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Peruvian Blueberry Volume is Rebounding from Last Season’s Weather Issues

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“A Blue Ocean Strategy” is a recent report by intelligence firm Fluctuante, which studied Peru’s status as the world’s top blueberry exporter. The company reports the current Peruvian season shows a recovery, not growth, relating to last year’s El Nino phenomenon. The weather reduced production an adversely affected trade.

From mid April through June Peru exported 155,000 tons of blueberries, valued at $1.26 billion and priced at $8.13 per kilogram. While this represents an increase from 112,000 tons in the previous period, it was noted it is still 19% below the 2022-2023 season’s 200,000 tons.

While there is an increase from 112,000 to 155,000 tons, in reality, it was a recovery. When one looks at the 2022-23 seaon for the same period, there was200,000 tons exported.

The industry has grown by 40% compared to the previous season, “but the trade is still 19% under the 2022-23 season.

Fluctuante attributed the recovery to improved yields, with 80% of growth coming from higher productivity on existing plantations and the remaining 20% from new acreage.

In 2016, the top exporting regions were La Libertad and Trujillo. However, new players are entering the board. 

That production will grow in two directions in the coming years. 80% will be coming from the growth in yields in the plantations already established, with more tons per hectare produced; and the remaining 20% will be represented by new land producing fruit.

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Desert Weather Improves and So Does Shipments of Winter Lettuce

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Ideal weather conditions aided growth in November and December. Lettuce and other desert row crops, including value-added items, are demonstrating great quality and high yields. Supplies are abundant throughout the desert growing region, according to Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA

Green leaf: Prices are low; supplies are abundant in the Arizona-California desert growing region. Quality has improved due to warmer weather.

Iceberg: Prices have eased in the Arizona-California desert. Quality has improved; warmer weather has increased growth and head weights.

Salads and blends: Higher temperatures in the Arizona-California desert region has aided growth and increased stocks. Quality is very good.

The extended weather forecast for the desert has highs mostly in the 70s through the end of the year.

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Idaho Poised for Good Potato Volume Shipping Season

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Brisk potato shipments right through the holidays and leading up to the February Super Bowl are seen by Idaho shippers, who are optimistic over excellent quality and a little less volume.

Wada Farms Marketing Group of Idaho Falls, ID describes the current period as “…the Super Bowl of potato movement.”

He described quality as “top notch.”

The company reports a good profile (size, quality and variety) across the board for foodservice and retail customers.

Besides conventional varieties, Wada Farms has russet, red, yellow and some purple organic potatoes.

Its organic potatoes are available from July through April.

Eagle Eye Produce of Idaho Falls, ID had one of its best harvests, which was described as exceptional.

Wilcox Fresh of Rexburg, ID reports an outstanding crop with good size and quality, noting there were too many potatoes last year.

Idaho’s potato acreage dropped from 329,000 acres last season to 312,000 acres for 2024-25, according to the Idaho Potato Commission of Eagle, ID. Growers have returned to a typical year of acreage and yields.

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The United Nations Reports High Freight Rates Could Threaten Food Supplies

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The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports that global shipping costs surged in the first half of the year due to disruptions in maritime routes and rising operational expenses.

The high costs, the organization adds, are straining the supply chain and may threaten vulnerable economies, raising concerns over trade sustainability, economic growth, and the global effort to achieve sustainable development goals.

UNCTAD attributes much of the increase in freight rates to rerouted vessels, port congestion, and higher operational costs. The report highlights examples like the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), where congestion reportedly more than doubled compared to late 2023.

“As of 18 October 2024, the SCFI was down 45% from its 2024 high and 60% below its record level during COVID-19,” the organization states. “However, it remained 115% above the pre-pandemic average and more than double the 2023 average.”

Due to these conditions, the average rate on the SCFI Shanghai–South America route more than doubled to $9,026 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), marking the highest level since September 2022 from January to July 2024.

“During the same period, the SCFI Shanghai–South Africa route saw its average rate almost triple to $5,426 per TEU (the highest since July 2022), while the SCFI Shanghai–West Africa average rate jumped 137% to $5,563 per TEU (the highest since August 2022),” UNCTAD reports.

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Hurricanes, Storms to Reduce Florida Citrus Shipments; How Much is the Question

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Florida citrus shipments will be off this season compared to last year because of some major hurricanes and storms. How much of a decline remains to be seen.

