The latest Arizona Agri-Weekly report from the Phoenix, Ariz., Field Office of the National Agricultural Statistics Service released Dec. 5, 2011.

Field crops

Cotton harvest is 70 percent complete which is slightly ahead of last year but below the five-year average of 77 percent.

Alfalfa conditions are mostly fair to good. Harvest is active on about half of the acreage across Arizona. Sheep are grazing in some alfalfa fields.

Vegetable, fruit, and specialty crops

Central Arizona growers shipped cabbage, cantaloupe, cilantro, honeydew, kale, parsley, spinach, Swiss chard, and lemons.

Western Arizona growers shipped arrugula, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, cilantro, endive, escarole, frisee, honeydew, and various lettuces including Boston, iceberg, green leaf, red leaf, and romaine. Also shipped were kale, parsley, radicchio, and spinach.

Weather summary

Temperatures were mostly above normal for the week ending Dec. 4 ranging from 4 degrees below normal at various locations to 7 degrees above normal at Douglas.

The highest temperature was 80 degrees at Tucson and Yuma. The lowest reading was 1 degree at Flagstaff.

Precipitation was recorded in 18 of the 22 weather stations. The least precipitation was recorded in Buckeye with 0.02 inches. The most precipitation was recorded in Payson with 0.84 inches.

Kingman, Roll, and Tucson are the only weather stations with above normal precipitation for the year. Eight of the weather stations have received precipitation to date above 80 percent of normal.