Posts Tagged “feature”
There are fewer grape supplies and shipments of Mexican grapes. Combine this with strong demand and there are higher retail grape prices and less volume. This situation is expected to continue through most of July.
According to a press release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA, updated estimates show Mexican growers lost 30 percent of the red grape crop and 24 percent of green grape harvests due to storm damage.
The most damage is being seen in red grapes as this crop was at peak maturity with high sugar levels at the time of the storm.
Quality is expected to be good, but mold and split grapes are problems. Quality control crews will double their efforts to ensure the best quality available upon shipping.
The California season is expected to begin in mid-July. Expect low volume and elevated markets for the next four weeks.
Mexico’s avocado industry is poised for another strong year in 2025, with production forecast to reach 2.75 million metric tons (MMT)—a 3% increase over 2024, according to the USDA.
The growth is driven by stable growing conditions, improved agricultural practices, and strong international demand, particularly from the United States. Exports are projected to hit 1.34 MMT, up 5% year-on-year, with the United States expected to absorb 80% of Mexico’s avocado exports by volume. Canada followed with 7%, and Japan accounted for 3%.
Mexico continues to dominate the global avocado trade, supplying nearly 88% of total U.S. imports in 2024. Domestically, avocado consumption continues to rise, growing nearly 10% to 27 pounds per capita in 2024. However, avocados are still considered a luxury item in Mexico due to their relatively high cost compared to other fruits. Despite its success, the industry is under increasing pressure to address its environmental footprint.
In response, the Avocado Institute of Mexico launched its Path to Sustainability plan in April, aimed at aligning all major stakeholders—from the country’s 35,000+ growers to packers and exporters—under a unified strategy. The plan targets four core areas: water, biodiversity, climate, and deforestation, and lays out a roadmap with specific goals and benchmarks to achieve water, carbon, and deforestation neutrality by 2035. The sustainability initiative also includes commitments to cover orchard floors, improve soil health, and restore ecosystems. According to environmental consultant Ernesto Enkerlin, the water footprint of avocado farming has historically been overestimated due to the failure to account for the ecological benefits of the orchards themselves. With updated methodologies, the industry now sees water neutrality as a realistic goal—and a potential benchmark for other crops.
Meanwhile, avocado imports into Mexico remain low and are projected to decline by 10% in 2025 to just 3,800 MT, reflecting the country’s ability to meet demand through local production. Imports mainly occur during seasonal gaps and come from countries like Peru and Colombia. With exports surging, domestic demand growing, and a bold sustainability framework underway, Mexico’s avocado industry is positioning itself not just as a global leader in volume—but as a model for long-term, environmentally conscious growth.
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Global importer-exporter Salix Fruits kicked off its 2025 summer citrus program last month. This marked the beginning of the Southern Hemisphere’s citrus season, according to the company, and the launch featured products such as lemons, mandarins, oranges and grapefruits.
U.S. citrus production has been significantly high across most varieties, particularly lemons, reducing immediate interest in imports from the Southern Hemisphere, according to Salix Fruits. On the supply side, Argentina and Chile have recovered their lemon production, while Chile reports strong mandarin volumes but lower orange yields. Peru is set to increase its mandarin output, while South Africa anticipates an average production year.
Meanwhle, Salix Fruits highlighted several factors shaping this year’s citrus trade landscape. For example, Europe is experiencing lower volumes due to spring frosts in Turkey, impacting the export of lemons, mandarins, oranges and fine fruit, which may also affect the start of the 2025-26 season. Additionally, Spain’s decreased production of verna lemons, the early conclusion of Moroccan mandarin shipments and strong demand for Egyptian oranges indicate that Europe and Russia will be promising markets for exports from South Africa, Argentina, Peru and Chile.
Salix Fruits notes these production fluctuations create supply and demand opportunities, and this is where the company’s global sourcing and sales network becomes a critical advantage for its
clients. The company has offices in the U.S., Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Spain, India and across Asia.
The U.S. remains a priority market Salix Fruits because of the consistent citrus demand.
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Peruvian trade welcomed 2025 with a 31% uptick, the Research Centre for Global Economy and Business of the Exporters’ Association (CIEN-ADEX) noted. The country recorded $6.2 billion in shipments, up from $5.2 billion during the same period in 2024.
