Northwest cherry shipments are expected to be off significantly this season – about 25 percent from a year ago.
Shipments are expected to total about 15 million cartons, compared to 20 million cartons last season.
If the estimate sticks, that would be nearly a quarter less than the 20.3 million boxes harvested a year ago and the smallest crop since 2013, when the region produced just 14.3 million boxes.
Northwest-grown cherries are harvested by more than 2,000 growers across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana who together make up almost all of the cherries you find in stores from midJune through early September. This year, a snowfall during cherry bloom significantly reduced and delayed the crop, but the remaining fruit is all the better for the reduced competition on the trees.
Fresh Northwest-grown sweet cherries are available now in produce sections from coast to coast. This delicious summertime superfruit is sweet, juicy and packed with nutrients that support better health. From keeping pain at bay with anti-inflammatory properties to helping reduce stress and improve sleep, sweet cherries are a healthy grab-and-go snack for consumers of all ages.
“It’s been a long spring for our growers, but harvest has finally arrived” said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Northwest Cherry Growers. “Fortunately, the long, cool spring gave our cherries ample time to plump up, resulting in large, dark, extra-sweet cherries that have that great light crunch as you bite into them.”
Sweet cherries are loaded with anthocyanins, a polyphenolic compound that gives the fruit their deep, dark color from skin to pit and has also been shown to reduce inflammation, which may be a contributing factor to diseases such as arthritis, cancer and diabetes. Northwest sweet cherries are also a low-glycemic snack for those watching their blood sugars at home or on the go. Studies indicate that sweet cherries release glucose slowly and evenly, allowing blood sugar levels to stay steady longer.
The “Eat Healthy and Live Green” campaign launched recently by The Peruvian Avocado Commission, aims to inspire consumers to embrace a healthier lifestyle that’s good for them and the planet.
The commission is promoting the myriad health benefits of avocados, believing it is important to driving demand.
McDaniel Fruit Company of Fallbrook, CA strongly supports the work of the Peruvian Avocado Commission’s marketing strategy focusing on the health benefits of avocados. It notes these efforts, in tandem with the Hass Avocado Board’s Avocado Nutrition Center research, help elevate the category for all avocado growers, packers and shippers and pave the path for continued growth in the category.
In addition to the trend in healthier eating, the Vancouver, B.C.-based Oppy of Vancouver, B.C. sees the versatility of avocados fueling demand.
The company sees awareness growing about the different ways to consume avocados, and this boost in demand will require supply from its current regions and beyond.
One big question is with rising food inflation, will consumers continue to purchase as many avocados?
Oppy admits it is hard to tell, admitting there’s absolutely a correlation between price and demand.
Since avocados are recommended as an item in the produce aisle with some of the most nutritional benefits, many view it as an important ingredient in their daily diet. This is why Oppy doesn’t see avocados being affected by inflation that much. So, while they may not be recession-proof, they are likely to be less price sensitive.
Chile’s Citrus Comite of Asoex has provided updated export estimate for this season in the wake of a late May freeze event, with all categories set to see a decline and mandarins bearing the brunt.
The organization expects mandarin shipments to be 21 percent lower than originally estimated, at 95,000 tons down from 120,000 tons.
Clementines are set to experience the second-biggest drop, with exports forecast 13 percent lower at 34,800 tons down from 40,000.
Exports of oranges and lemons are both expected to be 8 percent down, with the former falling to 82,500 tons from 90,000 tons, and the latter dropping to 78,000 from 85,000.
In total, Chilean citrus shipments during the 2022 season are now forecast 13 percent lower than originally estimated, according to the Citrus Committee, which represents about 75 percent of the country’s exporters.
“During this season there was a significant frost,” it said in a statement. “The low temperatures affected different growing areas, but the extent of the phenomenon was limited, affecting only some valleys and sectors within the affected orchards.”
The association has called on exports to implement the work plan established to deal with these situations to prevent the export of freeze-damaged fruit.
“The Chilean industry is prepared and has the technology and technical capacity to separate fruit that is damaged both in the field and in packing, thus avoiding packing and export. These measures have already been applied in previous seasons with very good results,” the Citrus Committee said.
Melon shipments from the Westside district of California’s San Joaquin Valley got underway right after Independence Day and volume this season is expected to be good, and similar to last year.
