Posts Tagged “California cherry shipments”
The Flavor Tree Fruit Company of Hanford, CA., is gearing up for good volume cherry shipments this season. Peak loadings will occur in May.
The company reports there have been ideal growing conditions in California in all of its cherry-growing regions.
Although the business doesn’t see the high yields of a year ago, it expects larger sized fruit. That still should translate into good volume overall.
The Flavor Tree Fruit Company has been preplaning as much as possible in all areas of logistics. This includes earlier than normal ordering of packaging and materials months in advance of the season before it was even know how big the crop would be.
The company also expressed concern over the availability of transportation during the season due to skyrocketing diesel fuel prices, etc.
Stemilt Growers LLC, headquartered in Wenatchee, Wash. kicks off its domestic cherry season in the Golden State and operates as Chinchiolo Stemilt California, which has a cherry-packing facility located in Stockton, CA. The company’s cherries are grown in both new and established districts in California’s San Joaquin Valley.
The company holds a unique position in the cherry industry, boasting the longest cherry season.
Stemilt expects to harvest cherries in late April, with good volume in early May. Peak volumes should run for three consecutive weeks beginning around May 9 through Memorial Day.
The company is looking forward to the possibilities of more 5 River Islands cherries from the Delta region in California.
California cherries are now in peak shipments and should continue through June 6.
The California Cherry Board reports loadings are expected to exceed 8 million boxes, which would be up from the 6.58 million boxes shipped a year ago, — and be higher than the previous two seasons.
The California cherry crop was initially estimated at 9.47 million 18-pound boxes, and had the chance to beat the banner year of 2017, when a record 9.55 million boxes were picked. However, heat and wind damage earlier in the season is seen as affecting fruit size and packouts.
The cherry board reports California has about 40,000 acres of cherries. The Stockton-Linden-Lodi district, where the traditional Bing cherry is grown, accounts for about 60% of the crop. The southern San Joaquin Valley produces about 35%, and about 5% comes from the Gilroy-Hollister area.
Delta Packing Co. of Lodi, Inc. reports since the Coral harvests start earlier than the Bing, increased plantings of the variety have moved up timing of peak California cherry shipments.
The shift to more Corals has also led to more California cherry shipments during the month of May than in June.
An estimated 25% of the California crop will go to export markets this year, up slightly from 23% last year, with Canada, Korea and Japan being the biggest buyers.
California cherries – grossing $10,000 to $11,000 to New York City.
Stemilt of Wenatchee, WA is primed for good volume shipments of California cherry to arrive at retail supermarkets in time for the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.
Memorial Day is May 31st and California cherry shipments are expected to exceed the small crop of last year.
Stemilt’s World Famous cherry season started off with strong qualities, classic ruby colors, and medium-sized fruits. The company will move into harvesting varieties like Tulares, Hazels, and Coral in the coming weeks to load for Memorial Day.
Stemilt’s cherry season started off with strong qualities, classic ruby colors, and medium-sized fruits. The company will move into harvesting varieties like Tulares, Hazels, and Coral in the coming weeks to load for Memorial Day.
Depending on location, retailers should start loading as early as May 14. However, the heaviest loading period will begin on May 18 through May 22. With the way things are currently going, the supply and demand almost lines up perfectly with Memorial Day availability.
Volumes are projected to continue past Memorial Day for Stemilt in California, with the latest orchards that deliver 5 River Islands® hand-picked cherries coming off the tree around June 8. This will coincide with Stemilt’s cherry harvest start in Washington State, making the weeks following Memorial Day a big time for cherries at retail.
A small increase in California cherry shipment is expected this season over last year, assuming heavy rains or other adverse weather conditions such as the heavy rainfall that devastated much of the crop last May.
Flavor Tree Fruit Co., which is the marketing arm of Warmerdam Packing LLC of Hanford, CA reports California cherry loadings will arrive five or six days earlier this year.
Flavor Tree ships about 700,000 boxes of cherries, amounting to about 10 percent of the California volume.
