The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service has forecast California’s 2016/17navel orange crop at 84m cartons.
Of that crop, 81m cartons will come from California’s Central Valley, according to the report released on 12 September.
Average fruit set per tree is 384, higher than the five-year average of 334, though average diameter is below the five-year average at 2.123 inches, as of 1 September.
The forecast includes conventional, organic and specialist navel oranges including Cara Cara and Blood oranges.
