VERO BEACH, FL – IMG Citrus, a family-owned, vertically integrated citrus grower, packer, and shipper in Vero Beach, FL, announced the acquisition of a large citrus grove in Charlotte County. The 2,500-acre grove increases their control of citrus land management in Florida by 27%, bringing their total acreage in Florida to 11,387 acres and further securing their position as an established citrus leader in the state of Florida. The grove was originally planted in the 1990s and known as the Chiquita grove. The IMG Citrus family has renamed it the Imagine grove, referencing an existing IMG Citrus brand and their excitement for the opportunities to come in Florida citrus.
The 2,500-acre property IMG Citrus acquired is a mixed-use farm property with citrus, vegetable, and sod land. The varieties of citrus on the property include red grapefruit (Ruby Red, Star, Flame, and Ray), Navel oranges, and Cara Cara oranges. IMG Citrus will be planting an additional 60-acres of grapefruit on the property in Fall 2021 with plans to continue new grove plantings in the future. Over the next three years, IMG Citrus intends to invest over $1.5M in capital expenditure through the addition of equipment and the enhancement of the infrastructure of the property. IMG Citrus is also considering growing watermelons on the property with the available infrastructure.
“There are also a total of 752-acres of wetlands on the property with endless amounts of nature and beautiful wildlife,” says Melanie Ressler, IMG Citrus Co-CEO, “This property showcases what really drives our purpose as a farmer. By sustainably managing producing acres and conserving wetlands, we can grow delicious citrus while also diligently conserving our natural resources.”
The Imagine Grove, located in Charlotte County, increases IMG Citrus’ geographical diversification and footprint in southwest Florida. Prior to the Imagine Grove acquisition, the Avant Grove, a total of 1,086-acres and located in DeSoto County’s Arcadia, was IMG Citrus’ only southwestern Florida grove.
As a diversified company, integrating a landscape business through the sod land on the Imagine Grove property provides an appealing development opportunity for IMG Citrus. 60-acres of sod land are currently in production; however, the company intends to redevelop the sod operation to its full capacity of 219-acres of infrastructure. The sod will most likely be marketed under the Cherrylake brand. Cherrylake, Inc. is IMG Citrus’ sister company and one of the largest wholesale producers of ornamental trees, palms, and shrubs in the Southeast. Cherrylake also has a landscape construction division and landscape maintenance division.
“This property has historically produced very high-quality red grapefruit for which Florida is well known, says Melanie Ressler. “It is exciting to further deepen our offering to our customers and consolidate our position as the leading Florida fresh grapefruit grower.”
The property was acquired from the Packers of Indian River, the same company IMG Citrus previously purchased the Happy Food Grove (3,928-acres) from in 2019 and the Sweet 60 Groves (562-acres) in 2017. The procurement of the Imagine Grove continues the long history and partnership between IMG Citrus and the Packers of Indian River. IMG Citrus will also be onboarding the team of employees, some with 30 years of tenure on the property.
About IMG Citrus:
IMG Citrus is a second-generation citrus grower, packer, marketer, and shipper in Vero Beach, Florida, with over 11,000 acres of productive AGland. Family-owned and operated for over 40 years, IMG Citrus was founded by Michel and Veronique Sallin. Today, a second-generation of family-operators is involved and working alongside the most professional industry leaders that make up the IMG Citrus team. Together, Melanie Ressler, Timothee Sallin, and Chloe Gentry are Co-CEOs of the company, furthering the legacy of their parents’ genuine love for sustainable agriculture and an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels a passion for using the most innovative processes and technologies.
About IMG Enterprises:
IMG Enterprises, the holding company for IMG Citrus and Cherrylake, is a Florida-owned and operated family enterprise with business in citrus, ornamental tree nursery, real estate, mitigation banking, and landscape construction and maintenance. The mission of IMG Enterprises is to manage a sustainable enterprise rooted in the land which benefits its family, employees, and community while having a positive impact on the environment. With over 500 employees, the company ranks 37th on the list of Top Privately Held Companies by the Orlando Business Journal.
Importer Jac. Vandenberg of Tarrytown, NY has big expectations for the 2021 summer citrus season as it begins receiving its first citrus containers from the southern hemisphere.
