West coast produce shipments are early this year, while East Coast produce shipments are running late. Here’s a round up on loading opportunities ranging from California stone fruit, Southeastern produce shipments and watermelons.
Stone Fruit Shipments
California stone fruit shipments have started a few days earlier than normal. Last year shipments totaled about 35 million cartons. This year estimates are about 40 million cartons. Apricot shipments got underway a couple of weeks ago. Good volume is expected in the days leading up to the Memorial weekend May 28-30.
Yellow nectarine shipments get underway around May 5th and yellow peach shipments will start about May 7-10. Plum loadings kick off about June 1st.
Even at a total of 40 million cartons of the peach, plums and nectarines, California is still 20 percent below the volume it had a decade ago. A lot of fruit acreage was pulled out of the ground and replaced with nuts in first decade of this century.
Florida Produce Shipments
Unlike the early start for many California produce shipments, Florida is the opposite. In late April, growers were beginning to ship good volume. However, this was later than the typical mid-April start of larger shipments. Large volumes of sweet corn shipments are seen for the month of May. While some shippers had good volume the last week of April, other shippers will not move into good volume until the middle of May.
Florida vegetables shipments – grossing about $3400 to New York City.
Georgia Sweet Corn Shipments
Georgia sweet corn should start shipping in small amounts from May 20 until early June, before hitting good volume.
Watermelon Shipments
Texas watermelon shipments should get underway the second week of May, while light supplies of Mexican melons continue to cross the border at McAllen. Heavier Mexican melon volume is crossing the border at Nogales. About 750 truck loads of Mexican watermelons crossed the border into Nogales last week, while volume continues to increase. Florida watermelon shipments are miniscule to that at Nogales right now, but is increasing.
Mexican melons, tomatoes and vegetables at Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.