Flavor Tree is just starting to pick cherries, which is a typical start time, but five or six days earlier than last year.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, WA has Chinchiolo Stemilt in Stockton, CA and notes the California cherry crop looks promising.
Stemilt’s 2020 Californiacherry shipments should start the last week of April or in early May. Stemilt expects to have a 40- to 50-day season in California.
Primavera Marketing Inc. of Linden, CA plans to start its 2020 cherry season the week of April 27. The company accounts for about 20 percent of the total volume for California cherries and will wrap up its season sometime between early and mid June.
Last year’s industrywide California cherry volume was headed for the biggest crop in history, but record rains in May “demolished the crop.
At one point, there were 10 million to 12 million 18-pound box equivalents of cherries on the trees, but only about 5.7 million were packed.
California’s record cherry crop came in 2017, when growers picked 9.6 million boxes.
Some observers see a possible crop this season of 6 million to 7 million boxes — an increase of 10 to 15 percent, slightly above the 6.5 million box 10-year average.
Increased California cherry shipments are expected, especially compared to the 2018 season.
In 2018, cherry volume statewide totaled only 3.96 million cartons, thanks primarily to lousy weather conditions, compared to 9.56 million cartons in 2017. This year’s total volume may end between 10 and 11 million cartons. If so, that would be a new record for shipments.
2018 was highlighted by an early freeze, followed by heat later in the year.
Grower Direct Marketing LLC in Stockton, CA has noted an excellent bloom on cherry trees, preceded by chill hours and plenty of moisture, leading to plenty of optimism in 2019. Harvest and shipments started a week ago.
Loadings will continue well into June. About 60 percent of the volume will occur in May, with the balance taking place the first half of June. Heaviest shipments are not expected to occur until around May 20th.
At this moment, the cherry crop seems to have plenty of potential to be large, if not very large, in volume,” he said.
“The winter seemed to have brought enough chilling hours for early varieties grown at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley — varieties such as royal tioga, brooks, tulare and coral. However, lingering rainy and colder-than-normal weather is pushing most varieties to start the harvest about a week to 10 days later than normal.”
Bing cherries in the northern region looked “very good,” Ilic said.
“However, not exactly knowing what the weather will be for the next 60 or so days, will always make it a difficult thing to predict a cherry crop,” he said.
Rich Sambado, sales manager at Linden, Calif.-based Primavera Marketing, voiced optimism about the crop.
“As far as potential cropload, the industry will not have much of a feel until early April. At this point, there is concern about crop set, but all the while there is optimism in the air,” he said.
36287528 – rush trucking. speeding blue semi truck on the american highway. trucking concept.
California cherry shipments are just getting underway in light volume with early season varieties, with the total volume expected to be less this season.
Peak loadings for the early varieties should occur from May 8th to May 20th and good volume coming from the later districts in late May and early June.
While most observers agree total California cherry shipments will be down from last season’s record 9.6 million cartons, just how much of a decline seems open to debate.
Most observers are pegging shipments will fall between 4.5 million and 7 million cartons this season. Cherry shipper King Fresh Produce of Dinuba, CA has been quoted as expecting total loads to be around 6 and 7 million cartons. Some others see it being more like 4.5 million to 5 million cartons.
Average to above average cherry shipments are expected from the later producing cherry districts, but this won’t make up for lighter volume starting the season, according to Chinchiolo Stemilt Growers in Stockton, CA.
The five-year average for California cherry shipments is 6.7 million cartons.
Morada Produce of Linden, CA believes the lighter early season loadings may reduce shipments to about 6.5 million cartons this year. Bing cherry shipments should start about May 22nd, with the peak bing volume coming the last week of May and the first eight days of June.
Cherry shipments should be a little lighter from Frenso south although this isn’t quite set in stone yet.
The Patterson district, which is just a little southwest of Stockton, seems to have a strong crop. Cherry shipments in the coastal district of Hollister and Gilroy should finish about June 15.
Northwest cherry volume could start around June 8th.
