Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The Chilean grape industry has shipped 20 million boxes globally through Week 8 (March 4), and the Chilean Grape Committee estimates they will end the season very close to 62 million boxes. The U.S. will receive roughly 57% of the total volume…around 35 million boxes.
Chile has exported 15 million boxes to the U.S. through Week 8. Another 20 million will be shipped between Weeks 9 and 17, with the East Coast receiving approximately 15 million, and the West Coast five. Weeks 11 and 12 have been highlighted as the peak weeks for shipments.
Comments Ignacio Caballero, director of marketing of Frutas de Chile and coordinator of the Grape Committee, “More than half of the volume projected for the U.S. market has yet to be shipped, and weekly volumes will increase starting in Week 10. It’s looking like mid-March through April will be a great time for retailers to promote Chilean grapes.”
The Chilean grape industry has seen significant growth this season in exports of Sweet Globe, Allison, Timco, and Autumn Crisp. The variety experiencing the greatest drop in volume has been Thompson Seedless, with volume plummeting by fifty-two percent in response to market feedback. In terms of other export markets, Chile has shipped 11% to the Far East, eight percent to Latin America, and five percent to Europe.
Early season imported grapes from Chile have been reduced because of lack of volume from the Copiapo growing region. Most of those grapes that are normally harvested in November were delayed into December and January.
International Fruit Company of Hammonton, NJ reports during a recent three week period only 8 million boxes of grapes were harvested when it should have been 11 million under normal weather conditions. A year ago nearly 14 million boxes were loaded during that same period.
Frutas de Chile projected this season around 63 million boxes for export, but International Fruit believes the actual volume will be between 55 and 60 million boxes.
According to estimates, there should be about 10 million boxes left in the late season region, and that fruit is simply not there, the company notes.
So the peak of the Chilean season in the U.S. market is expected in mid-March through the end of the month. If the seasons progresses a little better than expected it may last until mid April.
Apparently the Panama Canal is now functioning better during the Chilean season because more water available. This should result in fewer problems for boats transiting the Panama Canal with Chilean grapes.
The Chilean Kiwifruit Commission expects similar production volumes this year compared to 2023, which is approximately 130,000 tons.
With sizing of the fruit expected to be similar to a year ago, it was pointed out last year’s shipments to the United States grew enormously.
Looking at the global industry, the agency indicated the northern hemisphere will close a little earlier because there is less fruit. The southern hemisphere season is going to have considerably more fruit than last year because New Zealand grew by 40% in yellow kiwis and 30% in green kiwis compared to 2023.
The volume of yellow and green fruit represents almost 150,000 tons more supply, which is almost all of Chile’s production, “therefore, the volume of supply from the southern hemisphere, although in the case of green, is below historical levels, when adding the growing volume of yellow fruit, will show significant supply from the southern hemisphere.”
Zespri, the New Zealand kiwifruit shipping giant, reports the 2024 kiwi season has the potential to be a year of strong growth across all kiwifruit offerings this year. The company is expecting to export about 193 million trays of kiwifruit to markets around the world.
While still early in the season, Zespri’s latest supply estimate reflects the positive growing conditions seen across New Zealand in recent months. This season’s crop will significantly increase the 133 million New Zealand trays shipped last season and up on the 175 million trays shipped in 2021.
“It’s been a far more settled growing environment compared to the last couple of seasons when growers were facing several challenges, including the impact of COVID-19, the significant labor shortage in 2022, and the many climatic events that New Zealand experienced in 2023,” Zespri reports.
“While it’s still early, the crop looks excellent and there’s a lot of excitement and optimism in the industry.
The company notes managing the increased volume of fruit throughout the supply chain and delivering consistently good quality fruit was the key consideration in the industry’s season planning process.
Zespri was closely monitoring the disruption to international shipping though Zespri was not affected by the disruption in the Red Sea, instead shipping via the Panama Canal.
A 12 percent increase in volume for New Zealand Apples and Pears (NZAPI) is forecast this year over the 2022, a rebound from 2023, which suffered significant damage due to Cyclone Gabrielle.
The publication Fuitnet estimates exports will total 21.2 million boxes (18 kg tray equivalent), 382,000 tons. Excellent size, color, eating, and flavor are expected.
Fuitnet also is projecting a higher dry matter content, allowing for better storage of the fruit.
Sunkist Growers of Valencia, CA is shipping a good volume supply of its year-round conventional and organic citrus in the winter months. It also is shipping specialty citrus during the winter.
These range from The Pink Orange, to the seedless sweetness and pink cara cara orange variety, blood oranges, and vitamin B9 rich minneola tangelos.
Sunkist also is shipping the more traditional navel oranges, lemons, California mandarins, grapefruit and organics.
