Posts Tagged “berry shipments”
Naturipe of Watsonville, CA will have strong supplies of berries throughout the spring and summer of 2023 from different growing areas.
The company was underway in early May with peak supplies of California strawberries that will last through the summer months. Good volume should continue as well with blueberries this spring and summer.
Naturipe blueberries will source from diversified farming regions in the spring, which include Mexico, California, Florida and Georgia, and then will transition in the summer months into its farms from New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
The company will continue to have good raspberry volumes from its farming regions across Mexico. Blackberries are now in peak supplies from Georgia and North Carolina farms for late spring and early summer.
Schiller Park, IL – Optimal temperatures and growing conditions are resulting in peak production of Sun Belle blackberries and Green Belle organic blackberries from central Mexico through late May. Premium proprietary varieties Aketzali and Amelali, as well as the new Erandy variety, provide consumers with large, shiny, flavorfully sweet blackberries.
“The sunlight and beautiful spring weather on our farms are producing abundant volumes of extra sweet berries, sure to delight consumers and move retail sales,” said Sun Belle President and Founder Janice Honigberg. “Packed on the farm, our blackberries then go to one of our five distribution centers where they are carefully inspected to ensure the highest quality product for our retail partners and their customers.”
Sun Belle markets and distributes blackberries year-round. The company imports the Aketzali, Amelali and Erandy varieties from Mexico from August through mid-June, and markets excellent University of Arkansas varieties from Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Arkansas throughout the summer.
SUN BELLE and GREEN BELLE are leading brands of premium quality conventional and organic blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, golden berries, cranberries, pomegranate arils and red currants. Sun Belle operates five distribution centers nationally, including Schiller Park, Illinois; Jessup, Maryland; Oxnard, California; Miami, Florida; and Laredo, Texas.
California Giant Berry Farms is expecting big volumes of a full berry patch led by the vigorous Florida and Southern California strawberry shipments.
“Florida strawberries are currently hitting their peak. We’re seeing a week-over-week increase in top quality fruit, and we’re expecting solid volumes out of Florida through late March,” said J.T. Tipton district manager at California Giant Berry Farms.
“Simultaneously, mild winter weather conditions, coupled with healthy plants have pushed our Southern California strawberry supply about 15% ahead of where it was last year at the same time.”
However, Tipton echoes industry-wide challenges that have plagued produce since the start of the pandemic. Inflation, labor issues and logistics are still problematic, despite Florida peaking and Southern California’s peak volumes being on the horizon.
“We’re anticipating peak volumes out of Oxnard to start in late March and throughout April. Santa Maria is not far behind with their peaks anticipated in April throughout May,” he said.
Watsonville and Salinas started harvesting in early March and is expected to hit its peak in June. Overall, very strong volume in is expected in May.
For California Giant Berry Farms’ director of bushberry supply, Markus Duran, the optimistic outlook is shared.
The Florida blueberry season is just getting underway a potential loss of 10-15% looming. However, the company still expects a strong domestic blueberry season.
Additionally, California Giant Berry Farm’s Oxnard organics program has increased production every week since the beginning of December, with its peak strategically planned earlier than ever, perfect for meeting ever-growing consumer demand for stateside blueberries. Peak volumes out of Oxnard will occur from mid-March through May.
For the remaining berry patch — raspberries and blackberries — positivity is shared. California Giant’s acreage of bush berries has increased across the board, making a consistent supply of exceptional fruit available year-round.
Here’s a glimpse at hauling availability now and in coming weeks for cherries, watermelons and berries
California cherry volume is low. Although this gorgeous looking and tasting fruit makes up only one percent of total volume in produce shipments, it’s one of the highest paying freight items for produce haulers.
The cost for a 16-pound case of cherries started the season in California at a whopping $58 per case, the highest in 7 years. U.S. cherry shipments get underway in late April and wraps up at the end of August. Traditionally, peak loadings occur in July before gradually decreasing. The United States is the 2nd largest producer of cherries in the world after Turkey.
The California cherry season is just the warm up for an action-packed 16 weeks, and is a prelude to big time shipper, the state of Washington.
