A projected 2.4% increase in exports compared to the previous season is predicted by The Chilean Table Grape Committee which has released its first industry estimate for the 2024-25 season.
Exports are expected to amount to 66,006,178 boxes.
The executive director of the Chilean Table Grape Committee, Ignacio Caballero, stated the projection was made in collaboration with 85% of the industry and this is the second consecutive season the Committee expects growth in table grape shipments.
He added “the growth also repositions us (Chile) as an industry with a great quality and variety of grapes.”
The estimate anticipates an increase in new variety shipments, a trend that continues to gain ground in international markets and represents 65% of exports, or 42,866,374 boxes, during the 2024-25 season.
Caballero explained ‘having a greater supply of new varieties of Chilean grapes makes Chile increasingly attractive to destination markets since consumers are looking for more flavor, firmness, and crunchy texture.’
Systems Approach
The United States will continue to be the primary destination market for the Chilean table grape industry, with nearly 60% of shipments arriving to the country. Asia follows in second place with 16%, followed by Europe (14%) and other markets (10%).
This season is very significant for the industry, this will be the first Chilean table grapes shipment to the United States under the Systems Approach protocol. This will allow the shipment of table grapes from the Tarapacá, Coquimbo, and parts of Valparaíso regions, without the need for fumigation.
It took a few weeks for digging potatoes to get back on schedule in the Red River VAlley following a mid-September heatwave, but fall weather is now well established.
Northland Potato Growers Association, East Grand Forks, MN reports favorable weather for the 300-mile valley in upper Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota.
Acreage was up in Minnesota this year and down in North Dakota.
Growers planted 74,000 acres of red and yellow potatoes in North Dakota, about 2,000 acres less than last year, and expected to produce about 24 million hundredweight — 9% less than in 2023. Minnesota growers look to harvest up to 46,000 acres, down about 100 acres from last year, and should dig about 19 million hundredweight, up 3.6% from 2023.
O.C. Schulz & Sons Inc., Crystal, N.D., started its harvest Sept. 10 but was putting digging on hold until the heat subsided.
The company plans to ship until early May, depending on crop size and demand, with an average to above-average crop with good quality.
NoKota Packers Inc., Buxton, N.D., had harvested 15% of its crop before shutting down temporarily during the heatwave, but it was not expected to affect the quality of the crop.
“The company expected a normal-size crop with about 75% red potatoes and 25% yellow.
Associated Potato Growers Inc., Grand Forks, N.D. reports potatoes could lose a little color after exposure to the hot sun, but is still optimistic for the overall crop.
The co-op expects volume to be up slightly this year because of good rainfall.
Although red potatoes account for the majority of Red River Valley spuds, yellows are gaining in popularity.
Ben Holmes Potato Inc., Becker, MN points out everyone in central Minnesota has increased their acreage and yellow potatoes now make up a big portion of the acres grown.
The company markets most of the potatoes produced by Peatland Reds Inc., Trail, MN., where growing conditions were mostly optimal this year, with timely rains and good weather.
The US has solidified its position as the world’s largest producer, exporter, and consumer of pistachios, driven by expanding pistachio-bearing acreage and resilient orchards.
According to a recent RaboResearch report, the US pistachio industry is poised for a significant supply increase, making marketing innovation and health research crucial to maintaining price stability. The adoption of economically sustainable practices will continue to ensure positive margins for efficient operators.
Pistachio production expands
Over the past two decades, pistachios have consistently offered higher gross returns per bearing acre than almonds and walnuts in California. With average gross returns of USD 6,400 per acre over the past decade, pistachios have outperformed almonds and walnuts by 20% and 70%, respectively.
This profitability, coupled with the resilience of pistachio orchards to salinity and drought, has spurred rapid planting growth since 2012. From 2011 to 2023, California’s pistachio-planted area increased by over 372,000 acres, with projections suggesting a bearing area of 590,000 acres by 2028. However,
industry-wide challenges, such as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in California, are expected to limit new plantings, signaling a shift from rapid growth to a maturity stage in production.
US dominates global pistachio production
Since 2016/17, the US has been the undisputed leader in global pistachio production, accounting for 63% of global output in 2023/24.