Winter is the peak shipping season for Sunkist
This included a strong start to the California desert grapefruit category and increased volume in lemons.
Sunkist is generally recognized as the longest-standing fresh citrus cooperative in the nation.
The official crop forecast for the California Avocado Commission’s (CAC) fiscal year 2023-24 is 208 million pounds, down from the prior year’s volume of 237 million pounds.
Weather and market conditions will be key factors for when California avocado growers begin harvesting, said the Commission in a release. The potential for a wet winter may encourage some growers to delay picking to allow their avocados time to increase in size, which could in turn increase the crop volume.
“Some very early season harvesting has occurred already and we’re anticipating the volume to ramp up in March and April,” says CAC Vice President of Marketing Terry Splane.
“The recent rain in California avocado growing regions followed by a period of sunny days is excellent for the health of our avocado trees and sizing of the fruit,” says Jason Cole, chairman of the California Avocado Commission Board of Directors. “We are looking forward to the harvest, which has already started in a minor way, to ramp up once fruit sizing and market conditions are favorable.”
The majority of California avocados are shipped West of the Rocky Mountains.
By North American Potato Market News
According to the USDA, January Yellow potato shipments climbed 25.8% above 2023 movement, to a record 819,000 cwt. Strong movement from Idaho, the San Luis Valley, the Red River Valley, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Kern County contributed to January’s Yellow potato sales growth.
January Red potato movement exceeded 2023 shipments by 24,000 cwt, or 4.0%. Increased sales from Kern County, Central Minnesota, the Red River Valley, and the Klamath Basin offset reduced shipments from the Columbia Basin, Idaho, Wisconsin, and Maine.
For all types, (red, yellow and russet), The Red River Valley showed a 12% increase in January 2024 shipments over January 2023.
Mexican melon volumes are growing. Figures from the Mexican Information Service of Agrofood and Fishing (SIAP) indicate that fruit production grew by 11.2% in 2023, compared to the 580,000 tons recorded in 2022.
Michoacan is the main producing state in the country, accounting for 144,600 tons.
The U.S. is the main market for Mexican melons with a market value of 25,6 million dollars in 2022. In addition to domestic consumption, Mexican producers export the fruit to Japan, Hong Kong, Cuba, Colombia, Belize, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates.
Two varieties are marketed in Mexico: Cantaloupe and Valenciano. The latter is larger than the Chinese melon and has a smooth, pale green rind, deep green flesh, and a sweet flavor.
Mexico ranked as the world’s 12th largest producer, accounting for 1.9% of the international volume.
The Frutas de Chile Stone Fruit Committee has released a new estimate for this season, including Nectarines, Japanese Plums, European Plums, and Peaches. Forty-four companies, representing 84% of Chile’s global stone fruit exports last season, contributed to the estimate.
The stone fruit industry projects total overall exports of 35,330,388 boxes, a 15% increase over last season. Estimates for specific categories are as follows:
Nectarines
- 11.5 million 8 kg boxes; 13% growth from last season.
- Strong growth in white-flesh nectarines; projected increase of 26%, representing 60% of total nectarine volume.
- Yellow-flesh nectarine volume expected to decline by two percent, reaching 40% of total nectarine volume.
Japanese Plums
- 13 million 7 kg equivalent boxes; 16% growth from last season.
- Red plums are expected to grow by seven percent and black plums by fifteen percent.
European Plums – Sugar Plums – D’Agen (exported primarily to Asia):
- 8 million 9 kg boxes; 23% growth from last season.
Peaches
- 2.8 million 8 kg boxes, a decrease of one percent compared to last season.
The Stone Fruit Committee just launched a retail-focused marketing campaign in the U.S., working with retailers nationwide to drive sales of nectarines and plums. Comments Karen Brux, North America Managing Director of Frutas de Chile, “There are significant opportunities for retailers to build winter stone fruit sales. We’re developing in-store radio ads, demo programs, digital coupons, online videos, and other tactics to showcase nectarines and plums’ great flavor and nutrition.” Promotions are ongoing and will continue into April.
In its January report, trade association US Apple of Falls Church, VA unveiled its latest figures showing a 33% year-on-year rise in fresh apple remaining to be shipped and following a consistent upward trend during the past two months.
With volumes standing strong at 112.2 million 42-pound bushels, this shows a 23% rise compared to the January five-year average.
The entity represents the U.S. 26,000 apple growers, nearly 40 state and regional apple associations, and more than 3,700 apple-related companies.
Processing apple holdings totaled 44 million bushels, also showing an increase with volumes 20% higher year-on-year.
By volume, Gala is the largest fresh apple variety in storage this January, with 17.9 million bushels. Honeycrisp comes in second, at 15.5 million bushels.