Lime, Lemon Shipments
Mexico has experienced an abnormally wet and cold winter in Tabasco, the leading lime growing region. Shippers also report high freight rates also is contributing to the availability of limes. Lime volume is expected to remain lower than normal at least through June.
While cherry volume is limited right now, watermelons are in plentiful supply.
As an example, a 40,000-pound truckload of cherries is valued at $174,000. The same weight in watermelons is only worth $4,800!
Blueberry shipments are finally increasing as domestic U.S. production rises and are less reliant on imports to meet blueberry demand. Domestic blueberry shipping regions are ramping up as they head toward peak loadings from June to August.
Blackberry volumes also are on the upswing with increasing production in the Baja California, Mexico, and California. While raspberries are coming out of those same regions volume remains relatively low.
As for strawberries, volume and quality have been all over the board in recent weeks. Shipments are expected to be building and should continue through June.
Plentiful berry shipments are seen in the months ahead for strawberries, blueberries.
California Giant of Watsonville, CA says it is growing and shipping fruit with good size and quality on all four types of berries.
The company finished winter strawberry loadings in Oxnard and Santa Maria in late April and scheduled new plantings. Volume in Watsonville has been increasing this month.
Watsonville raspberry shipments go underway in the first half of Mayharvest was expect.
California Giant’s blackberry pickings are expected to start in early to mid-June, and Mexico blackberry volume continues toward peak shipments.
Blueberries
Mexico is reporting good blueberry quality and similar quality is being reported from Oxnard. Georgia also is generally reporting good blueberry quality.
…
Strawberries
In California’s Central San Joaquin Valley, the first organic blueberry ranch started in late April, while significant conventional volume has been occurring in recent days.
Seven Seas of Visalia, CA is, a division of Tom Lange Co. Inc., Springfield, Ill. reports shipments of conventional strawberries in Santa Maria started in mid-February and organic strawberries in early March.
The company’s California berry crop is off to an excellent start, with some of the best quality and yields ever. Seven Seas will have heavy volumes throughout the spring and summer.
Homegrown Organic Farms of Porterville, CA kicked off its California organic blueberry shipments in late April, continuing for about a month until late May or early June before transitioning to the Pacific Northwest, where loadings will continue at least through August.
Supplies of Northwest blueberries should be plentiful with high quality in late summer.
HBF International LLC of Sheridan, OR is likewise full of optimism and will be harvest blueberries up and down the San Joaquin Valley until June 15 or 20 and then transition to Oregon around June 20.
Oregon blueberry shipments also look promising. Movement should continue through October.
HBF will have blackberries from Oregon from late June through September.
By the Berry People
Hollister, CA – Berry People, an integrated, year-round grower-shipper of a full line of branded organic and conventional berries and avocados, has announced new berry shipments from Mexico to fill critical supply gaps in the North American market during the fall and winter.
New supplies of premium-quality fruit include organic blueberries from Jalisco and conventional strawberries from Guanajuato and Michoacán. These volumes will complement Berry People’s existing supply from Latin America and the U.S.
Meanwhile, the company is also expanding its U.S. operations from Long Beach, CA to McAllen, TX, to better serve its growing customer programs in the Midwestern and Eastern U.S. and Canada.
New Berry Suppliers
Berry People recently began harvesting the first-ever blueberries from its new high-elevation plantation in Jalisco, which will fill a key niche in the market from now until the end of January.
“We will have predominantly organic production from this ranch, filling a generally undersupplied October-through-January window, with a focus on customers looking for the crunch, snap, and sweetness that Mexico can readily provide,” said Jerald Downs, President of Berry People
“While our South American organic blueberries are key to supporting volume retail blueberry sales at attractive general consumer pricing, this Mexican organic production will be targeted to specific programs for customers who desire to further differentiate themselves at the consumer eating experience level.”
In addition to the new blueberry deal, Berry People started harvesting high-quality conventional strawberries at its ranches in Irapuato and Zamora in October. Volumes will peak from December through January, wrapping up by the end of February.
These supplies will fill the gap perfectly between the company’s crop in Santa Maria, CA, set to peak in October and November, and its crop in Baja California, Mexico, which will peak in February through April.