Category 3 Hurricane Milton, hit Florida on Oct. 10, and barrelled through nearly 70% of the state’s most productive citrus counties, reported Florida Citrus Mutual of Bartow, FL.

The storm arrived just before harvest, making the fruit highly susceptible to the strong winds, causing substantial fruit drop and damaging trees.

During the 2023-24 season, Florida’s citrus growers produced 17.97 million boxes of oranges, 1.79 million boxes of grapefruit and 450,000 boxes of tangelos and tangerines for a total of about 20.2 million boxes — an increase from 15.85 million boxes during the 2022-23 season, according to Citrus Mutual.

USDA’s first crop estimate of the 2024-25 harvest season released Oct. 11 forecast 15 million boxes of oranges, 1.4 million boxes of grapefruit and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos — a total of 16.8 million boxes. However, the estimate was released before Hurricane Milton made landfall. Future forecasts are expected to reflect a reduction in production.

The biggest impact in Central Florida came from Hurricane Milton, reports the 100-year-old Dundee Citrus Growers Association, Dundee, FL, parent company of Florida Classic Growers Inc., which also handles U.S. and Canadian marketing for Riverfront Packing, Vero Beach, FL.

Milton knocked a lot of fruit on the ground, tipped some trees over and did some damage to the operation’s packinghouse.

Some groves with navel oranges and hamlin juice oranges lost over half their crop, but it could have been worse, the company noted.

Dundee Fruit is still running pretty steady right, because it has a fair amount of citrus under protective screens protecting against fruit damage.

Feek Family Citrus and DLF Packing in Fort Pierce, FL, were fortunate.

The company lost 20% to 30% of its fall crop, mostly navel oranges, but did not experience any storm damage to its packinghouse.

The company’s main crop of valencia oranges should start shipping after the holidays and will continue from storage into July.

The firm is finished building a new cooler and should have new offices ready sometime in December. The new facility occupies 35,000 square feet and will be an addition to its existing packinghouse.

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Savannah Port Container Volume up 10% in October; 3rd Busiest on Record

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Georgia Ports handled 494,261 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last month, marking an increase of more than 45,000 TEUs, or 10%, according to a press release from Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).

It was the third busiest October on record for GPA, following 2021 and 2022, when more than half a million TEUs passed through the Port of Savannah.

Record-breaking trade at the Appalachian Regional Port also boosted GPA’s performance. The Northwest Georgia inland port recorded an October high of 3,666 rail lifts, a 4.4% increase compared to the previous year.

For the first four months of fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024–Oct. 31, 2024), GPA has moved 1.9 million TEUs, an increase of 211,320 TEUs, or 12%.

In the Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) segment, Colonel’s Island Terminal handled 68,569 units of autos and high/heavy machinery in October. For the fiscal year to date, RoRo units totaled 300,647, an increase of 10.6%.

Georgia Ports also secured a $46 million Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Ports Program grant in October to enhance its electrification infrastructure. The grant will support ships at berth by enabling them to plug into shore power, reducing the need for auxiliary diesel engines.

The grant also funds the replacement of diesel-powered terminal tractors with electric models and the installation of electric charging infrastructure. “These initiatives are designed to create positive impacts for the community and ensure we’re a good neighbor,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch.

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North Carolina Sweet Potato Shipments Could Plunge 20 to 30% This Season

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On the heels of Thanksgiving, the unofficial sweet potato eating holiday, The North Carolina Sweet potato Commission (NCSC) of Benson, NC, is reporting a smaller annual yield despite a slight increase in acreage after a challenging growing and harvest season.

Estimates are that yields may be down 20-30% across the industry.

Despite the reduction, North Carolina remains the largest producer of sweet potatoes in the nation, producing over 60% of the total sweet potatoes grown in the U.S.  The state has held that leadership position since 1971. That leadership continues today thanks to an industry focused on sustainability in production across the supply chain to meet changing industry demands.

Changes in sweet potato production are not uncommon. Over the last 10+ years, there has been volume movement up and down because of weather conditions, global markets, the pandemic and its lingering impacts on the foodservice industry, as well as the continued reality of rising input costs and labor challenges.

Michelle Grainger, executive director of the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission remarked, “2023 and 2024 have proven to be challenging years for agriculture in North Carolina that have forced sweet potato growers to make hard decisions to stabilize our industry.”

