Exports of agricultural and fishing products from Mexico increased 5 percent in March compared to the previous year, totaling over $2.1 billion.
Mexico’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reports the most biggest increases were fresh strawberries with almost 70 percent, citrus with 50 percent, raw coffee beans at 31 percent, pepper and edible fruits and nuts with 28 percent and 19 percent, respectively.
There were reductions, however, with avocados by 15 percent and tomatoes declining nearly 13 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
The association said during the first quarter of 2021, agricultural exports totaled over $5.5 billion, which is similar to last year which was more than $5.4 billion.
Livestock and fishing showed a 6.3 percent increase in February year-on-year, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography’s Global Indicator of Economic Activity (IGAE).
During the first two months of 2021, the country’s agricultural and agro-industrial balance (agri-food balance) showed a surplus of over $1.7 billion.
Agri-food exports grew over 2.6 percent year-on-year by adding more than $6.7 billion, while agricultural and agribusiness imports increased 7.3 percent, increasing $5 billion year-on-year.
Mexico’s total agri-food trade reached over $11.7 billion in the first two months of 2021.
In the agroindustrial sector, exports totaled $3.4 billion, showing annual growth of 9.5 percent.
Smoky Mountain Family Farms (SMFF) premium tomato farming operation announces strategic plan for expansion and the acquisition of Triple C Family Farms of Midway, TN.
Since beginning their partnership in SMFF in Spring 2020, the Pappas, Esformes and Hellers, three fourth-generation tomato farming and distribution families, have created a unique opportunity to showcase eastern Tennessee agriculture. Executing on one part of their strategic expansion, they have purchased Triple C Family Farms.
Together, their expertise in the tomato industry brings an unwavering commitment to food safety, product quality and reliability. In addition, with a dedication to equitable treatment of workers, SMFF is the first and only Tennessee farm to be certified by the Fair Food Program in partnership with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW). This SMFF farming expansion includes an expansion of the programs reach for fair treatment of farm workers into Tennessee.
Aris Pappas and Jon Esformes, Co-Managing Partners of Smoky Mountain Family Farms, say in a joint statement:
We had a vision for a regionally local summer and fall fresh tomato farming operation. This acquisition of Triple C, is one part of our strategic plan to provide the Northeast, Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, Appalachian Mountain and Midwest regions with the absolute finest in outdoor-grown tomatoes. We are honored to have the opportunity to continue to build upon the legacy of the Chandley family in our expansion from Newport into Midway and beyond.
Production has tripled heading into the 2021 season with the acquisition.
SMFF now operates out of Newport, TN and Midway, TN locations. This strategy consolidates Pacific Tomato Growers’ Virginia operation, which was closed in late 2020, as part of their plan and in anticipation of this Tennessee farming expansion.
Additional farmland purchases in the offseason will support further growth into the 2022 season and the future.
SMFF will be “Following the Sun, Leading in Quality”® and packing premium outdoor-grown rounds, romas, snacking tomatoes and organics under the renowned Sunripe Certified and Suncoast Certified brand names.
For more information about Smoky Mountain Family Farms contact sales@smffllc.com, or reach out to Aris or Jon directly.
Aris Pappas Managing Partner SMFF/Co-CEO Pete Pappas & Sons Inc Aris.Pappas@petepappasinc.com Office: (443) 296-7880
Good volume and strong quality are seen this season by Trinity Fruit Sales Co. of Fresno, CA, for shipments of California peaches, nectarines and plums.
California apricot volume is just now coming on, while peaches and nectarines will be available in good volume by the third week of May, with plums by the first week of June.
Good volume of California stone fruit shipments will continue through September.
Trinity Fruit expects to have about 500,000 cases of organic stone fruit in 2021 and possibly 6 million cartons of total stone fruit volume
There was result in more fruit than last year, and perhaps better quality fruit as well.
Industry wide, plum volume may be down slightly, but peaches and nectarines are expected slightly above a year ago.
Stemilt of Wenatchee, WA is primed for good volume shipments of California cherry to arrive at retail supermarkets in time for the Memorial Day weekend at the end of May.
Memorial Day is May 31st and California cherry shipments are expected to exceed the small crop of last year.
Stemilt’s World Famous cherry season started off with strong qualities, classic ruby colors, and medium-sized fruits. The company will move into harvesting varieties like Tulares, Hazels, and Coral in the coming weeks to load for Memorial Day.
Stemilt’s cherry season started off with strong qualities, classic ruby colors, and medium-sized fruits. The company will move into harvesting varieties like Tulares, Hazels, and Coral in the coming weeks to load for Memorial Day.
Depending on location, retailers should start loading as early as May 14. However, the heaviest loading period will begin on May 18 through May 22. With the way things are currently going, the supply and demand almost lines up perfectly with Memorial Day availability.
Volumes are projected to continue past Memorial Day for Stemilt in California, with the latest orchards that deliver 5 River Islands® hand-picked cherries coming off the tree around June 8. This will coincide with Stemilt’s cherry harvest start in Washington State, making the weeks following Memorial Day a big time for cherries at retail.
