Shipping lines are being urged to route more cargo to California’s Port of Oakland as a result of supply chain calamities elsewhere.
Port officials report its marine terminals are congestion-free, unlike competing ports crippled by record global trade volumes. It urged restoration of shipping services that have bypassed Oakland since summer.
The Oakland port notes there is no congestion and is ready for more business.
It wants ocean carriers to reinstate services in order to stabilize the supply chain, noting its import and export partners echo this sentiment.
The Port said containerized cargo volume is up 4.2 percent in 2021 but insisted there’s capacity for more as it hasn’t experienced vessel backlogs since August. That’s in stark contrast to Southern California ports where up to 70 ships daily wait at anchor for berth space.
Ports on the west, gulf and east coasts have reported crippling delays in moving cargo and the White House recently called on some facilities to open nights and weekends to move out cargo. However, the government’s response is reported to have minimal effect in easing port congestion.
Oakland said shipping lines can help ease the gridlock by steering ships back to Oakland. Several ocean carriers omitted Oakland in recent months, the Port said.
It explained that excessive Southern California delays necessitated immediate return of some ships to Asia without stopping in Oakland.
According to the Port, 54 vessels stopped in Oakland last month which was the lowest vessel call total since 2015. As a result, September import volume declined 13 percent from September 2020 and exports were down 18 percent.
It expects service restoration to begin next month as supply chain congestion continues and it said vessels would find clear sailing to berth without gridlock.
Import cargo would be available for pick-up within days of discharge from ships which hasn’t been the case at some ports where congestion has trapped import containers for weeks.
Jac. Vandenberg, Inc., the Tarrytown, NY-based fresh produce importer and marketer, is gearing up for a second year for its SUNRAYS® grape brand. After a successful debut, SUNRAYS® grapes is announcing several new developments to its 2021-2022 program which officially starts in November.
Kicking off the SUNRAYS® grape season this year will be Cotton Candy grapes packed out of Brazil, available in loose-weight bags and 1-pound clamshells. Brazil will also become the fifth sourcing region for the SUNRAYS grape program which already has Peru, Chile, Mexico and California growers participating. As with last season, Vandenberg has carefully selected its growing partners to participate in the SUNRAYS grape program ensuring those participating growers meet strict quality and flavor requirements.
SUNRAYS® grapes are available year-round from Brazil, Peru, Chile, Mexico and California.
Another major development for the SUNRAYS grape program this year will be a limited offering of its brand new, innovative BIO bags out of Peru. These bags will be the first biodegradable, home compostable grape bags in the US market.
“Sustainability has always been at the core of the SUNRAYS® brand and we want to now make that message clear and transparent to the public with this certification,” says Paap. “What’s unique about this certification is not only is it looking at environmental sustainability but also social and economic sustainability. All of these areas play an important role in the success and longevity of the farm and product.”
Vandenberg expects to see its first growers certified early next year with SUNRAYS® bags carrying the Sustainably Grown certification by November 2022.
ATHENS, GA – Carrier Transicold has raised the bar for electric auxiliary power unit (APU) performance with its new lithium-ion ComfortPro® electric model that delivers double the air conditioning runtime provided by some competitive conventional battery-powered APUs. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.
“The new ComfortPro model is the first electric APU capable of providing cab cooling for extended periods formerly only achieved by diesel-powered units, thanks to its extended-capacity lithium-ion batteries and proprietary embedded power management system,” said Ryan Rubly, product manager, power management systems, Truck Trailer Americas, Carrier Transicold.
Carrier Transicold will feature the lithium-ion ComfortPro APU among other electric technologies at the Advanced Clean Technologies Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center this month (booth 547).
Key differentiators of the new APU:
7,500 BTU/hours of cab cooling that can double the runtime provided by some competitive absorbent glass mat (AGM) battery powered electric APUs, delivering continuous air conditioning that extends well beyond what is required for overnight rest breaks and up to 17 hours under certain real-world conditions.
Quiet, emissions-free performance with relatively few moving parts, eliminating the maintenance required of diesel-powered APUs.
Advanced lithium-ion technology, engineered specifically for long-haul commercial vehicle applications, provides an extremely power-dense and durable solution, charging faster with less performance degradation over time compared to conventional AGM batteries.
Five-year lithium-ion battery warranty,providing more than twice the typical lifespan of AGM batteries and outlasting the truck trade cycle for many fleets.
