You know summer has arrived when Michigan vegetable shipments finally start picking up, mostly from the western part of the state.
Within the past few days, light volume has gotten underway with squash, cucumbers, grape tomatoes. These items should have good volume from July through September. Cabbage loadings also have started and will continue into mid November.
Shortly after the Fourth of July, look for blueberry shipments to get started. Leafy greens and radishes also get underway in early July. By mid July you’ll find loadings of celery and carrots.
Around the third week of July, sweet corn shipments start. Peak volume will be the month of August but shipments tailing off after Labor Day. Late July also means roma tomatoes are available, with round tomatoes coming on about August 1st.
Michigan apple shipments from the large 2103-14 crop are still ongoing, but a seasonal decline is underway with loadings now less than 100 truckloads per week.
The Wolverine state produces the second most diverse crop of agricultural products (after California) , including fresh fruits and vegetables.
Michigan apples – grossing about $2500 to Atlanta.
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Georgia produce shipments play an important role, particularly this time of the year, as it supplies a significant amount of fruit and vegetables, especially to the eastern half of the country. Here is a run down on current and coming loading opportunities from Georgia.
Before getting started, let it be said that Georgia has joined much of the nation with some disruptive weather that has delayed normal starts in shipping and is continuing to result in supply gaps where more product will be available for loading some weeks more than others. In general, a lot of the volume that would usually be available in May has been pushed back into June. With few exceptions volume will be lighter this season.
Bell Peppers and Cukes
In central and southern Georgia, bell pepper shipments will not have significant volume until June. Cucumber shipments initially start this week, with better volume coming at the end of May. Both items should be available through June.
Squash, Cabbage and Eggplant
Squash loadings recently started, but too many plants have been lost to cold and excessive rains. Volume will be down significantly this year. Cabbage shipments also are underway, but no big crop here. Georgia epplant faces a similar situation.
Sweet Corn and Green Beans
Sweet corn shipments, as well as green bean shipments should be in better shape than previously mentioned vegetables. Beans have already started, with sweet corn getting underway in late May.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Most shipments of Vidalia sweet onions started April 21st or later. While volume has been increasing in May, June will provide peak loading opportunities.
Blueberry Shipments
Georgia blueberries have been underway for three to four weeks and are now moving in good volume. However, no huge crop is seen.
Peaches and Watermelons
Early Georiga peaches were hit hard by freezing weather. Very limited loadings will be occurring into mid June, when volume starts improving. However, serious shipments will not come until July.
Georgia watermelon shipments start in a limited way in mid June. With the late start melon loadings should continue into mid July, instead of the Fourth of July.
Vidalia onions – grossing about $3500 to New York City.
Georgia mixed vegetables – about $2700 to New York City.
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Another large volume of Mexican grape shipments are crossing the border into Nogales, AZ. We’ll also take a look at some produce shipments out of the Southeastern US.
Observers are stating this is the earliest start on record for the grape shipments originating out of Sonora Mexico. Loadings will probably be down more than 10 percent, due to weather issues, but there will still be a lot of grapes for hauling.
The forecast predicts about 1.77 million fewer 19-pound boxes to ship out of the region in 2014. A year ago Mexico had nearly 16 million boxes of grapes. The estimate for this season is about 14.2 million boxes.
Georgia Watermelon Shipments
Southern Georgia watermelons have had excessive rains and wind, delaying plantings and in some cases has resulted in replantings. If the weather improves there should be fair to good shipments taking place in time for the Fourth of July holidays. Shipments of everything from green beans to sweet corn and peppers will also be a little later getting started this sprinand summer….Vidalia onion movement continues to increase, although this will not be one of the larger crops….Georgia blueberry shipments also are be late this year, but are now underway, although in light volume. Georgia “blues” should be in good volume through the Fourth of July.
Florida Produce Shipments
Florida blueberry shipments have totalled only about 25 percent of the volume compared to this time a year ago. Instead of shipments ending in May, loadings should be available into early June.
Meanwhile Florida is in peak volume with a number of mixed vegetables, which should continue well into May.
Florida blueberries, vegetables and watermelons – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
South Georgia mixed vegetables – grossing about $3000 to Boston.
Mexican grapes, tropical fruit and watermelons – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
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California desert produce shipments are early this year with everything from grapes to vegetables.