“This growth is a result of steadily expanding bearing acreage, with the US outpacing the other major producer, Iran,” explains David Magaña, Senior Analyst – Fresh produce and tree nuts for RaboResearch. In 2023/24, Turkey and Iran accounted for 15% and 14% of the global pistachio crop, respectively. The US pistachio production grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10% over the past decade, significantly higher than the global CAGR of 5%.
US also leads the way in pistachio consumption
The US has also become the largest consumer of pistachios since 2019/20, surpassing previous leaders like Turkey and the EU. US pistachio consumption soared from 41,500 metric tons in 2005 to 225,000 metric tons in 2023/24. Key drivers of this demand include product and packaging innovations, health research, promotional efforts, and the availability of high-quality products year-round.
The four key markets for pistachios are the US, Turkey, China, and the EU, which account altogether for 72% of global pistachio consumption.
“It’s interesting to highlight that over the past decade, pistachio consumption has increased in the US, Turkey, China, and the EU, expanding at CAGRS of 13%, 7%, 5%, and 6%, respectively,” says Magaña. “In India, a country that absorbs 4% of world’s pistachios, consumption has expanded at 11% CAGR in the past ten seasons.”
US leads exports, while China, the EU, Turkey, and India absorb majority of imports
The US has emerged as the dominant exporter of pistachios, with exports reaching a record 390,000 metric tons in 2023/24, representing 70% of global exports. Consistent quality and food safety standards have given US pistachios a competitive edge in the global market.
Major importers include China, the EU, Turkey, and India, with Middle Eastern markets also showing significant growth in the past decade. Market development and expansion will be critical to absorb the upcoming increasing pistachio volumes.
Diversifying markets to minimize risks
According to Magaña, the US pistachio industry’s success is partly due to its ability to identify and serve international markets efficiently. China, in particular, is a crucial market, especially in the season leading up to the Chinese New Year. However, heavy reliance on a single market poses geopolitical risks, highlighting the need for market diversification and improved access.
Pear Bureau Northwest reports Northwest pear orchards were hit by low temperatures this year causing a decline in production.
The northwest pear industry in the U.S. is seeing a huge decline in volumes of 31%, compared to the five-year average. In the past five years, the average shipments have been closer to 15 million 40-pound boxes, but this year’s output is a little over 10 million boxes.
This plunge is due to adverse weather hitting most northern regions of the country, especially around the area of Wenatchee, WA.
The Pear Bureau Northwest represents 11 pear varieties grown in Oregon and Washington in Wenatchee, Yakima, Mid-Columbia Valley, and Medford.
This year’s decrease is not only attributed to this blossoming season’s weather since pear trees enjoy cold weather, but pear growers had already seen a few years of colder-than-normal temperatures, which led to stressed trees and fewer blossoms.
So, when you factor in this year’s frosts happening during blossom, around April-May, which led to a decrease in bee pollination, and fewer blossoms initially especially in Wenatchee, this year was particularly hard for pear growers.
The Bosc variety and the Green Anjou were the two most impacted by adverse weather.
Bosc had a large crop last year, so it’s not surprising to see a drop this year, but it was still a steep drop even if you consider last year’s larger crop. The other variety most impacted from a volume standpoint was the Green Anjou, which was down 36% from the five-year average.
The Green Anjou variety decrease is pretty significant, since this is the crop most planted out of all varieties. Pears will be shipped all year round but not as many as there typically would be.
Additionally, there may be a frost ring on the pears this year. The blemish, caused by the freezing events in the northern region, is a ring around the pear that doesn’t affect the fruit’s flavor and texture.
GOTHENBURG, Sweden — The electrification of heavy trucks is continuing across the world and longer distances are now becoming a possibility.
Next year Volvo will launch a new long-range version of its FH Electric that will be able to reach up to 600 km (372.8 miles) on one charge. This will allow transport companies to operate electric trucks on interregional and long-distance routes and to drive a full working day without having to recharge. The new Volvo FH Electric will be released for sale during the second half of 2025.
“Our new electric flagship will be a great complement to our wide range of electric trucks and enable zero-exhaust emission transport also for the longer distances. It will be a great solution for transport companies with a high annual mileage on their trucks and with a strong commitment to reduce CO2,” says Roger Alm, President Volvo Trucks.
