Posts Tagged “California strawberry shipments”
Strawberry shipments are about 15% ahead of where it was this time last at California Giant Berry Farms, based in Watsonville, CA.
The growing/shipping operation also has a year-round supply of sustainably grown fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries.
California Giant Berry Farms expects to begin peak strawberry shipments from its Southern California ranches in late March. Oxnard began picking strawberries the first week of January will quickly ramp up it approaches peak volume in March.
The Santa Maria spring crop began harvest the second week of January and will double in volume week after week through March.
While strawberries may be seen more as a summer shipping item, good fall volume is seen for the months ahead.
Nearly 25 percent of total California fresh strawberry shipments in 2020 were shipped from September through December, according to USDA figures.
As of August 8, fresh strawberry shipments from California had totaled 137.7 million crates, down from 145.4 million crates the same time last year, but similar to 137.1 million trays two years ago. At the same time in 2020, about 31% of the of 210-million-crate 2020 crop remained to be shipped.
California fresh strawberry volume was running at 5.9 million crates for the week ending August 7.
Well- Pict of Watsonville, CA reports hot weather in the West has not affected strawberry production as much it may have had an effect on other crops. The weather in California strawberry growing regions had not been a hot as in other growing areas with the exception of a short hot period in May. Watsonville fields have been producing a steady crop of good color, size and tasting strawberries that is expected to continue into the later parts of October.
That crop will then be supplemented by Well-Pict’s summer-planted crop in Oxnard.
The California Strawberry Commission of Watsonville projected weekly volume in the fall period of summer-planted strawberries, grown in Santa Maria and Oxnard, is expected to be up about 5% compared with 2020. California’s total fresh shipments for the 2021 season will fall somewhere between the 202-million-crate crop in 2019 and 210 million crates packed in 2020.
2021 is shaping up to be a big for California strawberries, with total
strawberry acreage for pegged at 36,487 acres.
The California Strawberry Commission’s acreage survey, released in December, shows acreage planted in the fall, which produces fruit during the traditional winter, spring and summer seasons, reported at 28,407 acres, up 5.7% compared to a year ago.
The Salinas-Watsonville district accounts for 43% of the state’s winter/spring/summer acreage, compared with 36% for Santa Maria, 20% for Oxnard and just 1% for Orange County/San Diego/Coachella.
California strawberry shipments are expected to peak in early May, with the state’s shippers projected to ship 10 million or more trays in a week.
While 10 million trays per week are seen for early May, the commission expects 9 to 10 million trays weekly for several weeks.
About 15% of California’s strawberry output is exported.
Total California organic strawberry acreage reported for 2021 is 4,684 acres, which is about 12.8% of total state acreage. Organic output reached a record in 2020, and acreage for 2021 is about the same as a year ago.
California strawberry acreage planted in the summer of 2021, which will produce during the fall season, is projected at 8,080 acres, according to the report. All of the summer planted acreage is in Oxnard and Santa Maria.
California strawberry shippers had shipped 121.8 million trays of the fruit by mid July, up from 112.2 million trays last year at the same time, but down from the 128 million trays shipped in 2018, according to the California Strawberry Commission.
Well-Pict Inc. of Watsonville, CA reports the season peaked around July 1, although plenty of berries remain.
Strawberry shipments were strong in part due to a shorter-than-usual early-season crops of some other summer fruits such as watermelons and cherries. Since then increased volume from watermelons and cherries as well as other summer fruits like peaches, plums, nectarines and grapes, strawberry are providing more competition.
Watsonville-Salinas strawberry loadings are seasonally declining and Well-Pict will pick up its new fall strawberry crop out of Oxnard from mid-September through mid-November.
Bobalu Berries of Oxnard is gearing up to kick off its fall crop from Santa Maria. The grower-shipper loads out of an area that is actually north of the main Santa Maria growing region in a coastal location similar to Salinas.
Picking should start this week and continue until early November.
Salinas Valley berries and vegetables – grossing about $5700 to Chicago.
California strawberry shipments are on track to beat last year’s 202 million trays by a little over 16 million.
Naturipe Berry Growers of Salinas, CA finished its Santa Maria berry shipments the first week of June and then shifted to the Watsonville area.
May and June are peak months for California strawberries.
Early in the season, shippers were loading in Oxnard, Santa Maria and Watsonville.
Volume remained strong through June, will have a seasonal decline in July and August.
Bobalu Berries of Oxnard, CA hit peak loadings in mid-June. Although the company has been a longtime grower, this is the first year Bobalu Berries is shipping its own product.
The grower has an interesting location north and west of Santa Maria, close to the ocean, similar to the Watsonville area.
Watsonville-Salinas will be the primary area in California shipping strawberries as the season progresses, but that area is significantly larger than the state’s other berry growing regions.
Naturipe’s volume likely will end up equal to or a little more than last year.
Main Street Produce Inc. of Santa Maria likely will continue to ship strawberries from that area until December.
The company’s volume will be up about 15 percent over last year.
California strawberry shipments could exceed last year’s volume thanks to increased plantings and higher yielding varieties.
Strawberry growers planted nearly 27,000 acres of strawberries for winter, spring and summer production this year, about 1,000 acres more than 2019.
The California Strawberry Commission of Watsonville, CA. reports the combination of increased acreage and the introduction of high-yielding varieties offers growers the potential of producing more than last year’s 202 million plus trays.
Ventura County accounts for 19 percent of the state’s acreage, Santa Maria has 35 percent and Watsonville has 45 percent.