Grape loadings from the Coachella Valley got underway with very light volume about a week ago, which is about two weeks earlier than normal. This will probaby result in the season ending around July 1st, instead of mid July. Coachella typically ships about 6 million boxes of grapes each year. Likewise, the Arvin district (Bakersfield area) also is early this year and is expected to get underway in the last week of June, instead of around the Fourth of July.
Vegetable Shipments
Some shippers see this as a banner year for desert vegetables.
In the Coachella Valley, early starts are occuring with vegetables. Decent supplies are already underway. Peak desert vegetable shipments should hit around Memorial Day, with good volume still happening for the Fourth of July, with items ranging from sweet white, yellow and multi-colored corn to watermelons and peppers. Pepper loading should continue through June, with corn and melons finishing up after Memorial Day.
Imperial Valley Onion Shipments
Anticipating start dates for harvest in truckload volumes range from April 21 to May 1, although some early harvesting had already begun as of the second week of April.
The Imperial Valley, one of California’s major onion growing districts and the earliest to harvest, is located at the southern tip of California, about 130 miles inland from San Diego.
The total acreage planted with onions in the Imperial Valley in 2012, the most recent year for which final data are available, was around 8,500 acres. Roughly half of the production grown is for the fresh or fresh-cut market and a similar amount for processing.
Blueberry Shipments
Initial shipments of California blueberries got underway a couple of weeks ago from the Central San Joaquin Valley.
The state ranks 5th in shipments with about 54 million pounds, which is similar to a year ago. Loadings should peak in mid-May and continue through mid-June.
San Joaquin Valley carrots, blueberries and other produce – grossing about $7600 to New York City.
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Florida vegetable shipments should experince significant increases entering April, with peak spring shipments occurring from about April 15th to the second week of May. Good growing conditions should mean heavier volume loadings earlier this year than last year with items ranging from sweet corn to bell peppers and cumbers, along with tomatoes, watermelons and other items.
20 years ago, there were virtually no Florida blueberry shipments. It was mostly U-pick farms and berries grown for local markets. This year, up to 25 million pounds of Florida blueberries could be shipped, putting the state in the ranks of other leading shippers such as North Carolina, Georgia, California and Oregon.
Michigan and New Jersey still lead in domestic blueberry volume with more than 50 million pounds each,
Florida shipped 21.5 million pounds of blueberries in 2013, up 14 percent over 2012.
Blueberry loadings in Florida have started with the past couple of weeks in Southern and Central Florida growing areas. You can expect North Florida blueberry shipments to start in mid-April. The crop is in good condition and Braswell expects volumes to peak during the second and third weeks of April, just ahead of the Georgia deal coming on at the end of that month.
South Florida produce shipments – grossing about $3300 to New York City.
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While much of the nation has been in an icy deep freeze, warmer than normal temperature in California have been excellerating growth of winter mixed vegetables on the West Coast and in the desert. The only problem is the lousy weather in so much of the country has stifled demand for California vegetable shipments.
Veggies ranging from head lettuce to romaine and broccoli continuet to be shipped from California’s Imperial Valley and the Yuma district. At times it isn’t the best quality, so make sure your receiver knows what kind of quality is being delivered to help reduce problems such as claims with deductions, or rejections.
You should expect a seasonal transition of desert vegetables to the Central San Joaquing Valley around the middle of March.
California strawberryshipments are coming out of Ventura County, Southern California and on a more limited basis from the Santa Maria District. Rains last week in Southern California resulted in some damage, so keep an eye out of off grade are mariginally grade berries at least throught this week.
Coastal California blueberry shipments should start ramping up the last week of March with a peak in mid-April followed by the Central Valley through June.
Desert vegetables grossing – about $6000 to New York City.
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Blueberry shipments in most seasons are coming from different areas of the USA and Canada, but weather factors have resulted in a lot of “blues” maturing at the same time….With other produce, California navel orange shipments will soon replace valencias….The Eastern Shore is shipping watermelons.
Blueberry Shipments
Blueberry loads have been available at the same time this year from New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia during parts of the season.
Blueberry shipments have double over the past 20 years, not only because people love eating the fruit, but there has been countless publicity over studies touting the health benefits of “blues.” And in typical fashion, growers see a good thing, over plant, and prices fall (which is good for produce haulers and consumers, but growers).
Orange shipments
The California valencia season should wind down in October just as the navel shipping season begins. The navel orange crop looks slightly smaller than last year, when 90 million 40-pound cartons were trucked to markets.
