Mexican table grapes ramp up crossing the border in Arizona, while the Florida heat is starting to take its toll on spring produce shipments.
Mexican grape shipments are forecast to hit 16.05 million boxes this season, slightly less than last year’s final total of 16.27 million boxes. Peak shipments, mostly crossing the border at Nogales, are now in progress. Heavy volume should continue well into June before loadings decline towards the latter part of the month with the end of the season. Overall Mexican produce movement through Nogales is well below what it was in the first quarter of the year, with grapes now leading the pack in volume.
Mexican grapes – grossing about $2200 to San Francisco.
Florida
Florida produce shipments are starting to feel the heat as temperatures rise in the Sunshine State. There’s probably no better example than with sweet corn as shipments could come to a screeching halt this week. That is about two weeks earlier than the last two years.
Since the first week of April, the start of Florida’s spring shipments, packinghouses shipped about a million crates a week and so far have packed 6.2 million crates. This season, shippers should load about 7.5 million crates, similar to last season, which marked record production for the two weeks leading up to Memorial Day,
While Florida corn in coming to an end, Georgia sweet corn shipments are now underway.
Florida trucks have been in tight supply with mixed vegetables, tomatoes and watermelons – grossing about $3700 to Philadelphia.