About the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission 
Founded in 1961 the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission is a nonprofit corporation made up of over 300 sweetpotato producers, along with the packers and business associates that support them.  NCSC is committed to supporting its growers and increasing sweetpotato consumption through education, promotional activities, research, and honorable horticultural practices among its producers. 

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Loading Delays with Desert Lettuce Due to Cold and Ice; Quality Problems

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Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA in a press release reports low temperatures in the Arizona and California deserts have resulted in ice forming on lettuce in the growing fields.

  • The Arizona/California desert growing region is experiencing the coldest weather of the season, causing significant lettuce ice
  • After several days of cool wind gusts, morning temperatures have dipped into the upper 20°s to low 30°s
  • Short-term challenges include:
    • Dehydration
    • Harvesting and loading delays
    • Stalled plant growth
  • Markon inspectors are monitoring crops and supplies closely for long-term quality challenges that include:
    • Discoloration
    • Epidermal blister/peel
    • Low case weights
    • Shortened shelf-life

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New Port of Antioquia to Boost Columbian Fruit Exports Beginning in 2025

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The Port of Antioquia in Colombia is currently under construction and will serve as a multipurpose terminal. Its construction phase is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.

Located on the southeastern side of the Gulf of Urabá in Antioquia, the port will have the capacity to handle general cargo, vehicles, refrigerated and dry containers, and solid and liquid bulk, excluding hydrocarbons.

The port terminal will prioritize technology, safety, and high-quality processes, infrastructure, and services to capitalize on the opportunities presented by its strategic location as the closest port in the Caribbean— 217 miles away from Colombia’s main production and consumption centers.

Agro-exports rely on every link in the export chain to reach the final consumer, and ports play a fundamental role in managing export shipments. This is especially critical for fruit, which is a perishable product and requires rapid handling to ensure it is shipped as quickly as possible.

The National Association of Foreign Trade (Analdex) notes the Port of Antioquia is multipurpose and located in deep water, at 54 feet, which allows the arrival of various types of vessels.

The port should start operations by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

The port has five berthing positions and it is hoped by themiddle of the year the port will expand to two or three. By the end of 2025, there very well could be five berthing positions.

The Port of Antioquia has foreign investment, including support from the World Bank through the IFC, in addition to national investors.

General cargo will have a capacity of 450,000 tons, 650,000 containers, and 2.5 million tons of solid bulk.

Since the port is capable of receiving large ships, because it is 54 feet deep, so there is no problem of access for modern ships of 24,000 containers, which is what will arrive in Chancay. In addition, it will have a total of 1,200 plugs for refrigerated containers.

Bananas, Hass avocados, coffee, and exotic fruits, including pitahaya and uchuva, will be exported since the port has the possibility of using refrigerated containers.

The objective is to reach the East Coast of the United States and Europe, which currently receive a significant portion of Colombia’s fruit exports.

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Comeback with South American Mango Exports is Occurring after Off Year

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With the conclusion of the Mexican mango season, South American exports are ramping up on a weekly basis, with the U.S. being a primary destination.

Brazil started shipping in August and, as of early November, the country had moved 5.7 million boxes of a total expected volume of 7.6 million boxes for the season, according to Agraria.

Brazil is the fourth-largest supplier of mangos to the U.S., after Mexico, Peru and Ecuador. However, last season it ranked third on this list, as Ecuadorian and Peruvian production was affected by poor weather conditions.

The National Mango Board of Orlando, FL reports Brazil will be exporting more fruit to Europe, and shipments to the United States are expected to be down nearly 38 percent from a year ago.

Additionally, Ecuador’s mango exports to the U.S. started earlier and stronger this season, expecting to be over 160 percent higher than in 2023. As a result, Brazil is looking to the European market.

Ecuador is expected to play a much larger role in supplying mangos to the U.S. market compared to last year. During the 2023-2024 season, the country’s mango production was hit hard by El Niño, resulting in a significant decline in volumes.

Last year, the Ecuador exported about 5 million boxes of mangos compared to 14 million in a normal year. This year, Ecuador is expected to return to normal, with an estimated volume of 14 million boxes for the U.S. market.

Peru, the second largest supplier of mangos to the US., also expects a much better season. Last year, the country saw a 74 percent reduction in volume shipped as a result of adverse weather conditions. Instead of the 6.1 million boxes shipped last year, Peru expects to get back on track this year, with an estimated shipment of more than 23 million boxes to the U.S., from early October to early March 2025.

Peru expects to hit the milestone of shipping one million boxes per week during the holiday season.

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