Citrus acreage in Florida continues to shrink.Results of Florida’s annual Commercial Citrus Inventory show the state’s 2024 total citrus acreage is 274,705 acres, down 17% from the 2023 annual survey. The net loss of 57,551 acres is 14,505 acres more than what was lost the previous season.
The report said total citrus acreage in Florida in 2024 was off 50% from 554,037 acres in 2010.
Florida’s 2024 orange acreage is now at 248,028 acres, down 18% from the previous season, according to the report.
Valencia acreage in 2024 accounts for 63% of the total orange acreage, with non-valencia acreage representing 35%; the remaining orange acreage is unidentified. Grapefruit acreage is at 14,316 acres in 2024, down 10% from the previous season. Specialty fruit acreage, at 12,361 acres, is down 6% from the previous season. Tangerines and tangelos account for 58% of the specialty fruit, with 7,189 acres, the report said. The remaining acreage is “other citrus” acreage, with a total of 5,172 acres, or 42%.
All 23 published counties included in the survey showed decreases in acreage, according to the report. Hendry County lost the most acreage, down 12,374 acres from the previous season. Polk County leads in citrus acreage with 58,516 acres, followed by Desoto County at 51,800 acres.
In the organization’s latest export projection update, Proarándanos forecasts that during the 2024/25 campaign, fresh blueberry shipments will reach a total volume of 293,841 tons, a 5.3% decrease compared to the June 2023 estimate of 310,317 tons.
The Peruvian blueberry season usually lasts from May 2024 to April 2025. Peak production is projected to occur in week 43, with 17,148 tons.
The main destinations for Peruvian blueberries are the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and China. The report shows that shipments to the United States are expected to reach 147,579 tons, a 17% increase compared to the 2023/24 campaign, but a 4% decrease compared to 2022/23.
In Europe, excluding the United Kingdom, exports are expected to reach a total of 75,122 tons, a 50% growth compared to the 2023/24 campaign. In the United Kingdom, the report estimates a total of 17,328 tons, a 27% increase compared to the 2023/24 campaign, and a 22% increase compared to the 2022/23 period.
In China, shipments are projected to reach 48,397 tons, an 84% increase compared to the previous campaign and a 31% increase compared to 2022/23.
(Since this article was written the U.S. dockworkers and the U.S. Maritime Alliance, effective the evening of October 3, have extended their existing contract through January 15. This will provide time to negotiate a new contract.)
The Food Industry Association of Arlington, VA and its President and CEO Leslie G. Sarasin offered the following statement on the East and Gulf Coasts ports strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA):
“There’s never a good time for a strike. Now, the current strike is compounding the horrific situation in the Southeastern United States resulting from Hurricane Helene and parties need to return to the negotiating table.
“We must be focused on helping the communities and people devastated by Hurricane Helene. The strike on the East and Gulf Coasts by the International Longshoremen’s Association threatens to make the situation even more dire. This action has already begun to jeopardize food supply chain operations, and the strike has the potential to disrupt the long-term stability of markets and commodities, namely pharmaceuticals, seafood, produce, meat, cheese, ingredients, and packaging.
“An extended strike will likely cause dramatic increases in the cost and availability of goods, intensifying this inflationary environment. And, unfortunately, this situation cannot be addressed by a switch to alternative ports due to the freight costs and time associated with transporting products back to the East Coast.
“Compounding the implications of this strike, we are facing a humanitarian crisis of extraordinary proportions. Hurricane Helene’s aftermath in communities across North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina have left tremendous flooding and washed-out roads, destruction of neighborhoods, no power, and no potable water. Many of our food retail and product supplier members are trying desperately to ensure their associates’ safety and get their businesses back online to serve these devastated communities and support their own employees who have been displaced.
“We urge the negotiating parties to come to a swift resolution as we all focus on assisting these devastated communities.”
Chilean Fruit Growers Concerned
Chilean fruit growers are expressing concern about potential harm to trade because of the port strike on the East Coast of the U.S.
The International Longshoremen’s Association began the strike Oct. 1 against the United States Maritime Alliance.
The port strike will directly affect shipments of Chilean fruit to the North America, said the Chilean grower group Federation of Fruit Producers of Chile, or Fedefruta.
