. The booth allowed the service to promote its role in the industry and increase the visibility of its reports. The office prepared and conducted the 2007 Census of Agriculture, which was mailed to every farm operator in Florida in December 2007. Results are scheduled to be released February 4, 2009.

Citrus

An initial citrus production forecast is issued in October and modified monthly through the citrus season based on fruit size measurements and observations on drop rate. These forecasts are based exclusively on objective data obtained directly by field personnel, including an extensive limb count survey conducted from July to September to estimate fruit set per tree. Florida’s citrus growers produced an estimated 169.7 million boxes of all oranges and 26.6 million boxes of grapefruit in the 2007-2008 season.

Cash receipts for all citrus crops sold in 2007 totaled $1.51 billion compared to $1.66 billion in the 2006 season. Citrus accounted for 19.7 percent of all cash receipts in 2007.

Vegetables

Florida growers harvested fresh market vegetables from 210,400 acres in 2007. Cash receipts for all vegetables amounted to $1.65 billion, which amounted to 21.6 percent of all cash receipts in 2007. Tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, cucumbers, and snap beans accounted for the largest amount of sales among vegetable crops.

Greenhouse and Nursery Production

The total value of Florida greenhouse and nursery production exceeds $1.94 billion. The foliage and floriculture industry contributed $915 million, up from $804 million in 2006.

Berries and Melons

Strawberry production for 2007 was up from the year before, resulting in cash receipts of $329.3 million compared to $239.1 million in 2006. Higher prices for watermelons resulted in an increase in their total crop value to $152.5 million in 2007.

Field Crops

Potato prices in 2007 increased from the previous year, resulting in cash receipts of $161.6 million to growers. Sugarcane production was up from the previous year, with total cash receipts increasing to $445.1 million in 2007. Cash receipts for peanuts increased to $60.4 million, due to increased production in 2007. Increases in the prices for cotton and cottonseed produced cash receipts of $38.6 million in 2007, compared to $34.7 million in 2006.

Other Fruits and Nuts

Receipts for other fruits and nuts, such as avocados, blueberries, mangos, and pecans, at $103.2 million, were up from $98.2 million in 2006.

Dairy

Higher milk prices in 2007 resulted in increased cash receipts of $460.8 million compared to $344.2 million in 2006. The annual average farm gate price for milk in Florida was $21.90 per cwt in 2006, up from $15.90 in 2006.

Cattle and Calves

The total number of cattle and calves was 1,710,000 head in 2007, down 20,000 from 2006, but lower prices resulted in cash receipts of $449.1 million compared to $475.9 million in 2006.

Poultry and Eggs

Egg sales in 2007 totaled $186.5 million, up from $119.7 million in 2006 due to higher egg prices. Broiler prices were up in 2007 with sales increasing to $182.8 million from $159.3 million in 2006.

Aquaculture

Aquaculture contributed an estimated $58.1 million to total cash receipts. Tropical fish and aquatic plants accounted for the majority of the sales in this category.

Honey

Florida was third in the nation in honey production in 2007 (behind North Dakota and California) with 11.4 million pounds valued at $11.2 million. There were an estimated 160,000 colonies in the state in 2007 with an average honey yield of 71 pounds per colony, 10 pounds per colony less than in 2006.