Reduced APU weight by 26% using two DOT-certified lithium-ion batteriescompared to Carrier Transicold’s standard electric APU, which uses four AGM batteries.
Lower cost of ownership than other APU alternatives thanks to its long-lifebatteries coupled with fuel savings and minimal maintenance requirements.
All ComfortPro electric APUs include a power plant, an under bunk climate control unit and a programmable control panel, featuring Carrier Transicold’s exclusive Cabin Pre-Cool Lock that helps extend battery life by assuring the preferred cabin temperature is attained before the APU takes over. Available options add heating, power for hotel loads, shore power connectivity and truck engine preheating, so fleets and owner-operators can customize ComfortPro electric APUs to suit specific needs.
APUs are used by the trucking industry to support cab climate control when the vehicle is stationary during driver rest periods, saving fuel, reducing engine idling and wear along with related emissions and providing regulatory compliance. The comfort and conveniences provided by APUs also help fleets with driver retention.
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 50 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier Global Corporation, the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions. For more information, visit transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain, on Facebook at Carrier Transicold Truck/Trailer U.S. & Canada and on LinkedIn at Carrier Transicold Truck Trailer Refrigeration.
2021 continues to be a challenging year for so many. Those of us in the logistics world have been working long hours and dealing with unprecedented upheaval in the transportation space. We know, from our discussions with so many of our shipper and carrier clients that you all are working just as hard. We’ve all been missing out on chances to get together and collaborate in person during this time. We’ve missed out on attending some produce-focused trade shows in person, including the United Fresh convention and Expo along with PMA Fresh Summit. Those in-person opportunities that we once maybe took for granted are something very special. One of the things missed was the opportunity to talk about and ask for help with one of Allen Lund Company’s core Acts of Kindness, Navidad en el Barrio.
Since 2004, the Allen Lund Company has been offering assistance including freight shipments to Navidad en el Barrio. First established in the 1970s by former LA Ram’s kicker Danny Villanueva, the non-profit collects money and food for the underserved Hispanic communities in Southern California. ALC first assisted with the transportation of groceries that were included in food bags that are distributed to every family. In the early days, those food bags did not contain any perishable food items, such as fresh produce. Recognizing the strong relationships that ALC has with the growers in California, Navidad en el Barrio asked ALC to help make those food bags much more nutritious. Beginning in 2006, fresh fruits and vegetables became a consistent part of each food bag.
Critically during this pandemic, the need for assistance is as high as ever. Navidad will provide meals to approximately 10,000 families this year! We are asking for any growers/importers/suppliers who are looking to step up and make a difference in the lives of so many deserving families in Southern California by making donations of nutritious perishable foods. In the past, through the generosity of companies such as Rainier Fruit, Wada Farms, Grimmway Farms, Wonderful Citrus, Mission Foods, and Coca-Cola, we’ve been able to help provide fresh fruits, potatoes, carrots, avocados, bottled water, and juices as well as many other available seasonal products for the food bags.
Since we didn’t get the chance to ask you in person this year, we are asking now virtually. We need your help! Christmas is fast approaching, and we are currently working on lining up donations for the 2021 distribution that will take place in early December. Please, reach out to either me at steve.hull@allenlund.com, or ALC Marketing & Communications Director Nora Trueblood at nora.trueblood@allenlund.com if your business can help. We appreciate your participation.
The harvest of new the Medjool crop started during the first couple weeks of September and trees were carrying loaded with fruit. Double Date Packing of Coachella, CA had a smaller crop last year, but is expecting a big crop for 2021-22.
Over 50 percent of the date crop is exported.
SunDate, also in Coachella, agrees noting the first date groves looks like a good crop. The company was in heavy harvest by the week of September 6th. Once the dates are harvested, they are graded stored for a few weeks to find out how good the crop is.
The Medjool variety will be harvested until about the end of October with the Deglet Nour dates picked during the last two months of the year.
Picking those dates is still a sight to behold. Though for safety reasons, packers often use automated “cherry pickers” with platforms to perform the many hand tasks needed in the life of a date (from pollination to thinning to picking), there are still many traditional pickers in the Coachella Valley that climb the trees the old-fashioned way and perform the cultural tasks 50-75 feet above ground as they cling to the tree.
