Shipment of spring Texas sweet onions have been off the past two years and this year will be similar in at least one respect. Growers slashed acreage by 20 percent this season after poor returns the last two years. A trickling of sweet onion loadings will get underway within days, and finally move into pretty good volume by the week of March 25th.
Shipments original both out the Uvalde/Winter Garden area, as well as the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Decent volume should continue through April.
Mexico continues to ship onions across the border into South Texas, but the on-going violence in the Mexican drug wars had make it more difficult to get accurate information on when and how much volume will be shipped. The violence is so bad that Texans investing in Mexican farming operations are afraid to the travel to Mexico to check on the crops.
Last year one major Mexican onion grower was kidnapped by a Mexican gang and hasn’t been heard from since – even after a ransom was paid. More recently the son of another Mexican farmer was kidnaped, but finally was set free after his family paid a ranson. Really makes on want to truck in Mexico doesn’t it!!
California Avocado Loads
Avocado shipments from Southern Californi are expected to heavier than normal during March and April because of the larger crop this year. Loading opportunties are expect to be good by the middle of March with weekly volumes increasing through spring and into the peak summer months.
Shipments are expected to be helped by such events as March Madness, Easter in late March, plus Cinco de Mao, Mother’s Day and the more traditional American summer holidays of Memorial Day, Flag Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Southern California avocado, berries and citrus – grossing about $5600 to New York City.
South Texas and Mexican produce – about $2800 to Chicago.