Posts Tagged “San Joaquin Valley grape shipments”
It’s looking like another banner year for California grape shipments as the desert winds down and the San Joaquin Valley cranks up.
With the end of May, Coachella volume appeared down 20% from 2014. Early starts can make for early finishes. Some Coachella shippers are just finishing their desert grape season, about a week early. However, a few shipments will occur in the last week of June….Mexican grape shipments face a similar situation. Some loadings will end the around June 20th, when July 4th is typical.
While Coachella and Mexico are finishing up early, shipping gaps are not seen because the San Joaquin Valley grape shipments are ahead of schedule. Initial light harvests are expected by June 20-22. Shipments should be moving into good volume by the second week of July.
Preliminary estimates for California grape shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley are pegged at 113.3 million 19-pound boxes for 2015. This is up from 110.9 million last year. The state’s record, set in 2013, was 116.3 million. Loadings of California grapes should be available through November.
California Tomato Shipments
California shipped its first load of mature green tomatoes on June 2. Several more loads were shipped during the week of June 8th, putting the crop about a week ahead of schedule. If all goes as expected, California will have mature greens through about mid-November. The mature green tomato is popular with foodservice companies and also is used by repackers across the country. Acreage is down about 10 percent this year due to the California drought.
While the California season gets under way, there are also tomatoes from several other locations including crossings from Mexico into California, Arizona and Texas.
San Joaquin Valley tomatoes, stone fruit and vegetables – grossing about $5000 to Chicago; $7400 to New York City.
San Joaquin Valley grape shipments got an early start this year, when the Arvin District in the Bakersfield area began shipments nearly two weeks ago. It is now shipping in good volume.
Spring grape loadings out of Sonora, Mexico, and California’s Coachella Valley both got off to an early start this year and are finishing earlier than usual. Early Arvin District grape shipments have made for a smooth transition from Mexico and Coachella into the San Joaquin Valley.
At this point, it looks like the San Joaquin Valley will be shipping into February 2015 as the harvest spreads northward.
Loading opportunities for California grapes continues to become spread out over a longer period of time as new grape varieties are developed, which extend the season. It started in Coachella Valley this year on April 28. It has just finished.
2013 California fresh grape shipments exceeded expectations and came in at a record 116.2 million 19-pound boxes. The 2014 crop is officially estimated at 116.5 million boxes, which, if realized, would just edge out last year’s record.
One of the nice aspects of hauling California grapes, is the growers have been successfully producing quality fruit that makes for good deliveries. This results in fewer claims and rejected loads at destination.
San Joquin Valley stone fruit, berries and grapes – grossing about $8500 to New York City.