The U.S. Department of Agriculture has released the first California mandarin objective measurement survey.
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in California sampled 271 Tango, w. murcott, afourer and white murcott mandarin varieties randomly, according to a NASS news release.
The trees are in Fresno, Kern, Madera, Tulare and other counties.
Average fruit set per tree was 945, with an average diameter of 1.49 inches, according to the release.
The fruit counts were made from two trees in each orchard.
“Because this is a new survey, a production forecast will not be made for at least three years,” according to the release.
The NASS reported the following results from its first mandarin survey, including the average fruit set:
- Fresno County, 31 samples, 1,378;
- Kern County, 66 samples, 1,005;
- Madera County, 34 samples, 694;
- Tulare County, 132 samples, 912; and
- Other counties, eight samples, 367.
