Good, consistent shipments of California table grapes are predicted well into December, although there are some concerns quality issues may arise.
While Pandol Bros. Inc. of Delano, CA doesn’t see any big gaps in supply for the rest of the California grape season, there is some angst regarding labor shortages at both the grower and retail level, which could have some negative consequences on movement.
At the farm level, farmers with too much of one variety maturing at the same time could be hard-pressed to pick the fruit in top condition if they don’t have sufficient labor.
From the retail end, Pandol reports some retail stores have a shortage of labor at the produce department level. If retailers don’t rotate grapes in the right way, then repeat purchases could suffer.
A retail clerk may stock the grape display in the morning, but if that display isn’t stocked again before the rush house, impulse purchases may be at risk.
Still, Pandol sees the outlook for strong California grape shipments with only slight variations from projected volume likely.
Columbine Vineyards, Delano, CA reports California grapes got off to a great early season start, but in mid season there were too many green grapes based on an accelerated harvest due to weather, and at the same time there were not enough reds.
Looking ahead, Columbine Vineyards sees good volume with the red seedless varieties, and continued good volume with green grapes.
While the crop has good volume, the company is concerned about export logistics, materials cost, labor costs and water scarcity.
Exports may be down this year because of troublesome logistics at ports.
About 30% of California grapes typically go to export markets, and strong demand for air and vessel capacity has made exports more difficult.
WATSONVILLE, CA – After a bountiful domestic season, California Giant Berry Farms is anticipating a high-quality, on-time start to the import season thanks to its Peruvian-grown blueberries.
This strong harvest in Peru – coupled with a 100% increase in volume – means retailers will be able to market fresh blueberries from California Giant Berry Farms branded year-round.
The Peruvian harvest begins this month on time “and in some cases a bit earlier,” Nadar Musleh, Executive Director of International Business Development, California Giant Berry Farms, explained. “We project U.S. arrivals to begin in early September. Production will continue through December in Peru, then we’ll continue with production in Chile through March – meaning retailers will be able to offer their shoppers a consistent supply of our high-quality California Giant blueberries year-round.”
“Blueberries in general are having a very good season in Peru with a 25-30% increase over last year’s volumes, and California Giant in particular is outpacing this production increase by doubling our volume over last year,” said Musleh.
Through expanded acreage and maturing fields at its three state-of-the-art production facilities in Peru, California Giant will have more varieties to offer customers this year – including Ventura, Biloxi, Kestrel and Bianca – which allows for supplies to reach even more areas in the U.S.
In addition, by increasing both organic and conventional production, “we also will be able to offer organic product to U.S. customers every week this fall and winter without interruption,” Musleh added.
ABOUT CALIFORNIA GIANT BERRY FARMS California Giant Berry Farms started small. Cousins Pat Riordan and Bill Moncovich teamed up with best friend Frank Saveria to sell strawberries from a simple trailer in Watsonville, CA. Nearly 40 years later, California Giant has grown into a global family of people passionate about delivering the best strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries in the most sustainable way. Quality, consistency and community inspire the mission and values of: Community, Quality, Philanthropy, Fairness, and Mutual Respect is what continues to sustain us. Because the bigger the smile, the better.
Avocado production may triple its growth by 2030 compared to levels in 2010 by reaching 12 metric tons (MT), according to an FAO report.
The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2021-2030 reports while avocados have the lowest production level among the major tropical fruits, it has experienced the fastest growth in production in recent years.
This fruit is expected to remain the fastest-growing commodity of the major tropical fruits during the reporting period.
Ample global demand and lucrative export unit prices continue to be the main drivers of this growth, stimulating substantial investments in area expansion in both major and emerging production zones.
Production and Consumption
Avocado production has so far been concentrated in a small number of regions and countries, with the top 10 producing areas currently accounting for almost 80 percent of world production.
Despite the above, the report said around 74 percent of avocado production is expected to remain in Latin America and the Caribbean, given the favorable growth conditions in the region.
In response to the rapid growth in global demand, avocados are expected to become the most traded tropical fruit by 2030, reaching 3.9MT of exports and surpassing both pineapples and mangoes in terms of quantity.
Given the high average unit prices of avocado, the total value of world avocado exports would reach an estimated $8.3 billion in constant value terms from 2014 to 2016, placing the avocado as one of the most valuable fruits.
Production in Mexico, the world’s largest producer and exporter, is expected to grow 5.2 percent annually over the next 10 years due to continued growth in demand in the U.S.
As such, and despite growing competition from emerging exporters, Mexico is expected to further increase its market share to 63 percent in 2030.
The report also notes the U.S. and the EU are expected to remain the top importers, accounting for 40 percent and 31 percent of world imports in 2030, respectively.
However, imports are also increasing rapidly in many other areas such as China and some Middle Eastern countries, and, as measured by the Herfindahl-Hirschman index of all importers, the concentration of imports is gradually decreasing.
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.
