The strange combination of floods in California and very warm conditions out east are causing problems for some agricultural producers around the country.
The Packer noted here that the heavy rain in California is delaying harvest of some strawberries and citrus, and is making vegetable planting problematic. Many fields are covered by water and berries have been destroyed by the wet conditions. Citrus harvest has been delayed by a couple of weeks due to the muddy soils but the quality should not be affected.
The Packer also noted that leafy greens are finishing their season two weeks early due to the “Great Mildew Plague of the Sonoran Desert Valleys”, which has been caused by a combination of rain, warm temperatures and humidity, which is unusual for places like Yuma, AZ. You can read more about this here.
On the other end of the country, maple syrup producers are worried about an early end to the sap-producing season due to the unusually warm temperatures with no swings to colder weather. If the trees blossom early, then the sap will turn bitter and won’t be good for syrup production, AgWeb reports here.