ADEX President Julio Pérez Alván noted that January marked the ninth consecutive month of growth since May 2024, driven by higher mineral prices, improved cocoa prices, and increased volumes of grapes, mangoes, and cocoa beans.
Regarding the potential tariff increases announced by the Trump administration, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade Teresa Mera Gómez said the ministry is closely monitoring official communications and developing strategies to mitigate any possible impact on the sector.
Pérez Alván also stressed the need to address structural challenges affecting the competitiveness of Peru’s export sector, including labor informality and public security issues, which create uncertainty and hinder investment and economic growth.
Export Performance
According to CIEN-ADEX’s January report, traditional exports totaled $4.8 billion, marking a 33.7% increase and accounting for 70% of total shipments. Mining led the sector with $4.2 billion in exports, followed by hydrocarbons, traditional fishing, and agriculture, which saw a 6.5% decline.
China remained Peru’s top export destination, accounting for 51.5% of total shipments. Other key markets included the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Switzerland, South Korea, India, the United States, Japan, Chile, and Brazil.
Fresh grapes stood out as the top export product by FOB value, reaching $526.6 million—a 59% increase. Other notable exports included blueberries, mangoes, cocoa, natural calcium phosphates, refined copper wire, asparagus, and unalloyed zinc.
The U.S. was the primary destination for these products, with shipments totaling $828.6 million, representing 39.8% of total exports in this category and a 31% year-over-year increase. The top ten destinations also included the Netherlands, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Spain, Ecuador, Brazil, China, and Bolivia.
In total, 2,106 products were exported to 125 countries in January. Shipments were made by 3,520 companies, 263 more than in the same month last year.
Peru’s trade balance closed with a $1.7 billion surplus, with total exports reaching $6.9 billion and imports amounting to $5.1 billion.
The U.S. Apple Association in its latest fresh apple storage report, points out apples remaining in storages totaled 52.3 million 42-pound bushels, which is down 2% from last year, but still 19% higher than the five-year average.
Processing apple holdings totaled 20.1 million, which is 12% less than inventories from last May and 9% less than the five-year average for the association’s May report.
Washington state leads apple holdings of fresh and processed with 61,475,238 42-pound bushels in holdings, which is down from the 2023-24 season of 62,272,38. It’s still higher than the five-year average of 51,782,151. New York follows with 5,471,240 42-pound bushels in holdings, which is less than the 2023-24 season of 5,786,262 but higher than the five-year average of 4,348,970. Michigan has 2,223,000 42-pound bushels in holding, which is less than the 2023-24 season of 3,669,000 and less than the five-year average for holdings of 2,344,200.
Of the notable varieties in holdings, gala takes the top spot with 10,363,435 42-pound bushels, followed by red delicious with 10,434,547, then granny smith with 8,562,985, Cosmic Crisp with 8,230,476, Pink Lady/cripps pink with 7,340,180, fuji with 6,270,395 and Honeycrisp with 5,652,231.
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In its busiest March ever, the Port of Savannah container trade increased by 22.5% or 98,000 TEUs compared to last year. In intermodal cargo, the Port of Savannah set a record of 52,645 containers moved by rail, an increase of 17 percent over the same month last year.
The Georgia Ports Authority handled 534,000 twenty-foot equivalent container units in March, its second monthly record in a row. In February, GPA moved 479,850 TEUs, also a high. Savannah is the fastest-growing container port on the U.S. East and Gulf coasts.
“The growth rate was largely due to two factors: Cargo coming back from the U.S. West Coast after the completion of labor contract negotiations, and customers front-loading orders to avoid new tariffs,” said GPA President and CEO Griff Lynch.
Terminal Fluidity
In intermodal cargo, the Port of Savannah set an all-time record of 52,645 containers moved by rail, an increase of 17 percent over the same month last year. The March performance edged out the previous record of 52,446 rail moves set in January 2021. Similarly, the Appalachian Regional Port in Northwest Georgia handled 3,566 containers in March, an increase of more than 1,100 containers or 47 percent compared to March 2024. It was the highest volume for the ARP since October 2024, when the inland terminal handled 3,666 containers.
