The four most valuable crops in Monterey County remained unchanged from 2018 to 2019, led by leaf lettuce, which saw an increase of nearly 15 percent, boosted by better pricing for romaine.
Overall, the county’s ag production value increased 3.5 percent in 2019, to almost $4.41 billion, according to the Monterey County 2019 Crop Report, issued by the county’s agricultural commission.
Of the top 10 crops, ranked by production value, seven categories are vegetables, with the exception being strawberries, in the No. 2 slot again, and wine grapes and nursery products. All 10 crops are the same crops from the 2018 list.
Strawberries saw an increase of about 5 percent, with a bump of more than $34 million, to $732.76 million, mostly due to improved fresh strawberry prices.
Head lettuce, Monterey County’s third-most valuable crop, increased almost 12 percent to $514.09 million. Increased production and higher average prices for carton-packed lettuce are the main reasons for the increase.
Overall, vegetable crops saw an increased production value in 2019 of about $228 million, at just under $3.1 billion. The fruits and nuts category dropped about $15.7 million in value to $1.03 billion, but that includes a 25 percent drop in wine grape crop value. Dropping wine grapes from the category gives fruit and nuts a $46 million (5.7 percent) boost from 2018 to 2019.
Monterey County’s top crop values, followed by 2019 and 2018 rankings, are:
New York apple shipments should total 30 million bushels this coming season, which would be on par with volume for the average of the last five seasons.
At Hudson River Fruit Distributors, Milton, N.Y., the company added about 25 acres of orchards in 2019 for a total of 500 acres of apples. The company has removed older varieties on 5 to 10 percent of the acreage to fuji and EverCrisp varieties, which keep growing in popularity. More gala and Pink Lady varieties continue to be planted every year.
Hudson River Fruit expects to start shipping for the 2020-21 season by mid-August — the start of the company’s 58th harvest.
Northwest potato shipments will be down this season from Oregon due to drought, and from Washington state because of too much rain. The COVID-19 virus also plays a role.
Washington and Oregon rank second and third, respectively, among the 50 states in potato production, with processing accounting for as much as 90 percent of shipments. Demand is reported strong, for both processed and fresh product.
An estimated 80 to 85 of Oregon grown spuds go to processing, and the hard hit foodservice industry has affected all potato growers in the Northwest and the nation.
Riverside Potato Inc. of Merrill, OR reports no snow pack, and a lack of rain resulting in 300,000 to 330,000 acre feet of water being cut to 140,000. The result is the company estimating it will be down 30 to 35 percent in potato acreage in the valley this season.
Riverside will ship product from 200 to 250 acres this year, compared to 550 to 580 acres a year ago.
Wong Potatoes Inc. of Klamath Falls, OR reports drought conditions were worse than any since 2006. Last season, the operation planted over 900 acres, compared to this year, which totals a little over 600 acres.
To the north in the Columbia Basin, along the Washington-Oregon border, rainfall wasn’t a problem, but acreage likely will be down, according to Potandon Produce of Idaho Falls, ID.
Overall, Potandon sees its fresh potato loadings basically being down, although volume might be up slightly in August. However, September and October, product coming out of storage will definitely be up lower.
In Northwest Washington, Valley Pride Sales of Burlington, WA has had too much rain.
The USDA says production in 2019 totaled 11.6 million pounds, compared to 11.3 million in 2018. Potatoes in storage accounted for 17 percent of 2019 production, compared to 18 percent a year earlier.
Oregon production in 2019 totaled 2.82 million pounds, compared to 3.02 million in 2019. Potatoes in storage accounted for 14 percent, unchanged from the previous year.
Northwest region potatoes remaining to be shipped out of storage on June 1, 2020, totaled 5.3 billion pounds.
June 1 potato stocks in Oregon totaled 403 million pounds. Shipments to date was 2.41 billion pounds. In Washington, June 1 potato in storage totaled 1.97 billion pounds. Loadings to date totaled 85.6 million cwt., or 9.6 billion pounds.
Nationally, the 13 major potato states held 7.5 billion pounds on June 1, 2020, down 4 percent from last year.
Potatoes in storage accounted for 16 percent of the states’ 2019 production, compared with 17 percent for a year earlier.
