Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association (CCCGA) leadership attended a recent Cranberry Marketing Committee (CMC) meeting where the committee announced its 2021 cranberry crop forecast for the United States.
Massachusetts is the founder of cranberry cultivation, initiated on Cape Cod in 1816, and currently stands as the second-largest cranberry growing region in the country. The Commonwealth produces approximately 23% of the annual crop in the United States.
For Massachusetts, CMC is forecasting a crop of 1.9 million barrels (each barrel equals 100 pounds), up 5% from the Commonwealth’s 2020 harvest. Overall, CMC is anticipating the national crop to yield about 8.1 million barrels, also an increase of 5% over last season.
“Similar to last year, our bogs are tracking to deliver a solid crop yield for Massachusetts growers, what I would consider an average crop for our region based on past performance”, shared CCCGA Executive Director Brian Wick.
For more information about Massachusetts cranberries and their health benefits, visit Cape Cod Cranberry Growers’ Association online at cranberries.org or follow the Association on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
LOS ANGELES – POM Wonderful® is excited to launch a social media cocktail contest dedicated to supporting local bars that were impacted by pandemic closures. The competition will put bartenders’ mixology skills to the test as they create cocktails using POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. Five winners will each designate a deserving bar to receive a $10,000 cash prize and year’s supply of POM Juice.
Mixologists across the country are encouraged to highlight the sweet-yet-tart taste of POM Juice and enter the #POMCocktailContest. Entrants will be tasked with developing a signature POM-inspired cocktail and sharing a photo of their creation on Instagram along with the recipe, tagging @POMWonderful and nominating a local bar. Entries will be judged on presentation, creativity, diversity of ingredients, and the extent to which POM Juice is featured.
On October 1, 10 finalists will be chosen, and their cocktails will be featured on the @POMWonderful Instagram page. Consumers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite POM cocktail by “liking” the photo to determine the semi-finalists. Five winners will be selected on October 11. The winners’ nominated bars will receive a $10,000 cash prize to help them recover from pandemic hardships, along with a year’s supply of POM Juice to incorporate into cocktails.
“The bar community played an important role in the beginnings of POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice, bringing to life the iconic POMtini and pomegranate margarita. With so many bars impacted by COVID-19 closures, we wanted to rally behind those who have supported us,” said Adam Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, The Wonderful Company. “Through a friendly competition and unique POM cocktails, we hope to bring some hope, excitement and flavor to the bars and bartenders that have had a challenging year.”
As a cocktail ingredient, POM Juice adds a unique burst of flavor and antioxidant goodness, perfect for those looking for a better-for-you mixer. To learn more about the contest and for official rules, please visit POMCocktails.prizelogic.com. For cocktail inspiration and information about POM Wonderful, please visit POMWonderful.com, on Facebook at /POMWonderful, and Instagram at @POMWonderful.
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About POM Wonderful
POM Wonderful is the largest grower and producer of fresh pomegranates and pomegranate juice in the United States as well as the worldwide leader in fresh California pomegranates and pomegranate-based products including our 100% pomegranate juices, healthy juice blends, and teas. We grow, handpick and juice our own pomegranates to ensure the highest quality. POM Wonderful is part of The Wonderful Company, a privately held $5 billion company, which also has other No. 1 brands such as Wonderful® Pistachios, FIJI® Water, Wonderful® Halos®, JUSTIN® Wine, and Teleflora®. To learn more about The Wonderful Company, visit www.wonderful.com, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Over 3 million pounds of organic garlic, and sales in excess of $24 million occured in 2019.
IRI reports income plays a role in organic garlic purchases. Shoppers earning less than $50,000 annually were half as likely to select organic garlic exclusively in 2020 as those earning $50,000-$100,000, according to Organic Fresh Trends 2021.
African American consumers, Asian shoppers and those in the “all other” ethnic group were among the most likely overall to buy organic garlic at least some of the time. Hispanic shoppers were among the least likely to buy organic garlic overall, whether it be periodically or exclusively.
Older consumers were less likely to select organic garlic than those younger than 40. In fact, shoppers age 18-39 were among the most likely groups overall to buy organic garlic at least some of the time, while those over age 60 (and Hispanic shoppers) were the least likely groups overall to choose organic.
Applewood Fresh®, a fourth-generation grower, packer/shipper and marketer of Michigan-grown apples, has started shipping the Rave® and SweeTango® varieties.
Rave® apples are part Honeycrisp and part MonArk. They have that infamous Honeycrisp bite, but harvest a few weeks earlier than other apple varieties. MN55 cultivar apples were bred naturally through traditional cross-pollination methods by David Bedford at the University of Minnesota’s apple breeding program.
The company has grown the juicy, early season Honeycrisp-meets-MonArk cross for the past four years. Availability is expected to grow exponentially in 2021 and beyond. Rave® is only available for a limited time each year. Look for Rave® shipments from Mid-August through October, said Scott Swindeman, Managing Owner of Applewood Fresh.
