Here’s a look at the final months of California table grape shipments and the outlook for the new crop of California Navel oranges.
Adverse weather reduced California table grape shipments the first part of the season, but the second half of the season has been more stable with steady shipments. Approximately 15 percent of the crop is left to harvest and about 25 percent of the crop has yet to be shipped. Still, about 2,000 truck loads are being shipped weekly from the San Joaquin Valley.
Actually more shipments are now occurring in the fall and less in the off-season, considered to be spring and summer. Loadings can go up to four million boxes a week during the season and only about two-and-a-half million boxes when not in season.
California grapes – grossing about $5100 to Atlanta.
California Orange Shipments
With harvesting of the California Navel orange crop under way, there is a pre-season estimate of nearly a 10 percent increase in volume. California is projected to ship an estimated at 86 million cartons this season, with all but 3 million of that coming from the Central San Joaquin Valley. This would represent an 8.5 percent increase over last year’s volume.
A survey of orchards indicate a fruit set per tree of 412 in California’s 122,000 acres of bearing trees. That number is 20 percent higher than the five-year average of 336.
California citrus shipments occur from October into July, with the January to April time frame being the peak season. California is bracing for above-average rainfall for the first time in five years as the El Nino weather condition is expected to drop a lot of water, especially in the southern half of the state. The Central Valley runs from the south to the north, but the majority of citrus groves are in the southern half.
California citrus – grossing about $6600 to Boston.