In 2021, California growers produced 14 million 40-pound cartons of cantaloupe, 5.9 million 30-pound cartons of honeydew melons and 2.7 million 30-pound cartons of mixed melons, which includes all other melons except watermelons, according to the California Melon Research Board, based in Dinuba.
The board estimated roughly the same volumes for the upcoming season at its January meeting.
Growers in the San Joaquin Valley produced nearly 215 million pounds of seedless watermelons in 2021, according to the USDA.
Classic Fruit Co. of Frenso reports the melon shipping season had started out very good with quality and volume for cantaloupe and honeydew. Westside Produce Inc., Firebaugh, Calif.
Westside Produce Inc., Firebaugh, CA expects to have similar volume as a year ago and described quality as “fantastic,” with high brix and high yields.
Couture Farms is located at Kettleman City near Huron, CA and notes specialty melons should be of good quality this season. The company grows hami, piel de sapo, canary, orange flesh, galia and golden dews melons that are primarily packed and marketed by Five Crowns Marketing, Brawley, CA. Volume and acreage has declined in California, largely because of tight water supplies, the company reports.
Pacific Trellis Fruit of Los Angeles has several kinds of watermelons this summer ranging from conventional and organic mini seedless watermelons, SunnyGold yellow mini seedless watermelons and Sugar Daddy full-size seedless watermelons.
Growers in the San Joaquin Valley produced nearly 215 million pounds of seedless watermelons in 2021, according to the USDA.
Pacific Trellis Fruit also offers Summer Kiss and Sugar Kiss melons and Tuscan-style cantaloupe.
Growers are concerned about steadily rising costs. Water, fertilizer, cartons, pallets and even strapping for pallets were costing much more than last season.
The cost of fertilizer, which can account for 20% to 30% of a crop’s budget, has increased over 100%, pallet and carton costs are up 30% to 40% and fuel prices have doubled over last season.
The value of U.S. imports of fruit soared ahead by 17% in the year ending April compared with the same period a year ago, according to new trade data from the USDA.
The agency reports U.S. imports of fresh/frozen fruit for the period from May 2021 through April 2022 totaled $18.72 billion, up 17% compared with imports of $16.03 billion in the same period a year ago and 24% higher than $15.08 billion two years ago.
By commodity, U.S. imports of fresh fruit from May 2021 to April 2022, with a percent change from a year ago:
Berries (excluding strawberries): $4.05 billion, up 19%
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA is forecasting giant volumes of blues ahead.
California Giant blueberry growers in the Pacific Northwest started picking the first week in July, with total supply offering a strong volume window from mid-July through mid-August of both conventional and organic fruit.
“The pandemic greatly increased consumers’ desire for blueberries, and it hasn’t dissipated in 2022,” said Markus Duran, director of bushberry supply for California Giant Berry Farms. “Blueberries are increasingly becoming a consistent staple for consumers, who enjoy their immune-boosting nutrition, sweet taste and versatility as a fresh snack or ingredient item to a recipe. We anticipated this demand and are excited to report our summer production is on track to deliver top-quality fruit.”
“Overall, we’re seeing a good year-over-year increase in volume,” Duran said. “We’re forecasting for a strong harvest of conventional blueberries out of Oregon and British Columbia, and organic harvest out of Oregon and Washington in July and August. We’re on the right track to have a very positive year of blueberries.”
California Giant continues to provide a year-round supply of grown fresh berries.
Vegetable and fruit markets, as well as many other areas of the food industry, have had to tackle a wide range of stressors and supply chain complications over these past two years. Weather-related factors, such as drought, flooding, colder than normal spring temps to name a few, have played a part in low crop production here in the Northeast.
Then of course with the pandemic, labor forces have had to deal with smaller than normal crews / staffs. The cost to the consumer has continued to increase to offset these factors, U.S. consumers paid increased prices for fresh / frozen vegetables and fruits from November 2019 to November 2021. Roughly an increase of 3.5% for frozen vegetables / fruits and approximately a 5.7% increase for fresh vegetables / fruits.
Over that same time period, you can start to see patterns for eating food at home as opposed to eating food away from home or a restaurant. Prices for food items eaten at home has increased by 10.4% overall and prices for food eaten out has increased 9.8%. These price patterns suggest that prices for vegetable and fruits here in the Northeast, have been less unstable, relative to other food sectors.