Chile is expecting to export 117,000 metric tons (MT) of blueberries in the 2021-22 season, according to the Chilean Blueberry Committee of Asoex.
The figure is on par with what was exported last season – 117,800MT.
The Committee noted that although total production is expected to increase to 178,000MT due to new plantations coming online and varietal reconversion with higher-productivity cultivars, exports are not forecast to increase due to there being a more rigorous selection criteria for fresh export fruit.
Therefore, the addition production volumes will be destined mainly for frozen exports and the domestic market, the Committee said.
It added that to date, new varieties makeup 25 percent of the export offer and will contribute to growth in production and better fruit quality.
Regarding organic blueberries, fresh exports are expected to reach 18 percent and frozen to reach 27 percent.
Of all the problems that could be faced, one that will have little impact on the production and export of blueberries is the drought, because producers have very efficient technical irrigation systems, the Committee said.
For logistical difficulties, exporters are currently working intensively on scheduling shipments with shipping companies to minimize the problem that is affecting global supply chains
Salinas, CA: Studies show a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of obesity, glycemic disorders, cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Produce company, D’Arrigo California is partnering with Candice Walker, foodie influencer of Proportional Plate, to host a virtual and interactive cooking class featuring Andy Boy produce.
“D’Arrigo California is thrilled to get into the kitchen with Candice Walker of Proportional Plate to ‘Cook for a Cure’ benefiting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), a 22-year long partner of our company,” states Claudia Pizarro-Villalobos, Corporate Communications for D’Arrigo California. “We know that maintaining a well-balanced diet high in fruits, vegetables, and plant-based protein sources can help lower the risk of breast cancer and even improve outcomes after a diagnosis. Our goal is to educate consumers on how to make easy, delicious and nutritious recipes using our Andy Boy produce.”
On Wednesday, October 27 from 4pm-5:30pm PST, roll up your sleeves and call your girlfriends over to cook-along with Candice Walker. She will walk you through a step-by-step process of how to make Turkey Lettuce Wraps with Thai Chili Ginger Sauce, Roasted Sweet Baby Broccoli with Piquillo Pepper Romesco, and a Blender Green Juice.
Register here for the virtual cooking class which is $15 and in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month 100% of the ticket price will go directly to BCRF. Once you donate, BCRF will email you an official donation receipt for tax purposes and the process is fast, easy and secure. In addition, each registered participant will receive the cooking class link, a printable grocery list and recipe cards one week before the class. If you are tied up on Oct. 27, no problem, the class will be available on demand until Friday, November 26 with paid registration.
“Our goal is to raise awareness and to show our support for all those who have been affected by breast cancer. We’re excited to have consumers and customers will join us by participating in the ‘Cooking for a Cure’ class with Andy Boy produce, especially since all proceeds will benefit BCRF,” states Candice Walker from Proportional Plate. Click here and learn why Candice is teaming up with D’Arrigo California to benefit BCRF.
“BCRF-funded research has shown that there are steps you can take to reduce risk for breast cancer,” said BCRF Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. Dorraya El-Ashry. “We know that proper nutrition and plant-based diets—or diets high in leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables and legumes—play a key role in breast cancer prevention.”
About D’Arrigo California
From the day the company was founded in 1923 by Stefano and Andrea D’Arrigo, two immigrants from Messina, Sicily, innovation has been its hallmark. In addition to its conventional and organic vegetable product line and wine grapes, D’Arrigo offers strategies and solutions to its customers in everything from seed research and development, food safety and sustainability, to entirely new approaches to packaging, harvesting and shipping. The company’s brand, Andy Boy®, is known for signature products like broccoli, broccoli rabe, fennel and romaine hearts. D’Arrigo California grows not only conventional and organic products year-round, but also provides services that include cross docking, consolidation, custom growing and commercial cooling. Visit www.andyboy.com to learn more.
About Candice Walker from Proportional Plate
Proportional Plate is a food and lifestyle blog that encourages readers to educate themselves about their food, learn what foods feel good for them, and to feel proud of the food choices they make. Author of the blog, Candice Walker, creates recipes for a nutritious and sustainable diet that inspires excitement, rather than guilt. Candice prioritizes fresh, locally sourced ingredients, seasonal produce, and recipe methods that anyone, regardless of cooking level, will find accessible. Candice has been featured on several podcasts including AllRecipes, Dishing, Eat Blog Talk, and has done many TV segments for KATU and The Megan Pormer Show. She was recently featured in Perez Hilton’s Who’s Who, WanderCooks Interview series, and has run the successful blog Proportional Plate for the past 5 years.