Huron head lettuce in the San Joaquin Valley is in final weeks of season – grossing abut $8000 to New York City, $5800 to Chicago.
Here’s a shipping forecast for California cherries, and an update on California avocado shipments. At the same, you won’t believe the whopping diesel fuel tax increase being produced in that state.
California cherry shipments are predicted to get an early start this season with initial loadings getting underway the last week of April. The season should run through June. Peak shipments are expected to occur the second, third and last week of May. Assuming favorable weather holds, there should be strong volume leading up to Mother’s Day (May 14th) and Memorial Day (May 29th). While good quality and volume are being forecast, no firm estimates have been released. While California has the nation’s first domestic cherries each year, its total shipments are relatively small compared to Northwest cherry volume, which we’ll report on next week.
Avocado Shipments
Imported shipments of Mexican avocados have declined for the first time in possibly 10 years as the season comes to an end. Mexico shipped 2 billion pounds of avocados to the U.S. in 2016 and is projected to send 1.7 billion by the end of its season in June. Volume from Mexico has been increasing 12 to 15 percent a year while avocado consumption has been following a similar increase.
Now, the California avocado shipping season is well underway. However, projected volume from the West Coast is only at about 200 million pounds — about half of the 2016 volume. One of the biggest shipping season for avocados lies just ahead as Cinco de Mayo falls on a Friday, May 5.
California Fuel Tax
Asking state lawmakers for a more efficient plan, Western Growers is opposing California’s proposed transportation infrastructure funding package.
The funding package (Senate Bill 1) was announced in late March by California Gov. Jerry Brown, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, according to a news release.
“The staggering regulatory burdens and costs placed on California farmers have already placed our industry at a competitive disadvantage relative to other states and foreign countries,” Western Growers president and CEO Tom Nassif said in a news release. “These proposed fuel tax increases, including a 500% increase in the diesel sales tax, will disproportionately hit agriculture and communities dependent on our California farm economy.”
California’s current diesel fuel tax is 33 cents per gallon.
Here’s a glimpse of cherry shipments from around the U.S., as well as blueberry loadings from the Northwest. There also is a final outlook at late season sweet corn shipments from Georgia, and some states that will follow.
Cherry Shipments
U.S. sweet cherry production is projected to be down 6 percent this year.
About 318,000 tons are likely to ship in 2016, down from 338,000 tons in 2015, according to the June 22 Cherry Production report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Production is down this year in both industry leader Washington and in California, which produces the second most sweet cherries, according to the report. Washington cherry shipments are now hitting a peak, while California cherry shipments are virtually finished for the year.
Washington production is expected to fall from 210,000 tons to 195,000 tons. Shipments from California, which was hit hard by spring rains, decreased from 68,000 to 60,000 tons.
Production in industry No. 3 Oregon is expected to increase from 41,000 to 42,000 tons. Michigan production also should be up, from 15,900 to 21,000 tons.
Washington cherries – grossing about $5500 to Atlanta.
Blueberry Shipments
Oregon’s 350 growers grow and ship blueberries from 11,000 acres.
Looking at 2016 production, the Beaver State is expecting to break 100 million pounds for the first time.
Washington’s 275 growers in the Evergreen State farm blueberries on 15,000 acres. The Washington blues harvest ramped up on May 30 in eastern Washington, and production started from Skagit around June 20 with shipments picking up in Whatcom a few days later.
The state’s producers are looking at production of 118 million pounds of blueberries, up from 103 million a year ago.
Sweet Corn Shipments
This is the last week of peak shipments of sweet corn out of Georgia. However, declining volume will be available until mid July.
Corn loadings then switch to Delaware in mid-July, in Ohio about July 20th and in New York about July 25th . Once Georgia finishes shipping, most of these other area are typically shipped regionally.
Southern Georgia corn, blueberries and vegetables – grossing about $3200 to Boston.
U.S. watermelon shipments continue to increase, plus an update on Salinas veggies, California cherries and almonds. Finally, did you know North Carolina ships potatoes?