“This deal is a milestone in giving us our desired transitional overlap and increasing our continuity and quality of supply in a tricky market window for strawberries,” said Downs.
Downs said that expectations are high for the inaugural season of these new blueberry and strawberry crops, which are grown on farms belonging both to company shareholders and experienced third-party growers.
o
The new berry deals also fit in with Berry People’s strategy to grow its customer-driven programs sustainably and fill market windows to offer a true year-round supply of organic and conventional blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberries.
“While the company’s individual commodity and overall category growth rate is projected above triple digits both for 2019 and 2020, we are very focused on building balance in our daily portfolio of berries,” Downs explained.
“We are working on filling our summer gaps and lulls on cane and strawberries, completing our pack-style and niche varietal offerings, and on getting better at harmonizing our supply and promotional activity, as well as our weekly fulfillment business, for week-over-week customer-grower satisfaction.”
Following a cold and rainy winter playing havoc with crop plantings and growth, spring vegetables and berries are taking off from California’s Salinas Valley with big volume in the weeks ahead.
Coastline Family Farms of Salinas, CA has wrapped up desert vegetable shipments such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces and herbs from Brawley, CA. Now the company is focusing on spring loadings from the Central Coast.
Salinas broccoli and cauliflower shipments are underway and moving into good volume.
Salad Savoy Corp., of Salinas, had nearly a week of planting delays in December. The company grows kale, chard and cauliflower in Yuma, AZ during the winter and in Soledad, CA in the spring.
Berry Shipments
Naturipe Berry Growers of Salinas grows mostly strawberries on 1,300 around Salinas, plus other places in California and Mexico.
Rains in California resulted in virtually nothing being harvested early in the season for strawberries, but more favorable weather has harvest and shipments back on track. Volume has been good leading up to Mother’s Day set for May 12th.
Recent seasons has seen record setting California strawberry shipments, but this year volume is expected to be down a little.
Naturipe is expecting more normal shipments this season averaging around 8,000 to 10,000 trays an acre.
Salina Valley vegetables and Watsonville berries – grossing about $4800 to Chicago.
More favorable weather for growing crops has California fruit shipments looking better than at this time last year.
At Anthony Vineyards of Bakersfield, it should start grape shipments from the Coachella Valley within in the next week, which will continue through June. The grape loadings will be shifting to the San Joaquin Valley, where the vast amount of California grape shipments originate. Another big crop exceeding 110 million boxes is expected.
Citrus Shipments
The California citrus industry has been disappointed overall, mainly due to weather factors. However, summer citrus shipments are now looking more favorable with late season valencias replacing navel oranges. Valencias should be available until the Fourth of July.
Grower/shipper Limoneira Co. of Santa Paula, believes California lemon loadings will be off 10 to 15 percent this year as the season ends this month.
Trinity Fruit Sales Co. In of Fresno notes the California mandarin crop is one of the state’s largest. As a result, product which normally winds down in April will be shipped through May. As the company’s domestic season comes to a close it will be importing mandarins for the first time from Peru, Chile and Uruguay,
Melon Shipments
Domestic melon shipments should be plentiful this season. Five Crowns Marketing of Brawley, CA has just started loadings of Origami cantalouple and will continue in the desert through June. The company’s Mexican watermelons are now moving in good volume, and continuing through May, before shifting to Arizona.
Westside Produce of Firebaugh, CA is now shipping cantaloupes and honeydews and will continue in good volume into October.
Stone Fruit Shipments
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit shipments are underway and Trinity Fruit of Fresno anticipates one of its biggest crops. Simonia Fruit Co. of Fowler, CA is expressing optimism for its peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
Berry Shipments
California berry shipments were down heading into Easter, however volume is shaping up well for strawberries, blackberries and raspberries from Watsonville and Santa Maria through the summer and well into the fall.
California blueberry shipments should be good through late spring before transitioning to Oregon and British Columbia during the summer months.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, WA just started its California cherry harvest. Last year, California produce only 4 million boxes, but a substantial increase is expected this season.
