Apple shipments will remain good through the remainder of the season (late July) as about 36 million bushels of fresh-market apples, mostly in Washington state, remain in storage for shipping. This is about 21% more than last year at the same time.
The 21% figure also represents how many more apples remain to be shipped compared to the 5-year average. Less than 1 million bushels of apples remain to be hauled from other states besides Washington.
There was more fruit remaining in storages for all major apple varieties to be shipped compared to last year at this time.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Watermelons
While watermelon shipments in Florida got underway in early May, it will be the end of the month before there is decent volume. Weather and disease factors will reduce Florida melon loading opportunities this season…Both Texas and Arizona are loading watermelons, with good volume not arriving until around the Memorial Day weekend (May 25-27).
Sweet Onions
Looking ahead to the Northwest, Walla Walla, WA growers have planted approximately 600 acres of the Walla Walla sweet onions this year, down slightly from the 2012 season. Sweet onion shipments should get going around mid-June and running through mid-August. In total, Washington state last year shipped non-storage onions from about 2,500 acres, up slightly from 2011.
Potatoes
Idaho continues trying to shed itself of another mammoth crop of russet potatoes. The state is averaging nearly 1,700 truckload equivalents of spud shipments weekly, although a significant amount of this is moving by rail….Second heaviest potato shipments are currently coming out of the San Luis Valley of Colorado, where about 575 truckload equivalents are moving each week.
San Luis Valley potatoes – grossing about $1700 to Dallas.
Idaho potatoes – about $5525 to Boston.