– Rain: Week 21 at the source brought back some serious dry and hot weather. Except for a few days during the beginning of the week that registered precipitation of only 17.8 mm (close to 3/4 of an inch), the balance of the week was dry and sunny.
– Temperature: The air and soil temperatures increased. The average minimum air temperature reached 23.5°C (74.3°F) – 0.8°C higher than last week. The average temperature also increased to 27.5°C (81.5°F) – 1.4°C higher than last week, and the average soil temperature increased to 27.7°C (81.8°F). Solar radiation was intense and relative humidity was identical to last week – 84.3 %.
– Observations: There is no doubt that good weather conditions during this week and for the recent past, together with our conscious effort to increase harvest age, have played a significant role in the quality improvement that we see today. The percentage of NDF fruit being harvested is on the rise and will continue to be so for the next 6 weeks, but we are confident that our strict age control afforded by the colored ribbons will enable us to provide you with normal quality fruit during this usually challenging time frame.