“We find it regrettable that port operations are paralyzed, and at the same time we call on the parties to reconcile, agree and resolve their differences so that ports in the U.S. can continue to function,” Víctor Catán, president of Fedefruta, said in a statement. “We believe that tremendous damage is done to the U.S. population that is deprived of goods and food, in our case making it impossible to enter the entry of top quality fruits that supply the different supermarkets in that country.”
In 2023, Chile exporters shipped more than $1 billion of fresh fruit to the Philadelphia port alone, according to USDA statistics. That represents 56% of total Chilean fruit exports to the U.S. in 2023 of $1.78 billion, the USDA said.
While the period from January through April represents the peak window for Chilean fresh fruit shipments to the U.S., imports from Chile occur in every month of the year. Last year the U.S. imported $134 million of Chilean fruit in October, or about 8% of the total 2023 value of Chilean fruit imports.
(Since this article was written the U.S. dockworkers and the U.S. Maritime Alliance have extended their existing contract through January 15. This will provide time to negotiate a new contract.)
According to NPR, the primary issues of the strike include wage increases and concerns over automation. The union is demanding a $5 hourly wage increase each year for the next six years, which would significantly raise workers’ pay. Additionally, the ILA insists on strict language to prevent the introduction of full or semi-automation at ports, fearing job losses in the long term. Negotiations between the two sides have stalled, with no face-to-face meetings since June.
In response to the strike, we at Allen Lund Company are closely monitoring the situation. Our team is taking proactive steps to mitigate potential disruptions to our customers’ supply chains. We are actively communicating with our network of carriers and exploring alternative routes and logistical solutions to ensure minimal delays. In the meantime, we recommend that our shippers consider rerouting to West Coast ports for more efficient handling. The ongoing strike underscores the importance of adaptability in logistics, and we remain committed to finding timely and effective solutions for our customers during this critical period.
In a study from Indiana University Bloomington School of Public Health, funded by the California Walnut Commission, researchers show that adolescents and young adults who consumed walnuts with other nuts (WON) had the lowest prevalence of obesity.
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), including 8874 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years old and 10,323 young adults aged 20 to 39. The research focused on understanding the associations between consumption of walnuts and other nuts with measures of obesity including relative fat mass (RFM), a tool that estimates body fat percent and regional fat composition.
The study showed that, especially in adolescent girls and young women, the consumption of WON has the strongest inverse association with measures of obesity when compared to non-nut consumers. This association was not found among young men, adolescent boys, or adolescent girls who consumed walnuts only.
A systematic review of cohort studies indicated that long-term moderate intake of nuts (i.e., 1–2 servings of nuts per week) was associated with less weight gain and reduced risk of overweight/obesity and that consumption of a high-quality diet is inversely associated with body mass index, and even though walnuts and other nuts are energy dense, they may not promote obesity.
Scientists also make the distinction that these observations might be due to revere causality since “that people with obesity have altered their diets in terms of nut consumption to prevent more weight gain.”
The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the official California Walnut Industry Objective Measurement Report on September 4, which forecasted production at 670,000 tons (607,814 MT), down 19% from 2023’s production of 824,000 tons (747,520 MT).
The forecast is based on 370,000 bearing acres, down 4% from 2023’s estimated bearing acreage of 385,000 acres.
The announcement from USDA provides the industry with an objective crop volume estimate. Using scientific methodologies, USDA field staff counted, measured, weighed, and evaluated thousands of walnuts from major growing regions in July and August for use in a statistical acreage model to establish the annual walnut crop estimate.
In addition to the updated acreage and crop estimate, the CA walnut industry is finalizing the closeout of the 2023 crop year. While final shipment and inventory figures will be released later this month, preliminary data indicates that the 2023 crop is virtually sold out.
“As anticipated, the upcoming 2024 crop is lower than the historic record crop of 2023 and will deliver the high quality that defines California walnuts globally,” said Robert Verloop, Executive Director and CEO of the California Walnut Board and Commission. “The 2024 estimated crop size, while moderate, is similar to the 2019 crop.”
Dockworkers at ports ranging from Maine to Texas have gone on strike today, causing major concern to the U.S. and international supply chain. This is the first strike from the International Longshoremen’s Association since 1977 and has paralyzed the labors of about 45,000 workers.
According to CNBC, between 43%-49% of all U.S. imports and monthly billions of dollars in trade move through the U.S. East Coast and Gulf ports.