About the Breast Cancer Research Foundation
Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution. Research is the key to stopping it in its tracks. Founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world. We invest in the best minds in science—from those investigating prevention to metastasis—and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. Our approach accelerates the entire field and moves us closer to the answers we urgently need. We can’t stop now. Join us in fueling the world’s most promising research. With you, we will be the end of breast cancer. Learn more and get involved at BCRF.org.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In the face of a possible pumpkin shortage and soaring pumpkin prices, Dole Food Company, Inc. is encouraging Halloween revelers to carve a pineapple instead this year.
The pineapple and fresh produce leader is stepping-up this year’s annual Pineapple-O’-Lantern initiative – originally created to promote the nutrition and convenience benefits of the ubiquitous tropical fruit synonymous with Dole’s origins in Hawaii – to help suddenly stranded Halloween lovers without a pumpkin to carve.
“For years we’ve been encouraging fruit-loving families to try something new by carving a pineapple at Halloween and are now expanding our efforts in light of any possible pumpkin scarcity,” said Melanie Marcus, RD, MA, Dole’s nutrition and health communications manager. “Of course, pineapples have an important nutritional profile and are so much easier to prepare and enjoy than pumpkins since you don’t have to cook them.”
According to Marcus, the fruit is low in fat and sodium and high in vitamin C and antioxidants – making it the perfect sweet treat after a night of trick-or-treating.
In addition to the Bountiful Fruit Salad recipe, Marcus recommends Dole’s Pineapple Braised Slow Cooker Chicken and Pineapple-Turmeric Smoothie as other fall favorites. She offers tips for planning a healthier Halloween in her dedicated blog post on the Dole website and points to new studies showing that childhood obesity rose significantly during the pandemic as one reason behind Dole’s expanded healthy Halloween focus this year.
Dole plc is one of the world’s largest producers and marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. Dole is an industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.
Panamanian banana exports grew 7.1 percent so far this year, accumulating 242,840 tons.
The director of the sector in the ministry of Agricultural Development (MIDA), Jose De La Lastra, told news organization El Pais that good management, technological improvements, and an increase in hectares have contributed to the growth in the last three years.
Sales are predicted to add another 138,000 tons in 2021, ending the year 5 percent above last year, with revenues estimated at $200 million. MIDA stated that there are 19,768 acres planted this year, employing 33,000 workers.
In 2020, Costa Rica and Guatemala topped the list of the main exporters of fresh or dried bananas in Central America, followed by Honduras, Panama and Nicaragua, as indicated by CetralaméricaData.com.
The U.S. was the main destination for this product with 65 percent of sales, which were also marketed in the Netherlands (10 percent), the UK (4), Belgium (3), Italy (3), Germany (2) , Spain (1) and Portugal (1), according to the publication.
Mexican berry exports have totaled over 99,000 metric tons (MT) from January to May of this year, according to data from the Ministry of Agriculture of Mexico.
Berry specialists expect that this year’s exports to continue increasing as in 2020, which grew 10 percent despite the pandemic.
“We exported more than 440,000MT of berries, amounting to over US$2.3 billion dollars,” José Luis Bustamante, president of Aneberries said.
“Berries are the third most exported agricultural product from Mexico after beer and avocados.”
The country has around 128,500 hectares of strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries. The main producing areas are Michoacán, Jalisco and Baja California.
“Michoacán continues to be the undisputed leader in berry production and the world leader in blackberry production,” Rubén Medina, head of Sedrua and Ricardo Bernal, head of the Ministry of Economic Development (Sedeco) said.
Strawberries and blueberries are considered the berries with the most growth potential for the next 10 years, according to Fresh Seasons.
Over half of Mexico’s strawberry production is destined for the foreign market.
Global imports have increased almost 36 percent in the last 10 years increasing Mexican exports. In 2017, Mexican strawberry exports grew 63 percent compared to the last year.
Mexico is the third largest supplier of strawberries in the international market and represents almost 15 percent of the export value worldwide.
The main markets for Mexican strawberries are the U.S. and Canada but the country sells to many other destinations.
