Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Pennsylvania Vegetable and Fruit Production Mixed

Pennsylvania Ag News Headlines

Pennsylvania Vegetable and Fruit Production Mixed
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 02/05/2010

Pennsylvania's vegetable farmers harvested 14,400 acres of sweet corn for fresh market in 2009 with production totaling 979,000 cwt. or 68 cwt. per acre, according to the Pennsylvania field office of USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This is 21 percent less than the 2008 production for fresh market. Average value of fresh market sweet corn was $36.30 per cwt.

Nationally, 254,400 acres of sweet corn were harvested for fresh market in 2009 and 379,500 acres were harvested for processing. Fresh market production totaled 28.4 million cwt. which was 122 cwt. per acre and was valued at $29.40 per cwt. Processing production totaled 3.23 million tons in 2009 with an average value of $104.00 per ton. Forty-seven percent of the processing production was utilized for canning and 53 percent was for freezing.

Pennsylvania's 2009 fresh market tomato production was estimated at 289,000 cwt., down 18 percent from 2008. Area harvested was 1,700 acres, 100 acres more than a year ago, and yield was 170 cwt. per acre. The average value was $74.10 per cwt. United States' production of fresh market tomatoes was 32.4 million cwt. in 2009, a 4 percent increase from 2008. Area harvested was 105,700 acres with an average yield of 306 cwt. per acre. Average value of tomatoes for fresh market was $40.60 per cwt.

In Pennsylvania, 7,000 acres of snap beans were harvested for processing in 2009, 3,700 acres less than a year ago. Total production was 27,660 tons with an average value of $256.00 per ton, compared with an average value of $271.00 per ton last year. At the U.S. level, 196,179 acres of snap beans were harvested for processing in 2009. Total production increased from 808,000 tons in 2008, to 812,990 tons in 2009. Canning utilized 591,190 tons of the production. Average value decreased from $219.00 per ton in 2008 to $191.00 in 2009.

Pennsylvania's strawberry production, harvested from 1,100 acres for fresh market and processing was 65,000 cwt., down 11 percent from 2008. Average value per cwt. was $208.00, compared with $211.00 per cwt. in 2008. The U.S. strawberry production in 2009 was 28.0 million cwt., up 11 percent from 2008. Acreage harvested was 58,080; the average value per cwt. was $75.80, up from $75.00 a year ago.

Pennsylvania's 2009 fresh market cabbage production was estimated at 264,000 cwt. Area harvested was 1,200 acres, unchanged from 2008. The average yield was 220 cwt. per acre with an average value of $18.90 per cwt. Nationally, 65,500 acres of cabbage were harvested for fresh market in 2009. Fresh market production totaled 22.6 million cwt. or 345 cwt. per acre with an average value of $15.30 per cwt.

Pennsylvania's cantaloup production for fresh market was 153,000 cwt. Total acreage harvested was 900 with an average yield of 170 cwt. per acre. The average value per cwt. was $28.00 in 2009, compared with $30.00 in 2008. U.S. fresh market cantaloup production totaled 19.9 million cwt. in 2009 with an average value of $18.10 per cwt. There were 76,130 acres harvested.

Pennsylvania's 2009 fresh market and processed pumpkin production was estimated at 819,000 cwt. Area harvested was 6,300 acres, down from 6,700 acres a year ago. The average value was $15.50 per cwt., compared to $16.10 per cwt. in 2008. Nationally, 44,100 acres of pumpkins were harvested for fresh market and processing in 2009. Total production was 9.31 million cwt. and was valued at $11.00 per cwt.