Rail cargo remained fluid at the 85-acre Mason Mega Rail Terminal, with an average rail dwell in March of only 22 hours between vessel offload and departing train. Located on the Port of Savannah terminal, Mason Mega Rail handles 42 double-stacked trains per week.
The Port of Savannah’s Garden City Terminal completed 333,571 truck turns in March, with the port setting a weekly gate record of 80,505 truck turns in the week ending March 16.
“From our docks and the container yard to the truck gates and on-terminal rail, our operations teams are achieving strong metrics in cargo flow,” said GPA Chief Operating Officer Ed McCarthy. “That translates into supply chain velocity for our customers who want to exercise more control on order fulfillment speed.”
The average truck turn time in March was 35 minutes for a single move and 55 minutes when a driver delivered an export and picked up an import. Such dual moves accounted for 86 percent of containers moving by truck. Thanks to this terminal efficiency, local truckers can make up to six to eight daily moves to area warehouses.
“On behalf of the Georgia Ports Authority, I would like to thank our employees, Gateway Terminals, the local International Longshoremen’s Association, and the railroads, shipping lines, and motor carriers who are our frontline partners in logistics, serving our customers,” said GPA Board Chairman Kent Fountain. “In Georgia, we are united in our commitment to serving the farms, factories, and businesses that support the economy of our state and nation.”
Stronger Supply Chains in Savannah
To support faster service for ocean carriers, the Port of Savannah has added three new start times for work vessels – 6 a.m., 3 p.m., and 9 p.m. – for a total of eight start times per day. Vessel operations in Savannah are performed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Additionally, GPA plans to use dock space at Ocean Terminal as a lay berth or staging area for large vessels to be worked at Garden City Terminal. Starting in May, this will allow for a much quicker transition between ships, cutting berth idle time from 12 to 3 hours. “The Ocean Terminal lay berths will launch a new era of flexibility at the Port of Savannah, allowing us to turn vessels faster and more efficiently,” Lynch said.
Faster Customs Inspections
A new $44.5 million U.S. Customs facility at Garden City Terminal will double the size of the agency’s previous location by early June, streamlining on-site inspections for Georgia Ports customers. The project comes after GPA won a federal bid process to continue housing the local Customs operations on-site at Georgia Ports.
“For our customers, the speed and convenience of on-terminal Customs inspections cannot be overstated,” Lynch said. “Our owner-operator model and unmatched terminal space mean containers don’t have to be hauled off-port for Customs – saving cargo owners time and money.”
The new location will also provide 400,000 square feet of parking for outdoor inspections, accommodating Customs and other federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Economic Development / Investment Climate
January and February were the most active months local brokers have seen in this market, said GPA Director of Economic and Industrial Development Stacy Watson, “Across manufacturing, warehousing, and third-party logistics, companies are looking at facilities and getting information on what the area has to offer.”
Bountiful shipments of California strawberries are occurring at California Giant Berry Farms as the company shares news of giant volumes of its cornerstone product.
The berry purveyor’s high yields and volumes of excellent quality fruit ensures peak promotable volumes of California strawberries throughout the coming months and ample availability for National Strawberry Month and Memorial Day.
Over the next few weeks, California Giant, based in Watsonville, CA, anticipates peak supplies of exceptional conventional and organic strawberries from its Santa Maria growing region. These berries exhibit ideal size, quality, and flavor. While these peak volumes are expected to gradually taper down, the supply from Santa Maria remained robust through the end of May.
In the Watsonville and Salinas region, recent growing conditions are proving beneficial for the California Giant strawberry crop.
The company anticipates a significant increase in ripening, leading to strong and consistent volumes of premium strawberries from this region from now through the end of July. California Giant customers can look forward to a steady supply of fresh, high-quality strawberries from Watsonville and Salinas throughout the late spring and early summer.
The California strawberry industry is gearing up for a remarkable peak of season spanning from May through June—promising an abundant supply of promotable fruit. This surge in production presents a fantastic opportunity for retailers, foodservice operators, and strawberry lovers alike, with substantial volumes of strawberries for distribution and enjoyment.
“California Giant is committed to supporting our retail and foodservice partners in maximizing the potential of this abundant strawberry season and National Strawberry Month,” shared Tim Youmans, Vice President of Sales at California Giant Berry Farms.