Applewood Fresh expects a similar production to last year for SweeTango®. As the lead marketer in the Midwest for the variety that, also, comes from the University of Minnesota breeding program, Applewood Fresh promotes the marriage of the Honeycrisp and Zestar! varieties in SweeTango for its standout flavor and texture. SweeTango started shipping from Michigan in early September.
Applewood Fresh offers bulk packaging in Standard and Euro Tray pack Cartons, as well as several packaged options; 2 and 3 lb. pouch, 3 lb. poly bags and tote bags to fit the new trend of increased packaged apple sales. “Retailers should promote packaged fruit and merchandise in lead-off positions in their produce departments to drive sales. Customers are looking for quick grab and go solutions as they navigate the store to expedite their shopping trip,” said Brian Coates, VP of Sales and Business Development.
Grower/shipper Eagle Eye Produce of Idaho Falls, ID began loading the new crop russet, red, and yellow potatoes from their packing facilities in Idaho the second week of August.
“We anticipate a good harvest this year with excellent product available to go to market with, although this growing season has seen some challenges,” said Coleman Oswald, director of sales at Eagle Eye Produce. “We experienced higher than normal temperatures this summer with very little precipitation, which may lead to lower than anticipated yields. With the reduced yields, we are anticipating strong and active markets this season, which we are currently seeing take shape as harvest begins.”
Eagle Eye Produce’s year-round potato programs are fully integrated. This industry-leading structure allows for one-stop loading of russet, red, yellow, and value- add products from their facilities in Idaho.
Eagle Eye Produce is headquartered in the heart of Idaho potato country, but it grows much more than potatoes. Annually cultivating more than 30,000 acres of fresh produce from Idaho to Mexico, and across most of the Western United States with a national sales and marketing team to support their diverse year-round commodity programs and proven brands. Eagle Eye Produce owns and operates state-of-the-art warehouses and packing facilities in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and California, and is dedicated to innovation, offering a full line of ready to cook simple meal solutions.
U.S. fruit imports in the first half of 2021 rose by 13 percent year-on-year, with the value of trade from Mexico seeing the largest increase of the top-five supplying countries.
Imports of all fresh, frozen and processed fruit grew from $11 billion to $12.3 billion MT from January through June this year.
Mexico, by far the leading supplier, provided nearly half of the volumes, with imports from the Latin American country rising by 19 percent to $5.9 billion.
The other top supplying countries also sent more fruit to the U.S.
Imports from Chile rose by 10 percent to $1.4 billion, while from Peru they rose 2 percent to $712 million. Guatemala, Costa Rica and Canada also sent greater volumes.
In terms of fruit categories, berries had a strong showing in the six-month period. Raspberry imports rose by 8 percent to $605 million, blueberries rose by 38 percent to $526 million, strawberries rose by 28 percent to $773 million and blackberries rose by 30 percent to $318 million.
Avocado imports rose by 2 percent to $1.3 billion, table grape imports rose 6 percent to $1.6 billion, and citrus rose by 21 percent to $548 million.
Bananas were one of the few categories to see a decline, falling by 3 percent to $957 million.
Looking at late summer produce shipments in the western half of the country, volume is lighter, especially with potatoes as the shift is gradually underway from the old crop to the new. California continues to be your best bet for produce loads in general, although we’ll touch on several other states.
California
The best loading opportunities are in the Salinas Valley. Heaviest volume is with Iceberg and romaine lettuce combing for about 1,875 truckloads weekly. Strawberries account for about 785 truckloads per week.
Next best bet is in the San Joaquin Valley. Westside district is shipping about 750 truckloads of cantaloupe.
Grapes also are being loaded in the Valley, with most of the volume in the southern part from the Kern District, averaging over 1,900 truckloads weekly.
Christopher Ranch of Gilroy, CA is among the nation’s largest garlic growers, and ships mostly garlic. This season it looks to load over 100 million pounds of conventional and organic garlic, and ships coast-to-coast. The company has fresh, peeled, organic, roasted, crushed and pickled garlic.
San Joaquin Valley vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $8700 to Chicago.
Colorado Potato Shipments
No much is happening yet in the San Luis Valley of Colorado as shippers work to get rid of the old potato crop, with new ones still in very light volume. Shipments for 2021-22 are expected to be average, if not down a little.
Distributor Epic Produce Sales of Phoenix, AZ reports the new crop is shaping up well, and works with several San Luis Valley potato growers. While a significant portion of its volume is exported to Mexico, the company also sells heavy to retailers.
Washington
On the back end of cherry shipments in Washington, and the Vancouver area clobbered by bad weather this season, cherries aren’t doing much now. Otherwise, Yakima Valley apples are moving into its new season and are now averaging about 1,775 truckload equivalents per week.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $9,000 to New York City.