Citrus remains a hot consumer item for many consumers, making Vandenberg optimistic for a good season. Vandenberg imports lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and tangelos from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. Last summer season, Vandenberg imported over 28,000 tons of citrus and expects to see an increase this season.
A little over one-half of this volume is in mandarins. Vandenberg has already received its first containers of off-shore easy-peelers from Peru and Uruguay and will see the first arrivals from Chile and South Africa soon. The weather conditions in all growing regions have been conducive to growing mandarins and the expectations are that there will be a good, healthy crop. Vandenberg expects to see an increase in the total volume entering the US market but not at the same pace as last season. The biggest growth in volume is expected in Murcotts available in late August through October.
Vandengerg introduced SUNRAYS® in 2017, and has seen steady growth each season.
The Chilean clementine export season has been launched with expectations of growth over last year, according to the Citrus Committee of the Fruit Exporters’ Association (Asoex).
A 7 percent increase of exports over 2020 is forecast with 55,000 metric tons (MT) for this season.
The first shipments left during first week of April, with 573MT of the Clemenules, Orogrande and Oronules varieties having been exported by the 3rd week of April. This compares to 1,503MT that had been exported by the same period last year.
Clementines and lemons were the first to start, with oranges following soon.
Dry weather was report with little rains, making for a smooth start to the harvests. Although the first shipments of clementines were lower than last season, it was too early to establish any change in the estimates for the period.
The primary destination for Chilean citrus exports is the U.S., accounting for about 85% of total shipments. It is followed by the Far East and Europe, which represent 9% and 3% respectively. There are also sales to Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.
In the total citrus category, Chile in March predicted a 6 percent increase over last season. The biggest rise will be for mandarins with an increase of 11 percent over a year ago, followed by clementines with 7 percent growth. Lemons are expected to see a 3 percent increase, while oranges will stay the same.
California cherries are now in peak shipments and should continue through June 6.
The California Cherry Board reports loadings are expected to exceed 8 million boxes, which would be up from the 6.58 million boxes shipped a year ago, — and be higher than the previous two seasons.
The California cherry crop was initially estimated at 9.47 million 18-pound boxes, and had the chance to beat the banner year of 2017, when a record 9.55 million boxes were picked. However, heat and wind damage earlier in the season is seen as affecting fruit size and packouts.
The cherry board reports California has about 40,000 acres of cherries. The Stockton-Linden-Lodi district, where the traditional Bing cherry is grown, accounts for about 60% of the crop. The southern San Joaquin Valley produces about 35%, and about 5% comes from the Gilroy-Hollister area.
Delta Packing Co. of Lodi, Inc. reports since the Coral harvests start earlier than the Bing, increased plantings of the variety have moved up timing of peak California cherry shipments.
The shift to more Corals has also led to more California cherry shipments during the month of May than in June.
An estimated 25% of the California crop will go to export markets this year, up slightly from 23% last year, with Canada, Korea and Japan being the biggest buyers.
California cherries – grossing $10,000 to $11,000 to New York City.
Truckload freight activity declined last month but April was still the second busiest month on record for shippers, freight brokers and motor carriers, said DAT Freight & Analytics, which operates the industry’s largest online freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI) registered 225 in April – down 5% from the all-time high set in March. The index is an aggregated measure of dry van, refrigerated (“reefer”) and flatbed loads moved by truckload carriers. A baseline of 100 reflects freight volume in January 2015.
“It’s not unusual to see a decline from March to April, but truckload freight activity remained at historic levels compared to previous years,” said Ken Adamo, Chief of Analytics at DAT. “The April TVI was 39% higher than it was in April 2020 and April 2018, and 26% higher than in April 2019, indicating unusually strong demand for truckload capacity last month. Trucking companies are in the driver’s seat with respect to pricing power.”
The national average spot rate for van loads on the DAT One load board network was 8 cents lower than the March average at $2.59 per mile, but the second-highest monthly average van rate on record. The national average spot reefer rate was $2.93 per mile, 2 cents lower than in March, while the spot flatbed rate averaged $2.96 per mile, 18 cents higher month over month.
Contract rates for truckload services—scheduled and planned transportation where the rate is negotiated well in advance and part of a larger commitment to move goods—were historically high in April. The average contract van rate was $2.66 per mile and increased for the twelfth consecutive month. In addition, the average contract rate for reefer freight was $2.78 a mile, 15 cents below the average spot reefer rate.