East Coast
Watermelons continue to be shipped from the Delaware, Maryland, and the eastern shore of Virginia. Melons tend to start getting ify this late in the season and quality problems can certain be cropping up if the shipping areas have had to much rain. Just a word of caution.
Delaware/Maryland/Virginia watermelons – grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
Michigan blueberries and vegetables – about $2100 to Atlanta.
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A lot of summertime produce shipments are occuring from Texas to states further north ranging from Missouri, to Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Michigan has the widest variety of produce shipments in this region of the country this time of the year. It is the leading state in blueberry shipments, which are increasing by the day. Michigan also ranks eighth in potato shipments. Its new season spud crop starts in a light way this week with round white potatoes. Michigan also has a wide variety of mixed vegetables ranging from sweet corn to celery, and watermelons that are on the increase. Most loadings are available in the central and western areas of Michigan.
Wisconsin
The Badger state has 63,000 acres of potatoes and ranks fourth nationally in spud shipments. Red potatoes and white potatoes are the first to come out of the ground and volume is increasing. Russets easily provide the heaviest volume and will start shipments in a few weeks.
Illinois/Indiana
Southeast Illinois and Southwest Indiana are just getting cranked up with loadings of watermelons and sweet corn.
Missouri
This writer has been feasting a on large, red fleshed seedless watermelon from the boot heal of Missouri, and it is excellent. Shipments have already moved into good volume.
Texas
Rio Grande Valley watermelon shipments are moving into good volume. There also are Mexican tropical fruits, plum tomatoes and mixed veggies crossing the border into South Texas….From the High Plains area around Hereford, TX as well as parts of Eastern New Mexico, the new crop of potatoes are increasing in volume.
South Texas produce – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
Southeastern Missouri watermelons – about $1700 to Chicago.
Indiana/Illinois produce – about $1700 to Atlanta.
Michigan blueberries – about $3200 to Orlando.
I found this on the Texas Watermelon Association website for your reading pleasure. For what it’s worth!!!
When you sink your teeth into a slice of sweet, juicy watermelon, did you know you also could be enjoying a natural treatment for erectile dysfunction? Watermelon is a great source not only of beta-carotene and lycopene – two important phytonutrients for the heart and for sexual function—but also citrulline. Citrulline is important for several reasons. One, it can relax the blood vessels, which in turn improves blood flow. Two, when you eat citrulline-rich watermelon, the body transforms citrulline intoarginine. The amino acid arginine boosts the body’s levels of nitric oxide, which in turn relaxes the blood vessels in the penis and promotes an erection, which is the same basic effect Viagra has on the body. Although it might be a stretch to say that watermelon could be an erectile dysfunction treatment, it certainly won’t hurt to try it.
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If you’re planning to haul New Jersey produce be extra cautious and know what you are loading when it comes to quality. Tomato and potato crops are being threatened by late blight.
It is a destructive fast-spreading disease and has been found on five farms in the state. The disease of Irish potato famine notoriety, creates fuzzy spores and dark lesions on leaves and stems of tomatoes and potatoes and quickly kills the entire plant.
Meanwhile, no quality problems have been reported with New Jersey peaches, which are now being shipped to destinations on the East Coast and some to the midwest.
New Jersey blueberry shipments have been going at a good, steady pace and should continue into mid August. The only distruptions have been a few occasions when rain has delayed harvest, which in turns affects packing and shipping.
Maine
A fair amount of Maine broccoli is being shipped between now and mid October. Up to a million cartons should be loaded during the season for destinations along the East coast and into the midwest.
Florida
Florida is pretty dead this time of year when comes to loads. A quick look back at the Florida citrus shipping season shows it was a little disppointing. There were fewer loads of oranges, grapefruit and a lot less tangerines.
In its July 11 final season report, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported all orange production declining 9% from the previous season, and tangerines saw a 22% drop.
This season, total orange production fell from 146.7 million equivalent cartons to 133.4 million cartons, with the late season valencias also seeing a 9% drop from last season’s 72.5 million cartons to 68.3 million cartons this year.
Grapefruit production fell 2.2% from the previous year, from 18.8 million equivalent cartons to 18.4 million cartons.
Though 96% of Florida’s oranges are grown for processing, about 60% of its navels, 70% of its tangerines and 40% of its colored grapefruit ship to fresh markets, primarily by truck.
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