California’s San Joaquin Valley may have dodged the proverbial bullet relating to freezes that occurred being late last week, before a warm up started on Monday, January 14. The weather could eventually affect loading opportunities in the valley for produce haulers.
There was a rainstorm that hit parts of the valley, which created a potential for ice mark on mandarins and navel oranges, but this will take time before showing up. San Joaquin Valley navel oranges are about 25 percent harvested. There is not word yet on possible damage to lemon, vegetables and other items.
Meanwhile cold weather has slowed shipments of desert vegetables from California’s Coachella and Imperial valleys, as well as from the Yuma district in nearby Arizona. Also adversely affected are West Mexico vegetables crossing the border at Nogales, AZ. This product is normally moving into peak volume at this time.
The overall cold temperatures in the West have not only temporarily reduce produce volume, but has resulted in rate decreases as more refrigerated equipment has become available.
Sweet Potato Shipments
The leading states which ship sweet potatoes are North Carolina, California, Mississippi and Louisiana. Total volume for this season is about 26.5 million hundredweight (cwt), which is down only about two percent from 2011.
While the total USA sweet potato acreage of 126,600 acres is down two percent, higher yields from exisiting acreage actually mean there is one percent more product for hauling.
Southern California produce – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Sweet potatoes from Eastern North Carolina – about $1500 to Atlanta.