The national average contract rate for flatbed equipment, which is used to haul construction materials, heavy equipment and a variety of other industrial goods, was $2.96 per mile – $1.03 higher than in April 2020. On the spot market, the flatbed load-to-truck ratio averaged 95.7, meaning there were more than 95 loads posted for every available truck last month.
“There’s a feeling among businesses that they are at their ceiling for the price of logistics,” Adamo said. “Spot and contract rates are high as we enter a period when truckload capacity is only going to tighten, as produce and retail goods move ahead of the July 4 holiday and back-to-school shopping season.”
May outlook
Supply chain imbalances due to commodity shortages for manufacturing and the reopening of long-shuttered offices and service businesses have led to increased use of the spot market. In most years, 12 to 15% of truckload freight moves on the spot market; that figure is closer to 25% today.
During the first week of May, the volume of load posts on DAT One was 36% higher compared to the same period in 2018, when spot truckload freight activity followed a more typical pattern.
Expect demand for refrigerated trailers to increase as domestic produce harvests expand north beyond the U.S. southern border.
The national average price of on-highway diesel was $3.13 a gallon in April. Spot rates include a calculated surcharge that fluctuates with the price of fuel, which is expected to rise following the cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline.
Coral Gables, FL – Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., one of North America’s leading marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, has announced two of its energy efficient container vessels, Del Monte Harvester and Del Monte Valiant, will be moving to the west coast. These two vessels were launched in July 2020 along with four additional energy efficient reefer container vessels.
Each vessel has a full cargo capacity of 1,276 TEU with 634 plugs for 40-foot high cube reefer containers, and given the perishable nature of fresh fruits and vegetables, the air-cooled containers will maintain the cargo at specified temperatures, traveling in reefer mode with multiple temperature variants from -25C to 40C. Moving these vessels to the west coast will not only allow Del Monte Fresh Produce to have full control over its fleet, but will also assist with speeding up shipping times, ensuring that customers receive the freshest products.
“We are excited about the move of these two vessels to the west coast,” said Helmuth Lutty, Senior Vice President of Shipping Operations for Fresh Del Monte Produce. “Providing customers with high quality products in in a timely manner is a top priority of ours and we are proud to be able to do it in a way that helps meet our sustainability goals as a company.”
Equipped with the latest hull design and vertical bow to achieve a service speed of up to 22 knots with a very efficient fuel consumption, both the Del Monte Harvester and Del Monte Valiant meet the most stringent emission control regulations, allowing Del Monte Fresh Produce, N.A to continue fulfilling its commitment to create a positive impact on the environment. Additionally, the vessels’ Hybrid Scrubber system meets all international requirements to reduce pollution and control emissions of noxious substances.
Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A Inc. has been a market leader in growing and shipping premium quality fresh produce for several decades and a recognized authority in the fruit industry.
The Michigan asparagus season is officially underway: quality, volumes and pricing will be similar to last season with peak volumes in late May and early June. The vegetable currently claims the number one spot for total asparagus production in the U.S., including both fresh and processed, the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.
Although the state was gearing up for a Mother’s Day “normal” season start Mother Nature had her own plans. While days had been warm, temperatures dropped to near or below freezing many nights, delaying the start of harvest for about a week. The “pre-season” had light volumes from the Southernmost part of the state that found their way into only the local markets. The cool spring weather provided growers with some extra time to prepare fields and complete beginning of season tasks like mowing and fertilizer application.
*****
The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (MAAB) promotes the production and consumption of Michigan Asparagus nationwide. The organization is dedicated to sharing the virtues of asparagus, while also assisting with agricultural research and the development of asparagus farming. The MAAB is funded by Michigan Asparagus growers.
Eight out of every 10 carrots are grown and shipped in the U.S. are from California’s Kern County.
The USDA reported California carrot shipments of 748.7 million pounds in 2020, up from 723.6 million pounds in 2019.
The Kern County carrot season will be increasing in volume in late May for Kern Ridge Growers LLC of Arvin, CA.
The company reports carrot shipments will shift to Kern County from the California desert region in May.