The USDA reports California’s 2020 almond acreage is estimated at 1.6 million acres, 5.3% higher than the 2019 acreage of 1.52 million acres. Service.
Of the total acreage for 2020, 1.25 million acres were bearing, 5.9% above 2019, and 350,000 acres were non-bearing, up 2.9% from 2019. Preliminary bearing acreage for 2021 is estimated at 1.33 million acres.
Nonpareil continued to be the leading variety based on bearing acreage, followed by Monterey, Butte, Carmel, and Padre.
Fresno, Kern, Stanislaus, Merced and Madera were the leading counties. These five counties accounted for 73% of the total bearing acreage, according to the report.
San Francisco, CA– Side Delights revealed recently released trend data on the growing focus on the health benefits of foods and the impact it has on consumer behavior. Since the inception of the pandemic, healthy-eating and immunity has continued to gain importance with consumers, and it shows in their shopping habits. The International Food Information Council issued a report, “COVID-19 Pandemic Transforms the Way We Shop, Eat and Think About Food,” based on the recent IFIC’s 2020 Food & Health Survey.
According
to the survey, 85% of Americans made at least some change in the food they eat
or how they prepare it due to the coronavirus pandemic. 40% of respondents who
said they were seeking food or diets for their health benefits were explicitly
focused on their immune function and that plant-based items have continued to
be a trend into 2021. The connection between healthy eating and reducing
disease risk is outlined in the USDA’s newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans
2020-2025. The guidelines recommend nutrient-rich plant-based foods
like potatoes for all stages of life – starting as young as six months
old.
In
addition to what is in their food and its health benefits, consumers are paying
more attention to where it is grown. As stated in the Forbes article Food Trends Forecast 2021: Being
Healthy In A Post Covid-19 World, “Shoppers have changed how
they are choosing their foods with a new yearning for reading labels,
understanding what ingredients are in their foods, where their foods come from
and which foods they should avoid.” Side Delights potatoes are
literally “Grown Where It Matters” to be fresh,
high-quality potatoes – grown in the best potato growing areas, stored in
high-tech storage facilities, and packed and delivered close to customers/final
mile experts so that the healthfulness of the fresh product stays intact for
consumption by shoppers. Once the product is in the store, Side Delights
offers award-winning, eye-catching packaging and a complete category assortment
to address all types of shoppers (value, convenience-oriented, gourmet, and
organic).
“In
a time where immunity, health benefits, and food sourcing are critical aspects
of food quality, Side Delights potatoes are a nutrient-rich choice for any meal
at any age, grown in this country’s best-growing regions,” noted Kathleen
Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “Retailers benefit
when they leverage this information and feature potatoes in stores and online
to remind shoppers to add potatoes to their shopping lists and carts.”
About Fresh Solutions Network, LLC: Fresh Solutions Network
(FSN) is the exclusive supplier of Side Delights® potatoes and
onions. FSN is a group of family-owned potato and onion growers and
shippers who help fresh potato and onion buyers grow their categories, maximize
category investment, and increase sales. FSN delivers category insights,
collaborative innovation, and customized assortment. Fresh Solutions Network,
LLC partners include: Sterman Masser, Inc. (Masser Potato Farms and Keystone
Potato Products in Sacramento and Hegins, PA), Michael Family Farms, Inc.
(Urbana, OH), Basin Gold Cooperative, Inc. (Pasco, WA), NoKota Packers, Inc.
(Buxton, ND), Sun-Glo of Idaho, Inc. (Sugar City, ID) and Mack Farms (Lake
Wales, FL).
(FORT VALLEY, GEORGIA) – The Genuine Georgia Group expects to ship nearly 3 million boxes of peaches this season.
With the season start kicking off mid-May, Georgia’s iconic summer fruit expects to have consistent volume over a 15-week period.
“Our peaches have dealt with historically warm winters for the last five years. We’re looking forward to seeing them at their best. Just like us, our peach trees are their most productive, happy and full when they get enough good rest,” says Will McGehee, partner with Genuine Georgia.
Sweet Georgia peaches are a nutritional powerhouse of health. A medium peach packs more than 20 different macro and micronutrients, including fiber, vitamins A, C, E, potassium and zinc. They are also naturally free of fat, sodium, cholesterol, gluten and trans fats. The orange-yellow hue of peaches is a cue that they’re an excellent source of beta-carotene, an important antioxidant that’s converted to vitamin A. In fact, a medium peach (1 cup slices) has about 500 IU of vitamin, equal to about 10% of the Daily Value for this nutrient. Vitamin A is an essential nutrient for optimal growth, bone health and vision.
Coral Gables, FL – Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A., Inc., marketers and distributors of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruit and vegetables, has announced through a partnership with Apeel, a company fighting the global food waste crisis with its sustainable approach to keeping produce fresh longer, it will now be able to offer its customers longer lasting avocados.
When paired with Fresh Del Monte’s high-quality avocados, Apeel’s innovation will allow them to stay fresher two times longer, helping to reduce food waste. With an infrastructure already in place to help support growth in the category, Fresh Del Monte’s new and existing customers will now be able to partner with the brand on their Apeel application.
