An expansion of the Walker River Cooling Facility in Yerington, NV has been completed by The Nunes Co. Inc. and Peri & Sons.
Onion company Peri & Sons, Yerington, and Nunes, Salinas, jointly opened the facility in 2017. The expansion added cooling and warehouse space and 6 more loading docks, according to a news release, and eliminates trips in and out of California, dropping 600 miles from truck routes.
“By tripling the size of our facility we can increase our forward distribution capacity to — not only be able to load more trucks directly to the eastern part of the U.S. — but to increase the distribution of our California-based crops in the summer months,” Tom M. Nunes, president, said in the release.
“Through the expansion of this facility we also set ourselves up to be in great shape for expanding our acreage for future growth,” he said in the release. “Having the ability to consolidate loads gives us the opportunity to offer a heightened level of quality and consistency while still giving our customers a diversity of produce options.”
The Nunes Co. and Peri & Sons have worked together since 2008, growing and selling organic vegetables in Lyon County, of which Yerington is the county seat. Starting with 16 acres, the companies now grow and ship more than 40 million pounds of organic baby greens and 50 million pounds of organic vegetable every year, according to the release.
“Seeing the impact of the Walker River Cooling Facility, not only on the customer level, but also at the community level to the people of Lyon County, goes to show that great accomplishments can be made when two product giants join teams and share a common vision,” David Peri, owner and founder of Peri & Sons, said in the release.
Avocado imports from Mexico have been similar to a year ago, and shipments will continue to increase over the next several weeks.
Del Rey Avocado Co. Inc. of Fallbrook, CA notes the country’s flora loca crop started in mid-July with a limited number of trucks coming into the U.S.
Volume had dropped to 600 truckloads — about 25 million pounds — per week for a few weeks, but movement increased to about 30 million pounds per week and nearing 40 million pounds by the end of September.
Volume from Mexico will gradually increase over the next few months with the aventajada crop and then the regular crop peaking in January.
Calavo Growers Inc. of Santa Paula, CA sees the estimate for Mexico’s summer crop being strong, with an estimated 20 percent more avocados than last year.
Volume of avocados from Mexico in August has been 50 percent greater than July’s volume.
In all, Mexico supplies 75 to 80 percent of the avocados shipped to the U.S.
Colorado vegetable shipments are moving in pretty normal, steady volume, while the majority of the state’s peach crop was hit hard by a hard freeze during the growing season.
Tuxedo Corn Co. of Olathe, CO, as well as others, began shipping sweet corn early August. The company has about 1670 acres of corn.
Fagerberg Produce Co. of Eaton, CO began loading red, white, yellow and sweet onions in mid-August. The company has 1,500 acres of onion and should be shipping through February.
At Sakata Farms of Brighton, CO, onion loadings have just started from its 400 acres. About 80 percent of the company’s product is yellow onions, with the balance being with red and white onions.
Hirakata Farms of Rocky Ford, CO lost some of its cantaloupe to hail, but the remainder of the melons are in good shape. The company’s watermelon crops will lack yields in some fields this season, but have great yields in others. Still, volume will certainly look good after losing 60 percent of their melons last year to weather.
Hungenberg Produce Inc. of Greeley, CO got underway July 10 with its conventional and organic carrots being shipped through November. The company has 1,200 acres of carrots, with 250 acres being organic.
At Mountain Valley Produce in Center, CO is starting to harvest potatoes this week in the San Luis Valley. Diggings should be complete by October 10th, with loadings taking place into the summer of 2021.
A freeze that dipped into the low 20s last April has resulted in peach shipments being down 85 to 90 percent at Talbot Farms Inc. in Palisades, CO. Instead of shipping 8 million pounds of peaches this season, the grower/shipper will only have about 800,000 to 1 million pounds.
Overall, Colorado peach shipments are expected to be down 65 percent from normal.
Talbot reports some orchards had full or near-full crops through the Mesa County growing area, although Talbot was not among that fortunate group. Delta County is just to the south are has a better crop. Crops there were less advanced during that April freeze.
Port Manatee, Palmetto, FL., has received approval for an $8.3 million project that will nearly double the size of its dockside container yard.