Potato diggings have just got underway, which is normal.
Following Labor Day, growers will be putting some product in storage and still pack out of the field. Packing out of the field continues until October 10. Potandon will finish on a Friday, packing old crop, and start a new crop Monday or Tuesday and continue on with the crop out of the field. The company then switches into storage and continues to the next July.
South Basin Packing of Gresham, OR notes the crop is coming along for shipments to retailers, although foodservice is certainly down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Norman Nelson Inc. (Double-N Potatoes) of Mount Vernon, WA reports acreage in the Skagit Valley, whose season will start around September 1, appeared to be about normal. Acreage is expected to be similar to a year ago.
Laredo, TX—Integrated Design-Build firm A M King has begun construction of a 262,000-sf ripening and cold storage distribution center for Mission Produce Inc., the world’s largest grower, packer, and shipper of Hass avocados.
The new mega-facility will be located in Laredo’s Pinnacle Industry Center on 32.6 acres adjacent to the Rio Grande River and the Mexican Border. It will allow the company to capitalize on the continued popularity of its signature product in the nation’s busiest land port. Mission plans to initially hire 75 employees when the project is complete in May 2021.
Mission Produce, founded in 1983, owns and operates state-of-the-art avocado packing facilities in multiple global locations, including California, Mexico and Peru. Hass avocados are grown in these tropical and subtropical climates, with each tree producing between 150 and 500 avocados per year. In addition, the company’s distribution network includes 11 forward distribution centers in North America, China and Europe. All facilities are GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) certified and are fully compliant with regulations such as FSMA, SFCR, HACCP and the Codex Alimentarius. The new distribution facility in Laredo will be its largest to date, eclipsing the company’s headquarters facility in Oxnard, CA by nearly 50,000 sf.
“We are happy to join Mission Produce in the design and construction of the largest avocado plant in the country,” says A M King Vice President Dan Crist. “Our food industry expertise, coupled with our track record of successfully completed cold storage and distribution projects, makes this an ideal partnership.”
“The Laredo, Texas facility will shorten our replenishment time to our network and add flexibility in managing inventory,” said Mission Produce’s President and CEO Steve Barnard. “The City of Laredo is strategically positioned on the border of Texas and Mexico, making it an ideal location for the distribution of Mexican avocados into the United States. By investing in Laredo, we are redoubling our commitment to serving customers, providing value-added services, creating jobs, and leading the avocado industry.”
A M King provided Mission Produce with full site consultancy services, which included analysis of the property currently needed by the business today, as well as for future planned expansions. Mission Produce required as much flexibility as possible while still incorporating easily adaptable economical infrastructure and layout. A M King also worked in tandem with Mission Produce to determine adequate site infrastructure requirements for securing local economic development incentives.
Additionally, A M King managed the complicated process of acquiring the site while meeting all zoning and municipal ordinances specific to site development of greenfield land in the City of Laredo. Working together with A M King, Mission Produce was able to execute the property purchase of the best possible location for this advanced, world-class facility to begin development within an accelerated time period.
Like any food facility that A M King designs and builds, putting sanitary design measures in place is paramount. In this facility, there will be a number of elements with this focus, including floor drains for room washing and washable surfaces (concrete floor, IMP walls); structural steel tubes in lieu of W beams (avoiding surfaces for dust collecting), and installation of sinks in the packaging areas. In addition, several sustainability processes will be implemented, such as rainwater management, heat island reduction, daylighting and focus on energy performance.
During construction, A M King will enforce new safety policies and procedures for infectious diseases in accordance with CDC and OSHA recommendations, as well as local and state requirements. Some of those include temperature checks, social distancing, use of masks and gloves, handwashing stations and limiting group gatherings.
The scope of work on this project will include design and construction of ripening rooms; coolers; forced air cooler; cooler dock; dry goods storage; a bagging and production area; offices and dispatch; Border Patrol office; and USDA office.
Functionality is the focus on all operational areas, such as storage, staging, ripening, packaging, shipping and receiving. All the rooms are designed to facilitate company processes from receipt of the avocados from growers to delivery to vendors. The main office and the shipping office feature unique aesthetics and are designed with large open areas for offices and employee welfare. Broad views will be enjoyed through curtain walls and over the balcony of the two main sides of the building, including the dock. There will be an interesting combination of volumes with intersecting angles.