Five years of electric leadership
The enabler for the 600 km range is Volvo’s new driveline technology, the so-called e-axle, which creates space for significantly more battery capacity onboard. More efficient batteries, a further improved battery management system and overall efficiency of the powertrain also contribute to the extended range.
Volvo Trucks is a global leader in medium- and heavy-duty electric trucks with eight battery-electric models in their portfolio. The wide product range makes it possible to electrify city and regional distribution, construction, waste management and, soon, long distance transport. Volvo has so far delivered more than 3,800 electric trucks to customers in 46 countries around the world.
“The transport sector represents seven percent of global carbon emissions. Battery-electric trucks are important tools to reduce the climate footprint. Besides the important environmental gains that electric trucks bring, they offer truck drivers a much better working environment, with much lower levels of noise and vibrations,” says Roger Alm.
Volvo Trucks drives the transition towards fossil-free transport to reach its net-zero emissions target by 2040 using a three-path technology strategy. The three-path technology approach is built on battery electric, fuel cell electric and combustion engines that run on renewable fuels like green hydrogen, biogas or HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil).
The previous two seasons Washington state has had big and small volume apple crops, but this time around it appears to be more normal.
Washington Fruit Growers of Yakima, WA questions anymore what is “normal” but acknowledges this year the volume appears to large, nor is it small.
Shipments were down in 2022, but were large last season.
CMI Orchards of Wenachee, WA noted the extreme differences in volume in recent seasons, but describes this year as reaching as “sweet spot.”
Rainier Fruit of Shelah, WA notes it is no surprise there is a smaller crop this time around since last season set a record for volume.
Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, WA notes the 124 million boxes forecast for Washington state is down 9 percent from last year’s record setter.
River Valley Fruit of Grandview, WA relates weather issues is resulting in more smaller sized apples this season, but this will be good for marketing bagged fruit.
Stemilt Growers attributes the 9 percent volume decline this season due to there being 26 percent fewer Honey Crisp. It can be biennial bearing. Honeycrisp experienced 30% volume growth year over year in 2023j.
Honeybear Brands of Brewster, WA notes some carry over of product from the 2023 but is encouraged by the good demand early in the new season.
Total U.S. grape shipments were significantly higher in late August than year-ago levels in part due to lower prices at shipping point.
California storage grapes are above of a year ago, largely because of last year’s early August rain that wiped out a significant part of the 2023 crop, notes Bari Produce of Fresno, CA.
However, with good movement the company expects supplies to continue to tighten moving into the fall. The early season heat seemed to push a few varieties up in harvest, which also leads shippers to expect to finish a little earlier than last year.
Bari Produce expects South American imports to arrive by the middle of November, which would overlap with some growers’ late season in California.
Bari Produce usually markets grapes into early November.
USDA shipment numbers for the week of Aug. 25-31 showed total U.S. grape shipments of 4.52 million 19-pound cartons (85.87 million pounds), up 15% from the same week a year ago. California provided more than 99% of all fresh grape shipments, according to the USDA, with very light volume provided by Canada, Mexico, Italy and South Korea.
Through the end of August, season-to-date domestic shipments of central California table grapes totaled 25.4 million containers (482.6 million pounds), up 20% from the same time a year ago. Total truck shipments of California domestic grape shipments in the 2023 season were 61.5 million containers (1.17 billion pounds), according to the USDA.
Export shipments of central California grapes also were way up in 2024.
The USDA reported season to date export truck shipments central California grapes were up 42% compared with a year ago, with export air shipments up 72% and export boat shipments up 4%. Altogether, central California season to date grape export shipments of 2.64 million containers (50.2 million pounds) were up 17% from 2.25 million containers (42.9 million pounds) at the same time a year ago.
Peruvian agricultural exports totaled $1.247 billion in August 2024, 40 percent higher than in the same month of the previous year, according to Agraria.
This increase occurs in a complicated context for global trade in agriculture to the logistical difficulties on the routes that connect Southeast Asia with Europe and due to the various climatic complications in the main agricultural exporting countries.
Curiously, it was these difficulties that allowed coffee, avocado, and cocoa to find very favorable prices, and thus tip the balance towards positive results for Peru.