Watermelon Shipments
Mexican watermelon shipments through Nogales easily leads volume in the U.S., hitting about 2,500 truck loads a week. Florida melon loadings are only about one-third this amount and Texas is even lighter.
Nogales rates on watermelons, grapes, tropical fruit ,up as much as 15% this week – grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
It continues to be less than a steller shipping season for Salinas Valley vegetables. Various types of lettuce in particular are in a shipping gap, with low production coming out of the fields due to weather factors this spring. Vegetable shipments are not expect to show major improvements until the week of June 6th.
Salinas vegetables – grossing about $4600 to Chicago.
California Cherry Shipments
California cherry loadings will come to a screeching shortly after Memorial Day. A once promising harvest of 8 to 9 million cartons has been decimated by rains. The final total for the product is estimated at only 4.5 million cartons. This compares to 6 million cherries shipped a year ago.
If you are picking up one of the final loads of the season, use caution. Cracking or splitting are among problems being reported with the fruit. New high tech grading equipment is supposed to catch this, but caution is still urged.
Almond Shipments
California almond movement should be up 5.8 percent over last year, according to the most recent forecast. In 2016, almonds totaled 2 billion pounds. This compares to 2015’s volume of 1.89 billion pounds.
North Carolina Potatoes
The Tar Heel state doesn’t even rank in the top 10 nationally for potato loadings. However, still has about 16,000 acres of plantings, although this is down from about 2010 when it had 21,000 acres. Shipping, primarily from the Elizabeth City area, will get underway the last half of June. Shipments are destined to receivers mostly along the East Coast, with some product going to Canada. About 30 percent of the loads are for table stock, with the balance going to processors. Around 30 percent of the product is red potatoes.
California navel orange shipments are winding down for the season as loadings of Valencias are on the horizon. Meanwhile, Salinas Valley inconsistent vegetable shipments are enough to drive one nuts!
Shipments of California navel oranges from the San Joaquin Valley are is entering its home stretch, and volume is great than originally expected. Meanwhile, shipping gaps with Salinas Valley lettuce are occurring as predicted.
Orange shipments could surpass the 86 million cartons the National Agricultural Statistics Service predicted for the 2015-16 season.
As it is, an 86-million carton haul would be a more than 8 percent increase from last year’s 76 million cartons harvested. This would come with at least 2,000 fewer acres of bearing trees in the ground.
The amount of fruit that has been shipped as fresh and not diverted to juice — have consistently scored above 80 percent all season.
Shipments should continue through June.
Meanwhile, some Valencia orange shippers are beginning to pick what is expected to be a 21 million-carton crop as packing houses are shipping exports. Most shipments will begin after navels are completed. California had about 20 million cartons of Valencias last year. This was a little more than half the 39 million cartons produced in 2001-02 season.
Southern California orange shipments from grossing about $5300 to Atlanta.
Bell Pepper Shipments
Meanwhile bell pepper shipments have hit stride in the California desert from the Coachella Valley. Red, green and yellow peppers should be shipping into June, before loadings will shift to the Selma, CA area.
Lettuce Shipments
Just when really good vegetable volume should be building in the Salinas Valley, the leading items — various types of lettuce — are experiencing serious shipping gaps. The cause is weather, ranging from heat in the mid 90s, to ice on the product due to cold nights, plus winds up to 40 mph.
The only sure thing from now until we get into June, is much lighter volume than normal, plus quality issues. Just make sure you and your receiver know what’s being placed in the truck.
California Cherry Shipments
Reports are coming in from heavy rains that hit the California cherry crop a week ago. Anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the of the remaining shipments will be knocked out.
The good news is loadings were actually up over last year in California through May 7th. Around 23 million pounds were shipped the week ending May 7th, up from 10.9 million pounds from last year in the same week.
Season-to-date, about 32 million pounds had been shipped, up from 15.5 million pounds in 2015.
California cherry shipments are expected to be finished by around May 20th.
San Joaquin Valley cherries and vegetables – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.