Posts Tagged “Nogales produce shipments”
Here’s a shipping round up for deliveries in time for Thanksgiving, ranging from various shipping areas handling everything from strawberries to sweet potatoes, melons and veggies.
Strawberry Shipments from CA, FL, and Mexico
California is shipping about 2 million trays of strawberries per week, primarily out of Ventura County. However, this is expected to decline over the next few weeks.
Early October hot weather and cooler weather in November are two factors blamed for reducing California strawberry shipments. However, by December, Southern California, Florida and Mexico will be ramping up for holiday shipments including Christmas and New Year’s.
Mexican strawberry shipments are now moving into good volume. Florida berries should hit decent volume by the week of November 24th and hit heavy loadings by mid December.
Oxnard, CA strawberry shipments – grossing about $7000 to Boston.
Sweet Potato Shipments
Four states ship the vast majority of the nation’s sweet potatoes. However, North Carolina is shipping as many as Mississippi, Louisiana and California (Atwood/Livingston district) combined. However, volume from all of these states are increasing as we approach Thanksgiving. North Carolina is averaging around 250 truck loads per week.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Nogales Produce Shipments
While Nogales, AZ will not hit peak produce shipments with product from Mexico until the end of the year, or January, decent supplies are currently available on some items. Watermelons are averaging about 625 truck loads weekly, with honeydew being about one-half this volume. A number vegetables ranging from various types of peppers to zuchnni and butternut squash are available in light volume, but seasonally increasing.
Unfortunately, there are too many mixed loads this time of year, due to limited volume. It’s not uncommon for produce haulers to start out in Central or Southern California and making several pick ups before filling out the truck in Nogales.
Mexican melons and vegetables through Nogales – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
An expansion project at the Mariposa Port, where Mexican grown produce enters Nogales, AZ is expected to be completed by August, but is already drawing praise from those who use it. Nogales produce shipments of Mexican product are huge.
Construction began three years ago and has been done in phases to avoid disrupting traffic at the heavily used port of entry. Up to 75 percent of Mexico’s imported produce goes through the Mariposa Port and Nogales during the winter months, including about 1,400 trucks per day. The final phase of the construction project is cold storage facilities adjacent to the truck docks. These docks also have been expanded where product can be unloaded for inspection, and placed in the cold storages, if necessary.
Produce ranks third in value of products crossing the border at Mariposa, behind vehicles/vechicle parts, electronics/machinery. With the expansion the port has grown from 43 to 57 acres.
The facility now has eight lanes for inbound commercial trucks from Mexico, up from four lanes. Exit lanes for northbound trucks has been increased from two to five exits. The improvements have been made to decrease wait times at the border and to speed deliveries.
After the trucks clear inspections, two percent of the total volume is randomly selected for agricultural inspections.
While California vegetables and citrus have been struggling this season to get going, California strawberry shipments got off to an early and fast start it looks to continue strong throughout the season. Unlike much of the nation, credit unusually warm weather during the winter on the West Cost, which hastened plant maturity.
We’ll also take a glimpse at Mexican imports through Nogales, AZ.
For the week ending March 1, the California Strawberry Commission reported 11.16 million 9-pound tray equivalents had been shipped fresh so far this year compared to 6.89 million at the same time last year and 9 million in 2012. California produces almost 90 percent of U.S. strawberries. The state’s 400 strawberry farms grow fruit on fewer than 40,000 acres.
California avocado shipments
This year, California avocado shipments should be at its peak from mid- to late April and continue through Labor Day. Volume should be about 300 million pounds. The 300 million pounds is more on par with the 10-year average. Loadings originate from various shippers in Southern California.
Southern California produce shipments – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
Nogales Produce Shipments
While Mexican vegetable shipments through Nogales, AZ are on a seasonal down swing, an exception are watermelons being imported from West Mexico. The spring season has started three weeks earlier than last year. The early time frame is attributed to earlier transplanting, improved growing practices and ideal weather conditions. Watermelon shipments from West Mexico should continue in good volume through June.
Arrivals of Mexican grapes will start crossing the border within the next month.
Mexican produce through Nogales – grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
This can be one of the more frustrating times of the year for produce haulers. Even though spring officially arrives tomorrow, good volume for spring produce shipments are still weeks away. Here’s a look at loading opportunties around the country.
Imported Chilean green grape arrivals by boat at U.S. ports will decline in the next week or two as South American green grape volume is estimated to be 25 percent lower than last year by season’s end. On the positive side, the Chilean red crimson grapes are now entering peak arrivals at U.S. ports for the rest of March and early April. Overall, as of early March, Chilean grape exports were 22 percent lower than last year at the same time.
Arrivals of Chilean asian pears to U.S. ports are expected to be off 60 percent this season. The lower volume will continue to arrive through May.
Florida Produce Shipments
In Florida, strawberry shipments from the Plant City area are averaging about 500 truckloads per week. Out of Central and Southern Florida, the state is averaging about 750 truckloads weekly of mature green and roma tomatoes. South Florida also is shipping moderate amounts of items ranging from celery to potatoes.
South Florida produce – grossing about $3000 to New York
Nogales Produce Shipments
Mexican produce shipments through Nogales, AZ continues for items ranging from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers and watermelons. Overall Mexican volume through Nogales should start declining as we enter April.
Mexican produce crossing through Nogales – grossing about $3600 to Chicago.
Here’s a look at produce loads that may be available for Mexician produce at border crossing locations in California, Arizona and Texas.
Mexican Produce Shipments
In large part because of yesterday’s Super Bowl, more avocados were shipped in the U.S. the week of Jan. 19 than in any other week on record. Nearly 48 million pounds of avocados — almost 44 million of them from Mexico — were shipped during the week. A big marketing campaign on avocados for a number of years now, geared toward the Super Bowl, has significantly increased shipments – and consumer consumption of guacumole at parties surrounding the big game.
Footnote: The Seahawks plummeted the Broncos 43 to 8.
California Produce Shipments
Mexico is sending a lot of produce across the border into the U.S. this time of the year, such as Baja California pennisula tomatoes crossing into the state of California.
Texas Produce Shipments
Most of the avocados mentioned in the opening paragraph are coming into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. South Texas also is receiving a lot of tropicals from Mexico, as well as vegetable items.
South Texas produce – grossing about $4600 to New York City.
Nogales Produce Shipments
Nogales, AZ continues to be a big importer. Currently about 900 truck loads of vine ripe and plum tomatoes are crossing the border weekly. There’s also melons, cucumbers, squash, eggplant and other veggies being imported.
Nogales mixed vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Chicago.