Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
After years of below-average production, Washington state frozen raspberry growers reported a bountiful 2025 crop of over 68 million pounds. According to Gavin Willis, Executive Director of the Washington Red Raspberry Commission (WRRC), this is the state’s highest volume since 2018.
Excessively high temperatures led to what Willis calls “a heat dome” during the 2021 and 2022 harvests, which hit the industry hard in both service and plant development. The result was a massive 30 percent dip in production in 2021 compared to 2020, followed by another 23 percent drop in 2022.
The damage was done, and the path back to peak performance was ahead. Patience and plant rotation were key to Washington’s frozen raspberry comeback. The executive explains that today, most of the plantings impacted during the 2021 heat dome are being cycled out of the fields, and those that still remain seem, for the most part, to have healed.
The executive says the year brought good weather through the pollination window and the six to eight-week harvest period. The absence of any persistent cloud cover kept good moisture levels in the field, curbing excess mold and resulting in what Willis calls an excellent yield for the frozen raspberry category.
Washington produces 90 percent of the United States’ frozen raspberries, with 99.8 percent of their crop going to this category.
Mexico is the biggest exporter of fresh raspberries into the country, with a largely unchallenged market share of 72 percent. In the frozen category, Mexico ranks second, behind Chile, with sales of almost $23 million in 2024. But the Aztec country is only diverting five percent of its production to the frozen raspberry category, so the opportunity for growth is ripe for the taking.
Willis explains that Washington frozen raspberries cannot compete with Mexico because, for them, there’s no price floor.
For the past five to seven years, he says, byproducts from the Mexican fresh market (fruit that didn’t make grade or diversions from higher-than-demand production) are being repackaged and folded into the US frozen market. This is significantly affecting the prices Washington growers can aspire to.
“It’s impossible to compete, and for buyers it’s really hard to turn down something that’s basically being offered to you at less than what it costs to produce it,” Willis says. “A lot of these producers or growers are selling this product when they’ve already made their profits in the fresh market, [so] they don’t need to make a profit on it.”
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The Peruvian table grape season is progressing strongly.
As of mid November, nearly 40 percent of the Peruvian table grapes in Piura had been harvested, with quality described as high, especially impressive given the severe drought earlier this year.
Meanwhile, demand is surging for Autumncrisp®, the green grape brand that has rapidly become a consumer favorite in the US, with its larger size, crunch, and flavor.
Peru, the world’s largest producer of the Sugra35 variety known as Autumncrisp®, has seen exports double since last season, with more than 17 million boxes expected to ship this year. Despite a later start due to weather and import tariff concerns, shipments of Peruvian table grapes are now underway and began arriving in the US around Thanksgiving.
Currently, Piura is harvesting, but the main volume will come from Ica, followed by newer arrivals from the emerging Nazca region, which offers an earlier Peruvian table grape harvest window thanks to its unique microclimate.
With Autumncrisp® making up around 20 percent of Peru’s projected 87 million box total for the 2025/2026 season, and peak volumes expected by February, the outlook is robust.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
An early production surge is giving importers in the United States and Europe a head start on the winter Chilean cherry import season.
The Chilean cherry is considered a premium fruit in China, and producers are hoping to charm shoppers worldwide as the Andean country looks to diversify one of its star products.
Honeybear Brands, based in Minnestoa, is already moving fruit into retail, while Spain’s CMR Group recently unloaded Europe’s first sea container of off-season Chilean cherries. Both companies report strong crop conditions in Chile and expect steady volumes through the holidays.
Honeybear Brands, reports the company is estimating shipments at approximately 125 to 150 loads.
Honeybear Brands continues to position itself as a key supplier for cherry winter demand, highlighting the fruit’s versatility and convenience. The company only imports Chilean fruit; believing it is a superior product to other growing regions in South America.
The company brings Chilean cherries into Washington state and Philadelphia, and says the dual-port model allows it to co-load imported cherries with its domestic apple programs.
The importer expects to expand its cherry program in the coming weeks with additional origins and other stone fruit items.
Chilean exporter Copefrut over 70 years of experience with cherries, apples, kiwifruit, and plums as strategic crops in Chile and foreign markets such as the US.
The company shipped over 3,000 tons of fruit to the US in 2024, with apples accounting for nearly half and cherries for 831 tons.
The firm works directly with some US and Canadian retailers, but that the majority of the crop enters the market through importers on both coasts. Copefrut’s plan in the mid- and long-term is to grow across all fronts, but apples are already ahead, with the company observing a 30 percent year-on-year increase in market share in 2024.
Westside Produce/Classic Fruit reports the U.S. domestic melon season winds down in October and Imports take over. Most melon consumption in the U.S. comes from domestic grown product, so imported supplies over the winter are typically lighter in volume.
It’s around this time that growers and shippers start gearing up to import the seasonal fruit from global suppliers such as Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico.
