Posts Tagged “report”
The recession of the past four years has presented its challenges for produce haulers, as well as the trucking industry in general. Hopefully 2012 will result in the economy headed in the right direction, but no one is predicting a rousing rebound. When economic conditions start to improve, freight movement increases, resulting in a demand for more equipment and drivers to move it. The U.S. needs to take actions to become less dependent on foreign oil (how long have we been saying that) to avoid those wild fluctuations in the cost of No. 2 diesel and other fuels. Meanwhile a new year is upon us, it’s time to dig deep into the well of optimism, reflect on what could have been done differentlt, and vow to make 2012 a year of not only of hope, but progress in making not only our own business better, but contribute to the betterment of this great country. This is wishing each of you the best of health, happiness and prosperity in the New Year.
Twenty years ago produce volume this time of the year was a shadow of what it is today, and no country has contributed more to this than Chile. Not only do consumers have more choices in supermarkets, but produce haulers have more loading opportunities. Imports from Chile, mostly by boat, are arriving on both the East and West Coasts of the U.S. Biggest volumes are coming in at ports in Philadelphia and Wilimington, NC in the east, and at Long Beach, CA. Items range from blueberries to cherries and avocados, stone fruit and table grapes. The grape volume is still relatively light, but peak arrivals of should start occurring by late January and continue until May. Chile now provides about 25% of the world’s table grapes. Boat arrivals also include stone fruit, which will be available through March.
December is one of the slowest months of the year in terms of produce volume and shipments, despite the holidays. Citrus, led by oranges and grapefruit tend to provide some of the best loading opportunities. Florida easily leads the orange tonnage, although a large percentage of this citrus is processed for juice, unlike in California. Florida should ship about 150 million boxes of oranges this season, compared to around 57.5 million from California, the latter coming from central and southern areas. Florida also easily leads in shipments of grapefruit, with about 19.4 million boxes forecast this season. Second is the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas with around 5.1 million boxes and followed by California with 3.4 million cartons.
Texas grapefruit grossing about $1300 to Tulsa and Oklahoma City
Heading into the Christmas weekend, it is my hope as you are reading this you’ll be home with family and friends for Christmas. Thinking of all the beautifully wrapped gifts under my tree, virtually all them, just like millions of others around America, were delivered by truck. Over 95% of the fresh fruits and vegetables available in our favorite supermarket are there because of the trucking industry. As Christians across this great land celebrate the birth of Christ, this is wishing you a joyful holiday season beyond your greatest expections. It also is a wish for more kindness, peace and love in the world. God Bless – and Merry Christmas.
Unless you are picking up pallets of New York upstate apples, onions from Orange County, cabbage from the state’s central or western areas; or perhaps New England or Pennsyvlania apples, Christmas shipments are pretty much finished….I guess you could still make a last minute delivery for something such as Aroostrock County, Maine potaotes, but that’s a stretch….Florida doesn’t offer a lot this time of the year. In the case of tomatoes, it is even less probable due to fall rains and heat smacking the crop by as much as 30%. Still, mature green tomato loadings are taking place from areas such as Palmetto, Immakolee and Homestead….Imported produce volume also is increasing with arrivals at various ports on the East Coast.
Maine potatoes – grossing around $2200 to Baltimore
Western New York cabbage – $1800 to New York City
South Flrida tomatos – $2400 to New York
Light to moderate loading opportunities are available from Texas to North Dakota. Grapefruit and Oranges are coming out of the the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, while sweet potatoes are coming from Louisiana and Mississippi…In Wisconsin, the Stevens Point area is shipping potatoes in good volume, while fair volume with onions is available from Northeastern Colorado….In the Red River Valley red potatoes in North Dakota storages down 10% from a year ago and off 5% in Minnesota.
South Texas Citrus – grossing about $2,000 to St. Louis
NE Colorado onions – $1700 to Dallas
Red River Valley Potatoes – $1800 to Chicago
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Some of the sweetest red table grapes ever have been coming out California’s San Joaquin Valley, but unfortunately volume is now in a steady decline, although there’s still about a 1,000 truck loads a week available….California strawberriy shipments from the Oxnard and Santa Maria districts are slowy increasing…In Washington state, about 300 truck load equivlaents of Columia Basin potates are moving weekly….Idaho russett potatoes are averaging arouind 1,200 truck load equivalents and easily lead U.S. spud volume….There is light volume of Mexican melons and veggies crossing the border at Nogales, AZ, with good volume not expected until mid January.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $6700 to New York
Idaho potatoes – $5400 to Orlando
Columbia Basin potatoes – $5100 to Dallas
Monday, December 19, 2011
Final shipments of fresh produce for the upcoming Christmas weekend are now taking place, especially for loadings taking place the farthest from destination. For example lettuce shipments, along with mixed veggies such as broccoli and cauliflower and now coming out of the Yuma District of Arizona, as well as the nearby Imperial Valley in the Southern Desert of C”alifornia….In the Northwest, apples from the Yakima Valley are moving in good volume….Inn the mid-west, there are russet potatoes coming out of Central Wiscosin, apples from Western Michigan, and in the Southeast, cabbage and greens from Southern Georgia…In the Northeast, there’s steady loadings of apples from the Hudson Valley of New York.
Imperial Valley veggies – grossing about $6,300 to New York.
Michigan apples – $2,400 to Atlanta
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – $2750 to Boston
San Joaquin Valley table grapes shipments should continue into December and they are certainly sweet this late in season, making for great eating. Over 97 million 19-pound boxes are expected to be shipped from last May to the end of this year. Other fall fruit available for loadings range from apples and pears to persimmons, pomegranates and figs…. Fall nut shipments have already started for the approaching holidays. Loadings are expected to be pretty normal for items ranging from almonds to pecans and walnuts…Southern California kiwifruit shipments started about 3 weeks ago, with normal loadings expected to hit nearly 9 million trays for the season…Fall cantaloupe acreage has increased in California from 4,500 to 4,700 acres this fall over last year, but the fear of the listeria contamination of Colorado cantaloupes still is having an adverse affect; more on that later this week.
- San Joaquin Valley fruit: About $7,300 to Boston.
- Salinas Valley veggies: About $4,400 to Chicago.
Following record loadings of Washington state apple shipments last season, the new crop is expected to be in the 109-million-carton-range, only slightly down from a year ago. Northwest apple shipments got off to a slower start this season, with a similar situation occurring in the East from areas such as Pennsylvania and upstate New York – primarily due to weather factors. This resulted in Michigan apples loadings being hot and heavy as their shipments started on time. With both coasts getting their volume on track, pressure on Midwest shipments have eased a bit. Washington expects its Red Delicious, Gala and Granny Smith apple varieties to be about the same in volume this season, with Fuji volume to be off about 9%. Washington State is easily the nation’s largest shipper of apples. Volume continues to build and loadings out of the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys are hitting around 2,000 truck loads equivalents per week. By contrast, Michigan shippers are loading about 300 truck loads per week, with upstate New York having similar volume.
- Washington state apples: About $4,200 to Chicago; $6,400 to New York City
- Western Michigan Apples: About $1,600 to Atlanta.
- Eastern New York Apples: About $1,000 to Dallas-Ft. Worth.