The most exported product by Peru in August was coffee, with 40,238 tons worth $302 million. This meant a 57 percent growth in volume and 195 percent in value compared to the same month in 2023. This increase was accompanied by an increase in price (+87 percent) which reached an average of $7.51 per kilogram. The good moment of Peruvian coffee responds to the decreasing expectations of Brazilian production and the fall in shipments of production from Vietnam, two large global suppliers.
In second place was blueberry, with a total of 22,100 tons worth $168 million, which meant a growth of 2 percent in volume, but with a fall of 1 percent in value. The country’s leading product didn’t have a positive result in the month prior to the start of the export peak (late September and October) because the price fell 3 percent, reaching an average of $7.60 per kilogram.
Avocado ranked third with 67,786 tons worth $149 million, representing a reduction of 21 percent in volume and 1 percent in value. The 25 percent increase in price almost offset the decrease in volume. A high cost ($2.20 per kilogram) in the last stage of the campaign was made possible by the reduction in the quality of Mexican avocados and the harsh weather conditions faced by domestic production in the US.
Cocoa surprised by sneaking into fourth place with 20,325 tons worth $127 million. The 74 percent growth in volume and 196 percent in value put cocoa among the leaders, something that is not common. The price shot up by more than 70 percent, being on average $6.26 per kilogram. The fall in cocoa production in West Africa and the shortage that this generated in the main markets of the world explained the rise in costs.
Finally, mandarin, with 56,012 tons worth $73 million, reached fifth place. Thanks to the boom in later varieties, an increase of almost 8 percent in volume and 13 percent in value was achieved. Regarding the price, this increased by 5 percent to reach an average of $1.30 per kilogram.
The main destination of Peruvian agricultural products in August was Europe, with almost 47 percent of the share. This prominence was due to the strong appreciation of coffee and cocoa, whose main destination is the U.S., with 31 percent of the share, but it is waiting for the takeoff of the blueberry campaign to gain more prominence; while China, with almost 4 percent of the share, is unlikely to gain more space until the grape campaign begins.
In the year-to-date, Peruvian agricultural exports total $6.65 billion, 26 percent above 2023. The price boost of some products and the gradual recovery in volumes promise a fairly positive year-end. The peaks of the blueberry and grape campaigns will mark the final result.
Northwest pear shipments for 2024 are expected to be off due to cold damage over the winter, industry leaders say.
The USDA has predicted total Northwest pear production at 520,000 tons, down 22% from 2023.
Oregon pear production, forecast at 200,000 tons, is down 15% from last year, the forecast said; total Washington pear production, at 185,000 tons, is down 31% from 2023.
Tianna DuPont, a tree fruit extension specialist with Washington State University, said Wenatchee-area pear growers experienced cold temperatures in mid-January this year that resulted in winter damage.
In addition, she said there was winter damage from November in the previous year, which resulted in less fruiting wood compared to normal.
“We started off the season with lower-than-average crop estimates, and then we had a frost in the middle of March that has also damaged fruit with frost rings in some areas,” DuPont said. The damage is variable through the valley, but growers expect about half a crop in the Wenatchee River Valley this year, she added.
On the other hand, other pear-growing areas, such as the Yakima region, are looking good.
While it is impossible to say how winter damage could impact future production, DuPont said it will probably take a couple of years to return to average yield in the most damaged areas.
Harvest of bartlett pears had begun by Aug. 21. DuPont said pear harvest in the Wenatchee River Valley continues into October, but the shorter crop may accelerate timing.
“We believe that there are great synergies between our two companies that include exclusive varietal potatoes, innovative packaging and products, expanded organic offerings, customer analytics and an expanded supply of fresh potatoes” Tom Hughes, president and CEO of EarthFresh Farms, said in a news release. “Our combined team will consist of over 400 employees dedicated to servicing our customers.”
Established in 1963, EarthFresh is a North American produce company specializing in potatoes, carrots and onions. With the completion of this transaction, EarthFresh now has nine packing facilities in Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Ontario, and Prince Edward Island, according to the release.
With the expanded packing locations, EarthFresh said it will be able to service North American customers within 24 hours from its packing facilities. The company said it will maintain proven MountainKing brands that include premium products like Steakhouse Russets, Butter Golds, Butter Reds and Butter Russets.