In response to the labor disruptions, the USDA put out a statement saying it is taking action to monitor and address potential consumer impacts.
“Our analysis shows we should not expect significant changes to food prices or availability in the near term,” the statement indicates. “Thanks to the typically smooth movement through the ports of goods, and our strong domestic agricultural production, we do not expect shortages anytime in the near future for most items,” it adds.
Additionally, they assured that non-containerized bulk export shipments, including grains, would be unaffected by this strike. For meat and poultry items that are exported through East and Gulf Coast ports, available storage space and re-direction of products to alternative domestic and international markets can alleviate some of the pressure on farmers and food processors.
“We are keeping an eye on downstream impacts in the west, and we will continue to monitor and work with industry to respond to potential impacts. Our Administration supports collective bargaining as the best way for workers and employers to come to a fair agreement, and we encourage all parties to come to the bargaining table and negotiate in good faith—fairly and quickly,” the USDA says.
Experts have indicated that this strike, if lengthy, could have major costs for the U.S. economy, with millions of dollars lost daily, especially at major ports like New York/New Jersey.
For the moment, dockworkers have taken to the streets, manifesting there will be “no work without a fair contract.”
The affected ports include: Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Hampton Roads, Houston, Jacksonville, Miami, Mobile, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Savannah, Tampa and Wilmington. The ports in question are currently operated under a contract between the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) and the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA).
J.C. Watson Packing Co. of Parma, Co.started its Idaho-Eastern Oregon onion harvest the second week of July and will continue through October.
The marketer will sell its Idaho-Eastern Oregon onions from storage through mid-May 2025.
J.C. Watson Co. received its name from its founder back in 1912, when he established a produce company in southwestern Idaho.
For over 90 years, the company has produced, packed, and marketed Spanish sweet onions.
In 2010, the company created two additional companies: J.C. Watson Packing Co. focuses on the packing, selling, and shipping of onions, while Watson Agriculture Inc. focuses on growing and producing a sound, superior onion for its customers.
In May this year, the company broke ground on its new onion-packing and rail facility in Wilder, Idaho. The $32 million facility will enhance the company’s operational capacity and support local and regional markets with improved transportation and distribution infrastructure.
Construction on the new packing and rail facility began in late May, with expected completion in February 2025. The new 70,000-square-foot facility will allow the company to process over twice the volume of onions handled now, significantly expanding capacity and extending the local season for Idaho and Eastern Oregon onions.
California’s available Valencia supply continues to dwindle; some growers have already ended their season, and more will end over the next few weeks, according to a news release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Markon expects California to experience a supply gap on oranges in October until the Navel seasons begins in late October/early November.
California
Markon First Crop and Markon Essentials Valencia Oranges are available
Expect limited supplies for the next two months
Expect to make size and grade substitutions to fill orders
Quality is fair; early decay, soft fruit, and skin breakdown has been reported
New crop California Navels will begin shipping in late October
Expect elevated markets for the remainder of the Valencia season
Chile
Oranges are being imported into both the East and West Coasts
Expect import supplies to tighten as they continue filling the void from California
Quality is great
Expect rising markets as supplies tighten
Mexico
The season will begin in early November
The Early orange seedless variety will be available in both McAllen, Texas and Nogales, Arizona
Texas
Oranges will begin shipping in early November
Navels will be the predominate variety available, but Early oranges will be on the market also
Michigan apple shipments started early this season, with the state expecting a total of about 30.5 million bushels, or 1.281 billion pounds.
According to the Michigan Apple Committee of Lansing, MI, it’s unusual to have three large crops in a row, but warmer-than-normal temperatures in late winter and early spring caused buds to form early, leading to earlier bloom.
Growers didn’t experience significant frost and freeze events after that early bloom, meaning a plentiful crop was harvested about 10 days earlier than usual.
Michigan Apples are available nearly year-round from August to June. The largest and most valuable fruit crop in the state can be found at about 150 farm markets and cider mills in Michigan as well as more than 12,000 retail groceries across the U.S.
The US Department of Agriculture reported that Michigan harvested 31.9 million bushels of apples in 2023. The average annual crop size is approximately 25.9 million bushels. There are more than 14.9 million apple trees in commercial production, covering 34,500 acres on 775 family-run farms in Michigan.
Harvesting is currently happening on Galas, Macs, and Honeycrisp with Fujis and Golds being picked as well this week.
