Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
California’s available Valencia orange supply continues to diminish. California’s Navel season has begun in a limited manner; supplies will increase week over week as harvesting ramps up, according to Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA in a press release.
California
- Valencias are finished for the season with Navel varieties available
- Quality is good; some scarring has been reported
- California Navel shipments are in full swing
Mexico
- Mexican imports (crossing in Nogales, Arizona) are expected in mid-November
- Great quality is forecast; sugar levels will range from 12-13 Brix
- Prices will be comparable to those in Florida and Texas
Texas
- Early variety seeded oranges will ship through February before the start of the Valencia season
- Quality is good; sugar levels range from 11-12 Brix
- Florida
- The new crop Hamlin season has begun
- Supplies are dominated by 138-count and smaller sizes
- Quality is fair; sugar levels range from 10-11 Brix
- Most of the fruit will be choice and standard grades
- Import
- Fruit is being imported to the East Coast
- South African seeded Midnight-variety oranges are shipping
- Quality is good; sugar levels range from 12-13 Brix
- The season will end in late November
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
The first Chilean cherry imports of the 2025-26 season arrived by air last month and weekly arrivals have been occurring since.
Chilean distributor Forever Fresh reports the first shipment consisted of eight pallets from Garcés Fruit, harvested in Chile’s central zone.
The shipment was made by air to New York City and included varieties such as Royal Down, Glenn Red, Brooks, and Coral. The second shipment to arrived on, Saturday October 25.
Forever Fresh plans to maintain a flow of shipments every two days, with fruit coming from both Garcés Fruit and Verfrut.
The company noted the first cherries arrived in excellent condition, with outstanding freshness and appearance, being crunchy, with good color and high sugar levels.
In this first stage, Forever Fresh will distribute the product to retailers and wholesalers to meet the initial demand for the season’s early lots.
Chile is riding the coattails of an excellent season by Washington state.
Chile apparently learned a lesson last season that it is not wise to put all of your eggs, or in this case, cherries in one basket.
Chile views the US as an excellent market and opportunity for Chilean cherries. Today, 90 percent of the Andean country’s crop is destined for China, making local producers extremely dependent on the Asian giant. Last year’s oversupply drove prices down dramatically, prompting the question: Should Chile look beyond the East?
Cultivating the US market with counter-seasonal cherries is a great alternative. Thus, market diversification has become a long term goal for Chileans.
There is clear potential in the United States, but Forever Fresh realizes building the market takes time. The company has been investing together with its producers—Garcés, Verfrut, Probex, and Unifrutti—to develop demand and reaccustom consumers to seeing high-quality Chilean fruit during the winter.
The United States imported about 4 million boxes of Chilean cherries last year. Forever Fresh accounted for 25 percent of the market share.
The company projects growth of between 20 percent and 25 percent, with the most important thing being consistency in quality and supply.
It will be of utmost importance to provide that quality and supply for key periods such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day. Just as it happens in China, where cherries are offered as a gift for the Lunar New Year, Chilean cherries are looking to position themselves as a high-value product and premium gift.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Rain is forecast for the California growing regions of Santa Maria and Oxnard Thursday night, November 13, then November 16, through Friday, November 17; harvesting cancellations are expected, according to a press release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Limited yields from the South Texas growing region will help offset California’s reduced volume. Expect an extreme demand-exceeds-supply market over the next two weeks.
Santa Maria/Oxnard
- Upcoming rain will present quality issues, as well as harvesting delays
- Expect an extreme demand-exceeds-supply market for the next two weeks
- Quality ranges from fair to fairly good; light decay, soft skin, and bruising are issues
- Size ranges from small-medium to medium
- Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
- Expect tight supplies and elevated prices
Mexico/South Texas
- Current yields will not meet demand
- Supplies are limited, due to quality problems including white shoulders, skin bruising, and green tips
- Maintaining the cold chain will be vital for shelf-life; Markon recommends ordering for quick turns
- Supplies will increase in late November
- Expect low volume and high markets
A diverse crop of fall vegetables are now being shipped from Florida, although volume doesn’t match that of the state’s busiest period, springtime.
Items coming out of an area ranging from Homestead to Belle Glade range from sweet corn to green beans, Bell peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens. Favorable growing conditions have growers and shippers optimistic for good, quality crops.
The long, diverse list of Florida’s fall produce shipments include fruits and vegetables such as sweet corn, Bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, avocados, carrots, radishes, squash and green beans. Fall also is the start of the state’s citrus shipments, with early varieties of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. It also includes leafy greens such as romaine, as well as the beginning of Florida strawberries from the Plant City area.
Florida ranks among the nation’s top producers of several key specialty crops, leading the U.S. in the production of oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers and Bell peppers during the fall and winter months.
Southern Specialties of Pompano Beach, FL imports product from Central and South America as well as shipping Florida produce. The company relies heavily on the ports at Miami and the Everglades for its imported items.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
The California Prune Board (CPB) reports data provided by handlers in September, show an estimated 65,000 short tons of prunes available for the 2025 crop. This compares with 76,413 short tons last year.
This is down about 15 percent from last years volume, which was a little above average.
California prunes have a large brand in Sunsweet of Yuba City, CA, and there are a couple of larger handlers such as Mariani.
The industry’s planting area remains around 36,000 to 38,000 acres, with ongoing replanting focused on replacing older trees with highly productive ones.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
With the Salinas Valley quality ridden lettuce season mercifully ending and Huron approaching its brief fall shipping season, lettuce loadings get underway next week from the desert regions of Arizona and California. Volume is expected to be light through November.
