SMALL GRAINS AND OTHER FIELD CROPS: The 2023 bean crop is being cut and windrowed for harvesting. Dried beans are being shipped to national retailers and exported to the French Territory of Martinique. Silage corn continues to mature, be chopped, and taken to dairies. Alfalfa is being cut, raked, and baled. Corn fields are thriving and growing rapidly. Black eyed beans are being harvested. Oats are being exported to Nicaragua. Cotton is continuing to develop with bolls opening and defoliation.
DECIDUOUS TREE FRUITS, NUTS, AND GRAPES: Pecans are being exported to the Middle East, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Singapore. Last season’s pistachio crop is still being processed and exported to China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Mexico, Switzerland, Poland, Italy, Turkey, Australia, the Netherlands, and India. Almond harvest continues with various stages of the harvest process ongoing throughout the county. Last season’s almonds are still being packed and shipped for export to India, Thailand, China, Japan, Colombia, Panama, Israel, and Belgium. Stone fruit is still going strong and being exported to Mexico, Canada, Guatemala, Ecuador, China, Australia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Thailand. Nectarines were shipped to China, Canada, Mexico, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Colombia, and Chile. Plum harvest is slowly coming to an end. Wine grapes continue to be harvested. Table grapes are being packed and shipped to domestic retailers and exported to Mexico, Chile, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia. Apples are continuing to develop. Kiwis are beginning to be harvested. Pomegranates are being harvested and exported.
CITRUS, AVOCADOS, AND OLIVES: New citrus crops continue to develop and gain size. Some orange trees are being topped and skirted. Some mature olive trees are being dug up for landscaping. The olive harvest is approaching as some olive groves are being pruned. Valencia oranges are now being picked and packed for the domestic market as well as Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, China, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.
VEGETABLES, MELONS, HERBS, AND BERRIES: Summer crops are winding down. Roadside stands remain busy selling locally grown produce such as melons, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, and sweet corn. Certified Producers are offering vegetables such as okra, tomatoes, onions, squash, cucumbers, and peppers for sale at local farmers’ markets. Vegetable and ornamental plants are being shipped in and inspected from Arizona to sell in our retail locations throughout the valley. Watermelons, honeydew melons, and cantaloupes have been harvested and sold at local fruit stands. Locally grown produce such as pumpkins, squash, and decorative gourds are being sold at fruit stands.
LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY: The cooler weather is benefitting milk production for local dairymen. Local cattle ranchers are moving their herds from foothill locations to mountains for better foraging. Irrigated pastures are in good condition. Non-irrigated pastures and rangeland conditions are in poor condition due to temperatures and lack of moisture. Higher feed and fuel prices are affecting market prices. The fed-cattle price is up to $183/cwt this week.
TOM’S ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Nursery stock continues to move in to and out of Tulare County from other parts of the United States and Canada. Roses are being shipped to Texas and Arizona. Cut flowers continue to be imported from Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Colombia to flower shops in Tulare County. Local wholesale citrus nurseries are shipping citrus trees, graft wood, and seed to local as well as out of state to Hawaii, Arizona, Texas, East Coast, and international nurseries and growers in Canada and the Bahamas. Fescue grass seed is being shipped to local landscape companies as consumers and homeowners are gearing up to seed lawns for the wet season. Vegetable and ornamental plants are being shipped in and inspected from Arizona to sell in our retail locations throughout the Valley.