The project, through a construction contract approved by the Manatee County Port Authority on July 28, will add 9.3 acres to the 10-acre paved facility adjoining the port’s berth 12 and 14 docks, according to a news release.
“Expansion of the dockside container yard to encompass 19.3 acres not only will accommodate dynamic demand from such longtime users as Port Manatee-based World Direct Shipping and Del Monte Fresh Produce Co., but also will literally and figuratively pave the way for further global commerce opportunities at our flourishing seaport,” Carlos Buqueras, the port’s executive director, said in the release. “The expansion project is a cornerstone of the two-year, $38 million capital enhancement initiative under way at Port Manatee.”
World Direct Shipping has imported produce and other goods from Mexico since 2014, and Del Monte is in its fourth decade at the facility, importing bananas, pineapples and avocados from Central and South America, according to the release.
The project includes installation of 150 electrical receptacles for plugging in refrigerated cargo containers, bringing the port’s total reefer plugs to 600.
“In these challenging times for our nation, Port Manatee continues to thrive as a vital economic engine for our region and beyond, serving as a preferred gateway for numerous key commodities,” Priscilla Whisenant Trace, chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority, said in the release.
U.S. apple shipments from fresh and processed production is estimated for 2020 to be 253.6 million (42-pound) cartons, down from 262.3 million cartons in 2019, according to the USDA.
Forecast apple production this season is expected to be lower in all states except Oregon.
Late winter weather in Michigan delayed development of spring buds and some orchards there suffered a severe freeze in early May.
The USDA’s 2020 estimates for fresh and processed apples, in 42-pound cartons, with percent change from the 2019 crop:
California: 6.42 million cartons, down 11.5 percent;
Michigan: 21.9 million cartons, down 2.8 percent;
New York: 30.9 million cartons, down 1.6 percent;
Oregon: 4.28 million cartons, up 20 percent;
Pennsylvania: 10 million cartons, down 17.2 percent;
Virginia: 3.8 million cartons, 15.8 percent; and
Washington: 176.2 million cartons, down 2.7 percent.
Mushroom shipments in the U.S. and Canadian are slowly starting to increase after growers curtailed planting in response to a huge drop in sales when COVID-19 hit in March.
South Mill Champs of Kennett Square, PA notes there have been extensive shortages of mushrooms because of the disruption of the foodservice market as a result of COVID-19. Shipments still remain significantly lower than a year ago, but meeting demand during what is typically the slowest time of the year for mushroom sales.
To-Jo Mushrooms of Avondale, PA., reports it had minimal supply interruptions, although there were challenges with fluctuations in demand. Since mid July more consistent shipments have been occurring.
Highline Mushrooms of Leamington, Ontario, reports it has maintained very strong and consistent demand from retail for mushrooms recently, making it difficult to maintain adequate supply for the demand.
Phillips Mushroom Farms of Kennett Square, PA notes when COVID-19 hit, it did not reduce growing or harvesting projections very much beyond normal seasonal changes, and demand has remained strong throughout COVID.
Ostrom Mushroom Farms of Olympia, WA., has reported frustrations because the company was in the process of moving production about 220 miles away to Sunnyside, WA., where an all-new workforce had to be trained under trying circumstances.
If you ask any truck driver out there, especially produce drivers, what is one of the biggest headaches they face each and every day you will end up with a resounding answer across the room…”Hours of service!”
A truck driver has always needed to be part mechanic, dispatcher, and accountant but with the HOS in place today they need to be part calculus professor as well. At least that is the way it seems when you look at ELD’s or log books and work out all of the math and hope a DOT inspector does not find a mistake while he is looking over your shoulder.
Since perishable shippers rely on reefer service, September 29th will be a great day. Drivers will be given a little more control of their destiny, and shippers will have more open windows for pick up and deliveries. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) listened to owner operators, carriers and fleet managers and are offering more flexibility while maintaining the highest safety standards. What does this mean for drivers?
Short-Haul Exception: The maximum allowable workday is changing from 12 to 14 hours and the distance is extending from 100 air-mile radius to 150 air-mile radius. As any produce driver out there knows when it comes to multiple sheds, this will be a major benefit!