Kern Ridge Growers has been in the carrot business since the early 1970s and is a year-round shipper of California carrots. Its history starts when the company started packing cello carrots under the Kern Ridge label. Today, the company also ships ready-to-eat baby peeled carrots from its facility. Most of the company’s carrots are grown in the rich, sandy loam soil near the mountain range at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley.
Carrot shipments are expected to be similar to a year ago and remain through the year. The company also is shipping navel oranges through the end of May.
By early June, Kern Ridge Growers will start a six-week gap season for fresh peppers and then shift its focus to solely carrots after that.
An estimate by county officials at the University of California, Davis estimated the 2019 value of the fresh and processed carrot supply at $336.1 million. The 2017 Census of Agriculture put fresh carrot acreage in Kern County at 27,078 acres, compared with 3,250 acres for processed carrot acreage.
In 2020, the United Fresh Produce Association’s FreshFacts on Retail report said overall U.S. carrot were $1.41 billion, up 7.8% from 2019. Carrot volume sold at retail totaled 1.11 billion pounds, up 9.5% compared with 2019.
The average price per pound of carrots at retail was $1.27 per pound, down 1.6% compared with 2019. Carrots performed well in 2020, but slightly below the overall vegetable category, according to FreshFacts on Retail. FreshFacts on Retail said total retail vegetable dollar sales in 2020 topped a new high of $35.8 billion (attributable to the pandemic), up 14.4% compared with 2019.
Produce shippers with foodservice customers see 2021 being a little more sane than last year.
Shippers in the Santa Maria area of California relate the pandemic’s effect on shipments has been profound, but foodservice demand is slowly recovering.
Beachside Produce LLC. of Guadalupe, CA sees improved foodservice shipments approaching pre-pandemic levels, which could happen as early as midsummer.
Mid-July is also the target date for a return to pre-pandemic foodservice demand levels for AB Fresh Inc. of Santa Maria, CA, which has experienced wild swings in demand in 2020 as the virus affected different regions of the country.
Main Street Produce of Santa Maria reports reaching the pre-pandemic level of demand will take time. The company see shipments increase as the country exits the pandemic, but it could be a multi-year process before approaching pre-pandemic levels. Last year’s increased shipments to retailers is carrying over into 2021.
Innovative Produce of Santa Maria described the past year as “a wild ride” with 2021 being “moderately less wild.” Barring another big wave/shutdown, Babé Farms is optimistic foodservice will be close to pre-pandemic levels in late 2021 or early 2022.
Durant Distributing of Santa Maria says “normal” should be back when all restaurants are open 100%.
The first estimate from Northwest Cherries pegs the 2021 crop at 23.79 million cartons, up 20% from 19.83 million cartons in 2020 and up 2% from 2019. Harvest is expected to begin June 1.
Crop Size: The Northwest Cherry Growers’ Field Estimate team has compiled an initial (“Round 1”) projection for the 2021 Northwest crop. Annually this 22-person estimation team looks at their orchards as well as the surrounding area’s volume dynamics and compiles overviews for their area.
Each member submits the data specific to their active growing districts, and then that data is built into an estimation model which represents each of the Northwest’s cherry growing regions. The model is populated with historical data, growing degree day patterns, acreage shifts, market trends, processing tonnage and in-field assessments, and then uses the Field Team’s input to project a crop for the coming season. This year, the first round data from the model suggests a 2021 crop of 237,992 tons.
2021 NW Round 1 Crop Estimate: 23,792,000 boxes
However, as always it is important to note that this Round One estimate has the most potential for variance from the eventual and actual size of the crop. Spring was late this year, but progressing quickly. Tree “drops” are natural and taken into account in our subsequent estimates. But that’s not all we can tell from the trees, and the news is good.
Crop Points to Remember – 2021
Harvest will begin in the last few days of May in our earliest sites.
As more orchards & regions come online during the first two weeks of June, volume may accumulate more slowly due to weather-impacted orchards.
While volume may accumulate more slowly, as the end of June approaches we expect shipping volumes to exceed last year.
Supplies for late June and the 4th of July promotions look very promising.
July will be a strong month all the way through.
August will have opportunity for at least one ad this season with projected volume trickling out through the end of the month. Crop Timing: Based on our accumulated Growing Degree Day data, it appears that AT THIS POINT we are on track for a start that should begin by June 1. In several of our earliest regions we are only a day or two behind last year, which saw harvest start on the 28th of May.