Derived from plants, Apeel’s edible coating doubles the shelf life of fresh produce by slowing the rate of water loss and oxidation – the main factors that lead to spoilage. Made of materials found in the peels, seeds, and pulp of fruits and vegetables, Apeel’s coating helps maintain just-harvested quality, flavor and freshness longer than produce without Apeel.
As the only plant-based, end-to-end solution allowing a 2X longer shelf life for avocados, Apeel will help bring a new wave of benefits to Fresh Del Monte’s growers, packers, distributors and retailers and will offer shoppers and their families premium quality avocados that retain their flavor and ripeness for longer.
“As one of the top three suppliers of avocados in the U.S., we are excited to offer our customers the option to work with Apeel,” said Kirk Marquardt, Vice President, Avocado Sales. “At Fresh Del Monte, sustainability is a top priority and we know that Apeel’s sustainable approach to reducing food waste will help to build a more resilient food system for the future. We are confident that our strong avocado program will continue to grow from this exciting partnership.”
With over 100 years of brand recognition and one of the newest and largest state of the art packing facilities in Mexico, Fresh Del Monte remains committed to offering its customers the freshest and most convenient produce options. The innovation of Apeel will help to provide new and more sustainable options for them for years to come.
Prime Time International, a fresh produce produce grower and shipper based in Coachella, CA has found the times of COVID-19 change, not only with growing their crops, but when it comes to transportation.
The company cites the cost of truck rates as an example and wonders just how how rates will soar this summer. It was pointed out, for example in mid-April truck rates from Nogales to Boston hit $9,300, which translates into nearly $10,000 for loads coming out of California. The company cited one truck who they knew had 8 trucks parked due to a lack of drivers.
It was not the pool of long-haul truckers is being depleted by demand in the home delivery arena. Those same drivers can work close to home and go home every night. The company has discover other drivers who do not feel the risk of driving cross country is not worth it. Due the lack of equipment, truck rates have been much higher during much of the past year. It remains to be seen how high rates must rise to create more supply.
Aside from transportation concerns, Prime Time is trying to figure out how consumers will react to the pandemic, and what will the be trucking requirements for restaurants and other foodservice outlets. It’s much easier consider what the demand from retailers will be.
When the pandemic hit the company’s spring crops in Coachella Valley last year crops were already in the ground and there was no opportunity to alter the production schedule. However, they were able to cut back some on production for the summer, which was just going in the ground. It is a year later but how the consumer will react over the next few months is equally uncertain.
Prime Time does also of foodservice business with its primary crop, Bell peppers. Last year, that business was mostly loss, though retail sales took up the slack. Foodservice accounts are finally starting to come back.
There is still uncertainly for shipments to retailers. Prime Time did increase its summer production a little bit over last summer, but its Coachella Valley acreage has remained the same.
The company’s red peppers had been coming from in Baja California but have recently shifted to Coachella. Prime Time has eggplant, sweet corn and chili peppers just starting with watermelons slated to begin on May 10. Typically, the Coachella row crops start in April and lasts until around June 10, as long as the temperature doesn’t get too hot.
Prime Time then farms acreage in the San Joaquin Valley and Ventura County.
California’s Coachella Valley grape shipments may decline in 2021, as bearing grape acreage has fallen and the industry has consolidated.
Tudor Ranch, of Mecca, CA reports grape Coachella Valley production this season could be about 2.1 million cartons, off from about 2.6 million cartons a year ago. The company believes the front-end crop is definitely light, the middle crop is average, and the late crop is average to heavy.
Harvest Should get underway around May 10 for Tudor Ranch, depending on the weather. Peak shipments should hit the first half of June, with Tudor Ranch continuing to load grapes through the Fourth of July holiday. A few shippers may have grapes through the end of July.
Anthony Vineyards, Coachella, CA, notes the company will have volume into July. The transition between Southern Hemisphere and Northern Hemisphere supplies could result in a gap due to extreme heat and possible monsoon rains in July which make grape shipments that month more challenging for Coachella Valley shippers.
In 2019, Sun World International LLC also announced the sale of its leased and owned California farming property to an investor group, which contracted with Sun Pacific to farm the vineyards under the name Famous Vineyards.
On March 31 of this year, Palm Desert, Calif.-based Sun World announced it will be acquired by Bridgepoint, an international private equity group. Bridgepoint will become controlling shareholder for Sun World, an international fruit genetics, R&D and licensing company, according to a news release.
In other news in the Coachella Valley, a private equity group bought all the farming assets of Richard Bagdasarian Inc. of Mecca, CA.
Illume Agriculture of Bakerfield has taken over the management of Bagdasarian Farms vineyards for the private equity group. With some acreage coming out in recent years, there could be less than 5,000 acres of grapes in the Coachella Valley now, compared with peak acreage of perhaps 18,000 acres 25 years ago.
Tudor Ranch notes peak volume from the Coachella Valley was close to 13 million to 14 million cartons two decades ago. Beside Illume Ag, there are four major players in the Coachella Valley, including Tudor Ranch, Anthony Vineyards, Castle Rock Farms and Delano Farms.