Meanwhile, lettuce shipments from Huron in the San Joaquin Valley continue with good quality product. This area will pretty much be finished by the end of the month.
The Salinas Valley is still shipping limited amounts of lettuce, but beware of widespread quality problems due to disease and mildew and untimely rains.
Oxnard also is loading lettuce in limited volume. Quality is reported good.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863,
After three consecutive banner years, Wisconsin cranberry growers are projecting lower volumes for the 2025 season, according to the Wisconsin State Cranberry Association.
Last year alone, the state’s growers harvested a total of 6.01 million barrels of cranberries, one of the highest on record. And since cranberries are perennial plants, growers expected the fruit to produce less, which it did.
According to the USDA, overall US cranberry production is projected to be lower this season, and Wisconsin’s expected output is projected to total 5.3 million barrels, a decrease of around 11 percent from last year.
Wisconsin cranberries are grown by fourth- and fifth generation families.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Sunrise Kiwi of Gridley, CA is one of the first kiwifruit growers in California, which was introduced to the state in the 1960s. The company reports 98 percent of the kiwifruit consumed in the US comes from California growers.
Although the fruit’s quality benefited from the great weather, the company notes California’s northern and central growers project a harvest decrease of about 10 percent this season compared with last year.
The reason for the projected decline isn’t known for sure, but it could be related to the excessive heat last year during growing season. That might have had an impact on bud development.
Kiwi is available to north American consumers not only because of California production, but imports coming from New Zealand and Chile.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Pacific Produce of Miami, FL has been importing asparagus for over 20 years, beginning with its own production from Peru in 2002.
First grown by its closely affiliated grower Agrokasa, the company has expanded its imported asparagus program, working with additional growers in both Peru and Mexico.
Pacific Produce notes this has allowed the company to become a year-round supplier continuously for the past 23 years. In a recent announcement the company revealed its Peruvian grower, Agrokasa, is making a return with a new investment of 600 hectares of asparagus in Pisco, Peru.”
The new planting are scheduled to begin in 2026. Agrokasa’s Pisco project encompasses 5,930 acres where the company is already cultivating avocados, blueberries and grapes.
Imported asparagus is a popular commodity in the United States, and Agrokasa’s project will help reverse the declining trend. Agrokasa began producing, exporting and marketing asparagus in 1997. In 2007, it set a record, exporting 2.4 million boxes from 3,682 acres, which represented 13 percent of Peru’s asparagus industry that year.
When its new acreage is in full production, it will once again rival those numbers and maintain its position as one of Peru’s top asparagus producers. For its part, Pacific Produce also remains committed to the commodity and is continually looking for opportunities to increase its asparagus program with its many growers.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Creekside Organics of Bakersfield, CA, a grower-shipper representing family farms across California, is celebrating the arrival of citrus season with earlier start dates and expanded programs.
The company is also proud to announce the debut of the first certified organic Dulce mandarins in the U.S, sold under their Fruit World label.
The season has already begun with organic California lemons out of the D3 growing region, harvested about four weeks earlier than last year. Organic grapefruit and sweet limes are kicking off this week, with mandarins following.
Organic navels are on track for early November, and Cara Caras will start in December, expanded by three locks that obtained organic certification this year.
Operational improvements supported Creekside’s growth this season. The Reedley packing facility, previously operated by Eastside Packing, is now leased by Cobblestone Fruit, whose leadership and investment are positioning the site for continued growth. This transition strengthens Creekside’s relationship with the operation and supports the consistency and capacity of its citrus programs. Importantly, customers will not see any changes to Fruit World packs.
One highlight of this season is the introduction of Fruit World’s organic Dulce mandarins. Developed by co-CEO Bianca Kaprielian’s father and harvested just before clementines, Dulce mandarins completed their three-year organic transition this year, allowing Creekside to bring them to market as certified organic for the first time.
“This variety is really special to us—sweet, tangy, and the first organic mandarin of the season,” said Kaprielian. “It’s a true celebration of what makes citrus season so exciting.”
Kaprielian also highlighted another family favorite: organic clementines from Sky Ranch, grown in an area known for its mineral-rich soils and unique hillside microclimate. “These mandarins are hands down the best you’ll eat all season,” she said. The mandarins from Sky Ranch will be ready in mid to late November and are not to be missed.
Creekside is building consistency across its organic lemon program with expanded acreage, ensuring a year-round supply for retailers. “Shoppers rely on lemons, so they are a great way to drive repeat sales,” said co-CEO Brenda Haught.
On the specialty side, Cara Cara production is also ramping up thanks to young blocks coming into maturity. This gives retailers more opportunities to promote this consumer favorite, which is known for its bright color and sweet-tangy flavor. Creekside also increased volume on kumquats, Minneolas, and blood oranges. Sweet limes are poised to stand out this season thanks to their unique flavor and versatility in cooking and juicing.
About Creekside Organics, Inc.
Creekside Organics, Inc. is a leading certified organic grower-shipper based in California, sourcing from organic farms across California and Mexico. Offering year-round organic fruit and vegetable programs, Creekside is dedicated to expanding market reach for its growers, preserving family farms, and upholding the highest standards of environmental sustainability. Through a growing family of brands—including Fruit World and Capay Organics—Creekside continues to build a stronger, more resilient future for organic agriculture.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.