The Northeast is an economically important region for the production, and certainly the consumption, of many vegetable and fruit products, both fresh and processed. In the nine states that comprise the Northeast region, vegetable crops alone have generated an annual total farm value of approximately $800 million in recent years.
In 2022, as well as for the foreseeable future there are three major factors that will continue to shape the vegetable / fruit industry in the Northeastern United States.
First, at the farm level, the constant supply of productive and qualified labor continues to be the number one issue for all growers. Especially with fresh vegetable / fruit production, labor is the greatest factor in production costs. Of course, ongoing improvements in technology and the substitution of automated, robotic and intelligent machines for workers will continue to occur at the farm level. This change could lead to long run price reductions in production costs and improvements in crop quality.
Second, the consolidation of distribution and related businesses in the middle of the supply chain. There is widespread speculation that we will see additional structural change leading to greater industry concentration. This is part of a trend, but it has also been fueled by COVID-19, which has led to a reduction in the number of produce buyers and increased consolidation among major food retailers given their capacity to adapt to an evolving marketplace, including the expansion into online sales.
Farms in the Northeast will continue to have access to fewer and fewer buyers as more and more mergers and acquisitions occur. This will put added pressure on wholesale and farm-level prices. While at the same time, fewer buyers and increased consolidation among food retailers will increase market power for these food distributors when dealing with consumers. As a result, we could see higher prices for vegetables / fruits in supermarkets, throughout the “fresh” season.
Third, trends in the consumption of vegetables and fruit in the Northeast will be driven largely by income. Recessions and / or pandemics have the capacity to decrease nutritional intake and consumers would resort to more calorie-dense “comfort” foods. Although, some households during COVID-19 have shown to increase the time spent planning and preparing meals at home, there is evidence that this has led to an increase in overall dietary quality and a high vegetable and fruit consumption.
A large share of vegetables (approximately 40%) are typically consumed away from home in the foodservice sector, and any rebound of the foodservice industry is expected to increase overall vegetable consumption. As sited in the 2022 Northeast Vegetable Crop Outlook publication, “Frozen vegetable sales in the food retail market increased dramatically in 2020 and some of that increase was sustained in 2021; this suggests that COVID-19 allowed some consumers to rediscover frozen vegetables and that this category may end up having long run benefits from the pandemic.”
During the pandemic, many consumers became less interested in certain credence attributes (such as how or where the food was grown). It is expected that we will see a resurgence in demand for local and / or organic fresh produce, and this presents a real opportunity for Northeastern producers that are able to supply these markets.
Sacramento, CA — California pear farmers began harvest in early July kicking off the season in the River growing district. Most growers began harvest of light volume on July 7 with volume increasing the week of July 11th.
“After several years of late harvests for California pear farmers, it’s great to be back to normal crop timing in early July,” said Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board. “It appears demand for California pears is strong this year in both the fresh and cannery markets. Growing conditions have been excellent this year to produce a uniform sized, high-quality crop.”
The California Pear Advisory Board met recently in Courtland to set its annual pre-season crop estimate. Total anticipated production for all varieties is predicted at 2,257,000 boxes. This volume includes Golden Russet Bosc and red pear varieties that are growing in popularity as well as over 200,000 boxes of organic Bartlett and Bosc pears.
The River growing district represents the largest volume of California pears, followed by the Lake County region, expected to begin harvest on August 1. The Mendocino region is the third-largest producer and will start harvest just after Lake County between August 1 and 5.
“We’re stressing the fact that Bartlett pears can be ripened on the counter where they will turn from green to yellow, like bananas, and become softer, juicier and sweeter, “ said Zanobini. “But unlike bananas, when Bartletts reach the desired level of ripeness, they can be placed in the refrigerator where they will last for several more days. This unique characteristic of Bartlett pears can help consumers stretch their food dollars and reduce food waste – both important benefits in 2022.”
Cooler weather came to the Salinas Valley, but it didn’t last long as high temperatures is once again playing havoc with vegetable quality. The heatwave started Thursday, July 14 and will continue through the middle of this week.
Morning lows will range from the upper 40°s to low 60°s and daytime highs for inland areas will be in the 80°s to low 100°s; coastal areas should remain in the 70°s.