As of March 9, the state had shipped nearly 8.5 million trays of strawberries compared to 4.3 million trays at the same time last year.
Well-Pict Inc. of Watsonville, CA was picking in Oxnard the second week of March and the area hit a peak at the end of March.
Santa Maria began loadings in late March, but the crop was slowed due to earlier weather issues. The areais now entering peak shipments.
Meanwhile, Watsonville shipments are ahead of schedule this year.
Red Blossom Sales Inc., Salinas, CA started shipment from Santa Maria the second week of March 9 but was planningt to start picking in Watsonville around April 30, as usual.
Bobalu Berries of Oxnard started its strawberry season in Ventura County and will be shipping from Watsonville in May.
Truck rates from Ventura County have plunged in recent days from 15 to 30 percent, depending on the market. Oxnard rates have dropped over 20 percent – strawberries and vegetables to New York City – about $6200; down 30 percent to Atlanta – now about $3900.
California strawberry shipments in the Salinas-Watsonville area kicked off at the end of March, in time to meet increased demand for berries spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Volumes of California strawberries will be plentiful this season, according to a news release from California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville.
Nick Chappell, director of retail sales for the berry company, said in the release that Oxnard harvest will peak by mid-April and Santa Maria strawberry volumes are “continuing to increase with volumes unlike we have seen in years.”
“Not only are we about to have momentous supply for our partners during a time of increased retail demand, but all regions are producing exceptional quality to kick-start the spring season.”
Sales data from IRI show that berry category sales for the week ending March 15 saw an increase of almost 32 percent from the same period in 2019.
California Giant started an e-mail marketing campaign in late March targeting its most engaged consumers — a.k.a the “Berry Squad” — in the company’s database.
“With the uncertainties and difficulties families are currently facing, we wanted to offer an incentive and support to shoppers that are looking to stock up on fresh, nutritious berries on their grocery runs,” Chappell said in the release.
Digital connectivity and communities are becoming more important as consumers limit contact with others because of the virus. Marketing Manager Morgan Maitoza said a recent customer response statement to consumers and trade customers received a high “open rate” of 43%.
“While routines and realities look very different for families across the nation at this time, our goal is to continue to connect with our shoppers, provide helpful, relatable and comforting content and attainable recipes with ingredients and pantry staples shoppers may already have in their own homes, while adding in the sweetness, diversity and nutritional benefits of berries,” Maitoza said in the release.
In April, California Giant will have a new promotion focusing on heavy volume periods with a “Back to the Basics” theme, as consumers spend more time at home and find comfort in food, according to the release.
Ventura County strawberries and vegetables – grossing $8000 to New York City.
The New Year is expected to bring big time California strawberry shipments during the spring and early summer peak season.
.
The California Strawberry Commission of Watsonville reports the primary reason is due to an anticipated small increase in acreage. Fall plantings, which will produce fruit during the traditional winter, spring and summer months, were reported at 26,928 acres for 2020, up from 25,868 last year.
Assuming the weather cooperates, 2020 California strawberry shipments could hit record levels from Easter (April 12) to Independence Day (July 4), according to the commission.
Summer plantings for fall production will continue its upward trend of recent years, reaching 7,185 acres this year, up from 7,089 in 2019.
During the past five years, greater yielding strawberry varieties have allowed growers to reach record production while acreages have declined.
While Watsonville strawberry shipments are winding down, loadings will continue in lighter volume until November. Meanwhile, strawberry volume from about 7,000 acres in Oxnard and Santa Maria are building heading into fall.
Picking has just got underway and should continue through October and into November.
Summer-planted acreage for fall production is up about 10 percent from last year. Fresh plants and new fruit from the summer plantings has shippers predicting good sizing and quality for strawberries.
California strawberry shipments are trailing previous years due to rain and cold weather during the winter and spring, which delayed picking.
As of August 3rd, the state had shipped over 131 million trays of strawberries.
At the same time in 2018, the figure was over 148 million trays, and in 2017 it was in excess of 138 million trays.
How close 2019 volume will come to previous years won’t be known for another couple of months. Typically, half the year’s crop is shipped by July 1st.
California strawberry and vegetable shipments from Santa Maria and Ventura County – grossing about $4800 to Chicago.
Good volume berry shipments are expected from U.S. shippers the rest of the summer and a huge volume increase is in the forecast for imported Peruvian blueberries.
In early July, California strawberry shippers had moved over 105 million trays, compared to 121.4 million trays at the same time a year ago. Rain during the winter and spring followed by a heatwave the second week of June had California strawberry loadings running below last year’s numbers.
Besides strawberries there are other competing fruit shipments ranging from cherries, to stone fruit and melons.
Blueberry Shipments
Gourmet Tranding Co. of Los Angeles reports domestic blueberry shipments should remain strong for at least the next couple of months, continuing through September. However, domestic “blues” are expected to have some strong competition from Peruvian blueberry imports, which is seen increasing as much as 50 percent over a year ago. Those imports begin in August and continue through January and possibly into February.
The vast majority of domestic blueberry shipments during the summer are originating out of Michigan, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. All of these areas are reporting good crops.
Other Berry Shipments
Summertime means peak shipments for domestic raspberries and blackberries. A hot spell in California during June did not have as severe an impact on raspberries as it did on strawberries.
California raspberry shipments should continue into mid-November out of Watsonville. Razz loadings will then transition to Ventura County, before switching to Mexico for the winter.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville will be shipping California raspberries until late September or early October before shifting to Mexico.