During the winter months, Westside Produce/Classic Fruit’s melons come from their offshore operations in Guatemala, the world’s main supplier.
This year, the company is reporting incoming fruit is looking great, and supply is sufficient for a steady flow that will last through the holiday season.
Growing conditions are noted to be better than the past few years, with far fewer major weather problems. Quality and yields should be very good.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKER, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Southern Specialties, of Pompano Beach, FL is a grower, importer and distributor of specialty produce, and reports a strong year across the board as it heads into the final months of the year.
As the industry transitions into the fall season, the 35 year-old company once again turns attention to one of its key Florida-grown programs — its green bean operation.
The company’s green beans are marketed under its Southern Selects label, along with a number of private-label programs for major retailers and foodservice distributors. Southern Specialties sources and processes the beans through its Florida operations.
Besides Florida-grown green beans, Southern Specialties also uses its South Florida base as a critical gateway for imported counter-seasonal products.
This allows the company to complement Florida-grown crops with imported items such as asparagus, baby vegetables and berries from Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.
The company points out about 96 percent of the asparagus consumed in the U.S. comes from either Peru or Mexico and is one of the leading growers and importers of Peruvian asparagus, which enters the Port of Miami and is then distributed nationwide. Southern Specialties also grow and distribute asparagus from Mexico, as well as seasonally available Michigan asparagus.
Having the Port of Miami and Port Everglades nearby provides an important logistical advantage, especially during the busy fall and holiday months.
Both ports are strong receivers for product coming from throughout South and Central America, which can distributed along north-south and east–west corridors that allows the company to reach about 80 percent of the U.S. population within two days.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
California strawberry supplies remain extremely limited due to the rains and lower temperatures of the past two weeks. Mexican berries (into South Texas) and Florida-grown supplies are increasing; quality is improving. Expect prices to decline slowly over the next 10 days, according to a press release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Santa Maria and Oxnard, California
- Harvesting has been minimal this week as growers are allowing fruit to mature
- Winter production is expected to begin by late December
Mexico (into South Texas)
- Supplies are increasing
- Quality problems include white shoulders, skin bruising, and green tips
- This market is active
Florida
- Cooler weather has slowed growth, but supplies are slowly increasing
- Defects include white shoulders and green tips
- Size ranges from 17 to 22 berries per 8/1-pound clamshells
Baja, Mexico (into California)
- Shipments are beginning to cross after last week’s border blockades ended
- Rainy weather slowed production
- Quality ranges from fair to good
- Size ranges from 19-24 per 8/1-pound clamshells
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
An otherwise relatively some California grape growing season was disrupted in mid-October when an unusually strong storm crossed key production areas from Bakersfield to Visalia.
Between 20 and 30mm of rain fell over two days, prompting California grape growers to cover vineyards with protective plastic.
Pandol Brothers, California grower, shipper and importer based in Delano, reported nearly all vineyards have plastic covering ready to be pulled on in case of rain. However, this was an unusually strong storm for October, but it shouldn’t be a problem for most growers.
Some others expressed less optimism. One California grape exporter noted that many vineyards appeared to be uncovered and added that even protected blocks could see increased disease pressure from moisture rising back up from the soil.
The storm also resulted several shippers halting ocean exports to Asian markets, opting to rely solely on air freight to avoid the risk of claims or rejected fruit on arrivals.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
With over 30 percent retail sales growth in the US this year, Zespri kiwifruit is climbing the ranks of America’s fruit isle, now sitting at number 15 and eyeing a top-10 spot.
The New Zealand company reports kiwi is the fastest-growing fruit in the fruit category, and Zespri is the number one kiwifruit brand driving that growth, selling more than 4x the next best-selling brand.
Zespri attributes much of the brand’s momentum to the company’s popular SunGold variety, which is described as sweet, juicy, and very broadly appealing.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
A big crop of walnuts is just getter bigger if the California Walnut Board and Commission (CWBC) is correct in its latest estimate.
The CWBC reports initial forecasts may have been too conservative as the organization estimates a six percent increase over the original 710,000 short tons projected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Thanks to near perfect growing conditions and the harvest still ongoing, the CWBC sees a potential of 750,000 short tons.
The organization observes the kernel size is also two percent larger than the average of the past two years, with optimal color and quality.
Established in 1948, the CWBC represents California walnut growers and handlers.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Comprising over 147 growers in Central New York, Crunch Time Apple Growers of Newark, NY is responsible for 60 percent of the state’s apple production and is excited about its 2025 crop.
Thanks to favorable weather conditions in the months leading up to harvest, both of the cooperative’s exclusive varieties, SnapDragon and RubyFrost, have excellent taste and appearance.
The harvest lasts only a few weeks, and the fruit is showing good storage capabilities for months to come.
Although there is a high-quality fruit crop with favorable weather, Cruch Time sees the challenge of yet another record-breaking season for US apples, which is forecasted to reach a historic production of 278.5 million bushels nationwide.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.