Adverse Driving Conditions Exception: This can extend the duty day by two hours if adverse driving conditions are encountered. Snow, ice, sleet, fog or unusual road or traffic conditions that were not known prior to beginning the duty day or immediately before beginning driving after a qualifying rest break or sleeper berth period, or immediately prior to dispatching the driver.
If you are subject to a 30-minute break requirement: This requirement can now be satisfied by taking an on-duty, not driving break, in addition to an off-duty break. After an 8-hour driving period there will be a few options, including combination of activities as long as the 30 minutes are consecutive and satisfied by time. These options include: off-duty; in sleeper berth; and off-duty, not driving.
Sleeper Berth Provision: This allows drivers to split the 10-hour off duty period after meeting certain requirements: One period is at least 2 hours long, the other involves at least 7 consecutive hours in the sleeper berth, both must add to at least 10 hours. When paired together, neither period will count against the 14-hour driving window. An 8-hour sleeper berth period by itself can no longer be excluded from the 14-hour driving window.
To all of our produce professionals out there, here is to putting the drivers and shippers back in the driver’s seat! September 29th cannot come fast enough.
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Derek Robinson is a business development specialist in the Savannah office and has been with the Allen Lund Company since 2015. Robinson attended Savannah Technical College, specializing in Aviation Structural Mechanics.
Washington apple shipments for the 2020 fresh crop are forecast at 134 million 40-pound cartons, nearly the same as the 2019 crop of 133.9 million cartons, reports the Washington State Tree Fruit Association of Yakima.
“The 2020 Washington state apple crop looks to be similar in size to last year’s,” Jon DeVaney, association president, said in a news release. “Harvest is underway and growers anticipate being able to meet strong consumer demand with an ample and high-quality harvest. Our members are growing large crops, but with more varieties to choose from and while continuing to raise the already high standards of quality that domestic and international consumers have come to expect.”
For the second year in a row, gala variety apples will be the biggest volume variety. Galas will account for 23 percent of the state’s crop, compared with 17 percent for red delicious, 14 percent for fuji, 13 percent each for Honeycrisp and granny smith and 5 percent for cripps pink.
The surging Cosmic Crisp variety will account for about 1.2 percent of the total crop.
Organic apple production is predicted to hit to 21 million cartons, or 16 percent of the fresh crop. That compares with organic production of 15 million cartons in 2019.
The fresh apple forecast is based on a survey of association members.
South African citrus imports have risen sharply this season, increasing between 15 and 38 percent over last year.
Summer Citrus from South Africa reports it became clear early in the season consumers in the northern hemisphere wanted citrus products because they are a great source of vitamin C.
It now appears that South Africa’s soft citrus such as naartjies and clementines are doing well, and oranges are particularly sought after by US consumers.
The Citrus Growers Association reports the South African citrus industry expects to export about 140 million cartons this year, compared with 127 million last year. The increase is due to the new cultivation of soft citrus and lemons that has begun bearing fruit.
In 2018, the supply of fresh fruits available for Americans to eat, after adjusting for losses, totaled 58.3 pounds on a per capita basis.
USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) maintains an historical data series on national per capita supplies of over 200 food commodities available for domestic consumption.
Citrus fruits accounted for 14 percent of this 2018 total, down from a 24-percent share in 1970, partly reflecting Americans’ expanded fresh fruit options.
Loss-adjusted per capita availability of fresh citrus fruits fell to a low of 6.3 pounds in 2007 before trending upward to 8 pounds in 2018. Over 1970-2018, loss-adjusted per capita availability of fresh oranges and grapefruit declined, while availability of lemons, limes, and tangerines increased.
The data in the ERS historical series predate the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and do not reflect its impacts on food supply chains and food demand.
ERS calculates national supplies of food commodities available for domestic consumption by adding domestic production, initial inventories, and imports of a particular commodity, such as oranges; then subtracting exports and end-of-year inventories.
To calculate per capita estimates, these national supplies are divided by the U.S. population. For loss-adjusted availability, ERS applies commodity-specific loss rate estimates to account for some of the spoilage, plate waste, and other losses in food stores, restaurants, and households. Loss-adjusted food availability is designed to approximate consumption.
