Here’s a shipping outlook for different areas and commodities ranging from Florida after Hurricane Irma, to Idaho potatoes, Washington apples and imported mangoes.
Florida’s projected 75 million-box orange crop may have been slashed by 40 percent or more due to Hurricane Irma, depending on where the groves are located. Heavy losses are also are expected with grapefruit and other items.
This is the off season for many Florida vegetable shipments, but products such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and strawberries in South Florida took a big hit and replantings will result in shipments being at least a month or two if not more later than normal.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Idaho potato shipments from the season that recently ended was 12 percent over that of two years ago. The diggings for the current crop are underway off of 308,000 acres, which is 15,000 acres less than last year. However, Idaho will still have plenty of potatoes to haul.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Apple Shipments
Red delicious will soon lose its status as the volume leader in the Washington apple industry as the variety will amount to 25 percent of the 2017-18 crop, off about 5 percent from recent years.
Gala apples should account for 23 percent of the new crop, and is on track to surpass red delicious this season or next. Red Delicious popularity has declined because of a number of new varieties that are considered to taste better. Growers have been planting proprietary varieties or improved versions of varieties such as gala, Fuji, Honeycrisp and Cosmic Crisp.
Over 600,000 Honey Crisp trees were planted this year, and about 5.5 million more will go in the ground next year. A significant reason for more Honey Crisp planting is it has a harvest window very similar to that of the Red Delicious.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
Mango Imports
As Mexican mango imports seasonally decline the slack its being picked up by imports from Brazil. Brazil’s season is expected to continue through November with a projection of approximately 8.2 million boxes Peak imports are expected mid-September to mid-October.
As Brazilian imports wind down, imports will be available from Ecuador followed by Peru, which will take production into the new year with the return to volume from Mexico coming in March.
Mexican mangoes through Nogales – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.