The heat increases has been occurring every two weeks as this cycle of rising high pressure has been going on since early June. It is not typical of Salinas Valley weather patterns and many crops have reacted poorly to the heat and elevated humidity levels. This is resultin in widespread quality and shelf-life concerns in commodity and value-added crops.
Produce haulers are urge to use caution when loading and to check quality being put on the truck. The shippers should letting receivers know what to expect.
The most common heat-related defects observed:
Baby Leaf and Other Lettuces:
Bolting/seeder
Growth cracks
Inconsistent growth/fluctuating density
Increased insect pressure
Internal burn/tip burn
Shortened shelf-life
Sun burn/sun scalding
Broccoli:
Accelerated growth/oversized crowns
Dehydration
Hollow core
Pin rot
Shortened shelf-life
Yellowing
Strawberries:
Decreased size
Lower volume
Increased bruising
Soft texture
Shortened shelf-life
Maintaining the proper cold chain throughout distribution is critical for maximizing quality and shelf-life.
U.S. imported Chilean lemon and mandarin by the U.S. is prompting ever greater numbers of producers in the regions of Coquimbo, Valparaíso, Metropolitana and O’Higgins to switch to the citrus crops from avocados and table grapes, a new USDA report shows. The increase in lemon and mandarin volumes is continuing as orange production gradually declines, with demand in China also a major factor.
According to a newly-released USDA analysis, lemon export volumes to the key U.S. market increased by 20.6% between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons, while exports to China rose by 15.5%.
Building on steady production and export gains over the past decade, Chile shipped 101,996 tons of lemons during 2020/21, including 65,682 tons to the U.S. In fact, the U.S. accounted for 64.4% of the total and represented by some way Chile’s biggest export market for lemons. Exports to China also grew to 6,532 tons in 2020/21 compared with 5,657 tons the previous season.
Exports to the U.S. during the 2020/21 period were worth $48.9m, up 11.8% from the $43.7m recorded during 2019/21. Revenue generated from exports to Chile’s third-biggest market for lemons, China, also reached $7.7m, a 145.6% rise from 2019/20’s $6.7m.
However, total global export revenue fell by 2.2% to $91.4m, while the export value of lemon volumes shipped to Japan – the second-placed market – also decreased to $15.4m from $17.1m, a 9.9% decrease.
As with lemons, mandarins experienced a productive 2020/21 season, with some 183,957 tons exported to the U.S., a 6.8% increase from the season before. Also in common with lemons, the U.S. is the dominant export market for Chilean mandarins, receiving almost 95% of the 193,821 tons exported worldwide. The other notable export increase was to Chile’s third-largest market for mandarins, the UK, where exports grew by over 71% from 2019/20 to 2020/21 to 2,795 tons.
The UK also proved to be the highpoint in terms of export revenue generated, with export value up by almost 47% to $3.3m compared with $2.2m the season before. However, the value of exports to the U.S. dipped by 2.2% to $177.1m from 181m, while overall worldwide export value also decreased by 3.3% to $188.3m from $194.7m.
Total mandarin (including mandarins, clementines and tangerines) planted area rose by 32.6% between the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons to 11,194 hectares, continuing a significant increase in production during the past 10 years. By contrast, only 3,629 hectares were in production during 2011/12.
According to the USDA, Murcott has been the preferred variety for much of this time, however – with one eye on China – Chilean mandarin producers are reportedly diversifying into newer varieties, such as Orogrande, Clemenules and Tango.
Almost half of the total planted area is located in Coquimbo region (47%), totalling 5,309 hectares, with the remainder largely accounted for by growers in O’Higgins (21.9%) and Valparaíso (20.7%).
In the case of lemons, the planted area grew from 5,911 hectares in 2016/17 to 8,038 hectares in 2021/22, with production centered on central and northern areas from December to March for the domestic market and June to September for export.
Central Metropolitana region accounts for the bulk of production (41%), followed by Valparaíso and Coquimbo (25% and 20%) and O’Higgins (12%). However, planted area in O’Higgins has grown by over 69% in the past three years, thanks to moderate temperatures and high availability of water, the report said.
Although the report found that Chile’s total orange producing area increased by 07% to 6,371 hectares, it was not enough to reverse the downward trend that has been evident over the past 10 years. In the 2011/12 season, the country’s orange planted area spanned some 7,389 hectares, however this has gradually decreased as producers have shifted to mandarins and lemons because of their higher profitability.