Good volume and produce loading opportunities are expected leading into celebrating our nation’s independence. Here’s a look at a number of fruits and vegetables that are popular Fourth of July items.
Cherry Shipments
A 4 percent drop in cherry shipments is estimated from the previous 19.8 million boxes. Loadings now appear to be more like 18.4 million boxes. About 10 million boxes of cherries will be shipped during June and almost 8 million in July.
The decline is due to a compression with the bloom period, so there will be compression in harvest. This will translate into fewer days for shipments.
Loadings for the East Coast should be especially heavy the week of Father’s Day for July 4 and Canada Day on July 1. Heavy volume will continue the first half of July.
Berry Shipments
Northwest blueberry shipments will be heavy, especially for the Fourth of July. This also in the time with initial loadings will start for Michigan blueberries.
In California’s Watsonville and Salinas district, strawberry shipments were not hurt by the cool weather that resulted in quality issues with some vegetables.
Peak Watsonville strawberry shipments and other berries are occurring and will continue into mid-July. Weekly fresh strawberry volumes exceeded 7 million trays in May, roughly on par with last year.
Blueberry, blackberry and raspberry shipments are a little early out of the Pacific Northwest.
Sweet Corn Shipments
Georgia sweet corn volume should be light through mid-June but begin increasing significantly by June 17th through the Fourth of July. Normal shipments are seen leading into the Fourth of July.
The majority of the nation’s sweet corn shipments leading up the Fourth, originate from Georgia
Watermelon Shipments
Georgia should begin shipping watermelons in big volume by June 15th.
Rain-caused losses in Texas, the end of Nogales, Ariz., (Mexican) season and the tail end of central Florida shipments. All of these factors will mean excellent loading opportunities for Georgia watermelon shipments.
South Carolina should start watermelon loadings by June 24th, while North Carolina will get underway by June 29th.
California produce shippers are looking to a spring and summer of good produce shipments, while mostly avoiding talk of bumper crops.
It should be a decent year for produce haulers looking to transport items ranging from stone fruit, to table grapes, cherries, melons, apples, citrus or berries. While El Nino didn’t happen, at least to the extent many thought it would, there has been average rains in much of the state that have helped to fight, but not eliminate the California drought. Adequate labor also continues to be a concern.
Here’s a look at California produce shipments in the coming months.
Apple Shipments
California apple shipment should get underway the week of July 20th with galas and continue through September. Fujis loadings should be available from mid-August through October. Granny Smith apple movement should be from late August through December; Pink Lady apple loadings will occur from mid-October through December.
About 1.8 million boxes of apples will be shipped, with around two-thirds of the volume marketed by Primavera Marketing of Linden, CA.
Berry Shipments
Strawberry shippers from Ventura County are in a seasonal decline. However, good volume is predicted for Watsonville starting in May and will continue into August. Strawberries out of Santa Maria have started and will continue through July. Raspberries have a similar season, although there is much less volume with shipping gaps. California will ship blueberries through May, before loadings shift to the Pacific Northwest.
Melon Shipments
California cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon shipments should be in good supply this summer. Prior to California, there will be cantaloupe loadings starting out of Yuma, AZ. This is followed by the melon harvest shifting to Huron, CA around June 20th.
Stone Fruit Shipments
Loadings for stone fruit shippers from the Southern San Joaquin Valley are just starting and will continue for the next four months. Leading items are peaches, plums and nectarines.
Citrus Shipments
Late-season navel oranges and mandarins continue to be shipped for a few more weeks. Valencias get underway in July. Lemon loadings are virtually over in the Central San Joaquin Valley. Loadings are now shifting to production areas on the coast.
Orange and mandarin shipments – grossing about $5000 to Atlanta.
Grape Shipments
Coachella Valley grape shippers should start the first week of May and continue through most of June. Shipments will then shift to the Arvin district (Bakersfield) around July 1.
Vegetable Shipments
There is light but increasing volume with vegetable shipments from both Santa Maria and Salinas. Items range from head lettuce, to leaf lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, romaine, celery, kale, parsley and cilantro, among others. There should be good volume by early May.
Santa Maria vegetable shipments – grossing about $6500 to New York City.