Idaho
Currently volume is split pretty even between the old and new potato crops heading towards fall. Only about 1,250 truckload equivalents are currently being shipped by truck and rail.
Minnesota
The new crop of potatoes from the Big Lake area and Central Minnesota is underway. About 400 truckloads of spuds are being shipped weekly, with volume on the rise. A lot of the volume is shipped by Red River Valley potato grower/shippers such Nokota Packers in Buxton, ND and Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks.
With every produce shipping season comes a new set of challenges, and the 2021 season may be the most challenging we have ever seen. The impact of COVID-19 on the economy has been massive and unprecedented, with every industry being affected in one way or another. While many industries suffered during this time, the agriculture industry saw volumes increase. Add on the usual surge in volume during the produce season, and you see an extremely tight capacity situation. Shifting focus to the Northeast, which has its heaviest peak of volume in August/September, relying mainly on the production of apples, corn, and blueberries. In 2020 we had seen increases in produce sales within these major Northeast crops, only to see these numbers increase further coming into 2021:
Total corn production increase estimated at 6.5% between 2019 and 2020, with that trend continuing into 2021, which is in part due to corn exports increasing because of high demand from China and other importers.
In New York, apple production is expected to increase in 2021 due largely to improving export markets and continued strong domestic demand.
Coming off a 2020 drought season, Maine has shown improvement in blueberry production in 2021 and will see continued improvements, due to further education/research on climate adaptions.
These are just some examples that will make up for a challenging peak in the Northeast produce season. Around this time, carriers will devote trucks to moving high crop volumes, diminishing available capacity throughout the country. This causes spikes in truck rates, which immediately impacts the ability to book shipments into or out of the affected and nearby states. It is important to apply advanced preparations and have a strategy in place to adapt to various seasonal demand changes. This is the season in which relationships built throughout the year with carriers becomes so important. Having people you can rely on to ship these products during a trying time will help mitigate disruptions and frustrations, ensuring continued success for everyone involved.
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Brendan McCallum is a transportation broker in his first year at the ALC Rochester, office. He has three years of previous experience working in Intermodal Logistics. Brendan attended The College at Brockport where he obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Sport Management.
Great growing conditions have Grower/shippers optimistic about pumping shipments for the fall.
Van Groningen & Sonks of Manteca, CA not last season demand was driven by people staying home, resulting in folks decorating their homes more and celebrating with their familiess.
While this may not be the situation this year, at least as much, the company doesn’t anticipate demand falling off. This year’s expectations are based on the trends the operation has seen for other holidays and events. Since people were unable to celebrate Halloween traditionally last year, there is likely pent-up demand to celebrate this year.
Bay Baby Produce of Mount Vernon, WA also expects strong demand as a result of more social gatherings. The different colors and textures available make pumpkins ideal for decorating not only for holidays but throughout the fall.
The weather has been hotter and drier than usual in their area, the crop looks good. A bigger variable for the company is with the supply chain.
Obtaining items such as cardboard and pallets, finding labor, and experiencing a diminished capacity in trucks and drivers has resulted in packing and shipping product. The pumpkin season is a short and intense season. This consolidated supply and drastic increase in production will likely be difficult for an already stressed supply chain to handle.
The Washington state fresh apple crop is expected to be of a similar size to last season despite a severe heat wave earlier this summer, according to the Washington State Tree Fruit Association’s (WSTFA) 2021 forecast.
The 2021 forecast is for a crop of just under 125 million standard forty-pound boxes of fresh apples. This would be a 2.3% increase from 2020’s 122 million box crop, but down 7.2% from the 2019 crop of 134.5 million boxes.
Apple harvest typically begins in August and continues into November, and as a result this forecast is still subject to several months of variable weather which can affect the final harvest total.
“The 2021 Washington state apple crop looks to be similar in size to last year’s crop. Growing seasons are never the same, and currently many WSTFA members are still evaluating the impact of this summer’s adverse and variable weather conditions,” said Jon DeVaney, WSTFA President.
“Members have made their best attempt to incorporate these factors, but with harvest just beginning and several months of unknown weather ahead, further reductions in the size of the forecasted crop are possible.”
For the third straight year, Gala will be the most numerous variety at 21%, Red Delicious is projected at 16%, followed by Honeycrisp and Granny Smith at 14%, and Fuji at 13% of total production. This year, Cosmic Crisp is forecast to come in at 3% of the total crop, a 114% increase from the 2020-21 crop, and Cripps Pink at 6%.
Organic apple production is forecast to be 12.3% of the total, or 15.36 million boxes. This is essentially unchanged from the 15.6 million boxes in the 2020 apple crop. Although it should be noted that typically not all organic production is ultimately packed and marketed as organic.
This forecast is based on a survey of WSTFA members, and represents a best estimate of the total volume of apples that will eventually be packed and sold on the fresh market (excluding product sent to processor).