“This is prime strawberry time to run creative, engaging promotions, and our team is ready to provide tailored support to help our customers achieve outstanding results.”
ABOUT CALIFORNIA GIANT BERRY FARMS
At California Giant Berry Farms, the difference is Giant. As the most resilient berry company in the world, California Giant strives to deliver premium berries while nourishing its communities. California Giant’s year-round supply of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries set the standard for quality and consistency and provides retailers, foodservice, and consumers with the best berry experience. Over four decades, California Giant has evolved into a global family united by a passion for delivering excellence. Quality, consistency and community inspire the mission and values that sustain the California Giant enterprise.
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California walnut growers are experiencing promising early-season conditions that suggest a positive outlook for the 2025 crop, the California Walnut Board (CWB) and California Walnut Commission (CWC) reported. These favorable climate conditions follow three consecutive years of average to above-average rainfall and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The current growing season benefits from adequate surface water and replenished soil profiles, contributing to a strong bloom and early shoot development.
Early walnut varieties began to show bud break in mid-April, with varieties such as Chandler exhibiting healthy shoot growth across California’s main growing regions. The orchards are currently in a critical growth phase, which is essential for nut development throughout the season.
Industry representatives emphasized the significance of the current climate conditions. Davin Norene, a walnut growing specialist and owner of Big Time Farming, noted, “We are predicting a positive outcome for this year’s crop.”
Robert Verloop, executive director and CEO of the California Walnut Board & Commission, mentioned that growers are well-positioned to take advantage of ideal soil moisture and temperatures, which may lead to strong yields and quality for the 2025 crop. This favorable start is viewed as a positive shift after facing challenges in previous seasons, highlighting the resilience of California’s walnut industry.
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Brighter Bites, a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly to families, has launched a webpage dedicated to its Food is Medicine initiative in partnership with UTHealth Houston.
The page highlights the nonprofit’s work over the past several years, showcasing the connection between healthy food and improved health outcomes, according to a news release.
The Food is Medicine initiative emphasizes the role of nutrition in managing chronic diseases, preventing illness and improving overall well-being. Key features of the new webpage include visuals, personal testimonials, publications and research, and highlights that detail the program’s success and impact, the release said.
“Our goal is to provide all children and their families with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables while teaching them how to use it to reduce risk of diet-related chronic disease later in life. As part of our Food Is Medicine efforts, we will integrate provisions of fresh produce and nutrition education in the health care system so healthy food can be part of preventing or managing disease and promoting well-being,” said Shreela Sharma, Brighter Bites co-founder and a professor and vice-chair of the Department of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
The Food is Medicine page highlights how Brighter Bites’ work in providing participants with fresh food and nutrition education ultimately supports the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and obesity. By addressing both the root causes of these conditions and the social determinants of health, the initiative has led to measurable improvements in health outcomes for countless individuals in the communities served, the release said.
“We are proud to share our Food is Medicine initiative with our supporters and the broader community,” said Brighter Bites CEO Rich Dachman. “This initiative is at the heart of our mission to build healthier futures for families across the country. For the past several years, we’ve seen firsthand how access to fresh, nutritious food along with nutrition education can make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and lead to better health outcomes.”
Shipments of domestic raspberries and blackberries has ramped up, and with shipments underway from Mexico. Growers anticipate an overall good season this year despite a slower start than last year.
The USDA reports as of April 19, black berry loadings was at about 6.3 million pounds from California, Georgia and North Carolina, down from about 9.5 million pounds at the same time in 2024. Total 2024 fresh market volume was 62.3 million pounds.
Fresh market shipments of raspberries as of April 19 was 720,000 pounds from California, down from 1.9 million pounds in 2024. Total fresh market volume for 2024 was 63.5 million pounds of conventional and 27.7 million pounds of organic.
North Bay Produce of Traverse City, MI sources blackberries from Mexico year-round, while Georgia started in May, followed by North Carolina in June. Raspberries are shipped from Mexico from October to June and from California from June to October.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA has peak shipments of raspberries from August to November. Peak loadings for blackberries is June through October. Both are sourced primarily from Watsonville and Mexico.
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