Recently, A M King designed and constructed a smaller-scale cold storage distribution center in Charlotte, N.C. for West Coast-based Henry Avocado Corporation. This facility was designed with the capability to distribute approximately 300,000 avocados per day along with storage capacity for an additional one million avocados.
A M King is an integrated Design-Build firm based in Charlotte, NC with offices in Greenville, SC and Chicago, IL. The firm consistently and successfully delivers quality projects throughout the United States. With an experienced team committed to protecting clients’ assets, the company provides property consulting, design and engineering, construction and facility services in the sectors of food processing, food distribution, industrial manufacturing and commercial properties. A M King’s exemplary track record demonstrates that the company is focused on its mission to be the best in the industry.
Mission Produce Inc. is the world’s most advanced avocado network. The company owns and operates state-of-the-art avocado packing facilities in multiple growing locations including California, Mexico, Peru and Colombia, and it also sources product from countries such as Chile, New Zealand and Guatemala. In addition, Mission Produce’s global distribution network includes 11 forward distribution centers in North America, China and Europe. Over the past 35 years, Mission Produce has become recognized as the leader in the worldwide avocado business.
California strawberry shippers had shipped 121.8 million trays of the fruit by mid July, up from 112.2 million trays last year at the same time, but down from the 128 million trays shipped in 2018, according to the California Strawberry Commission.
Well-Pict Inc. of Watsonville, CA reports the season peaked around July 1, although plenty of berries remain.
Strawberry shipments were strong in part due to a shorter-than-usual early-season crops of some other summer fruits such as watermelons and cherries. Since then increased volume from watermelons and cherries as well as other summer fruits like peaches, plums, nectarines and grapes, strawberry are providing more competition.
Watsonville-Salinas strawberry loadings are seasonally declining and Well-Pict will pick up its new fall strawberry crop out of Oxnard from mid-September through mid-November.
Bobalu Berries of Oxnard is gearing up to kick off its fall crop from Santa Maria. The grower-shipper loads out of an area that is actually north of the main Santa Maria growing region in a coastal location similar to Salinas.
Picking should start this week and continue until early November.
Salinas Valley berries and vegetables – grossing about $5700 to Chicago.
Organic food sales in 2019 exceeded $50 billion, including $18 billion for organic produce.
“The category continues to be the star of the organic sector and often the starting point for organic food buying,” The Organic Trade Association wrote in a news release. “Millennials and younger generations have grown up with organic and remain the growth drivers for this category.
“Organic produce makes up almost a third of all organic food sales, and organic fruits and vegetables — including fresh, frozen, canned and dried — have now captured 15percent of the fruits and vegetables market in this country,” OTA wrote.
The report describes the $18 billion in organic produce sales for 2019 as a nearly 5 percent increase from the previous year.
The United Fresh Produce Association’s FreshFacts on Retail 2019 Year in Review, which uses retail scan data from Nielsen, lists organic sales for fresh produce specifically as $5.9 billion, up 5.5 percent from 2018. Per the report, organic fresh vegetables surpassed $3.3 billion in 2019, up 3.8 percent from 2018, and organic fresh fruit made nearly $2.2 billion, up 7.0 percent.
OTA’s recently released 2020 Organic Industry Survey indicates continued interest in organics from many shoppers.
“Our 2020 survey looks at organic sales in 2019 before the coronavirus outbreak, and it shows that consumers were increasingly seeking out the organic label to feed their families the healthiest food possible,” Laura Batcha, CEO and executive director of OTA, said in the release. “The pandemic has only increased our desire for clean, healthy food. Our normal lives have been brought to a screeching halt by the coronavirus. The commitment to the organic label has always resided at the intersection of health and safety, and we expect that commitment to strengthen as we all get through these unsettled times.”
The outlook for organic in the immediate wake of the pandemic is uncertain, according to OTA. Organic sales growth could slow because many consumers may be more price-sensitive, or growth could remain steady as consumers look for “cleaner” products in an effort to protect their health.
“It’s hard to know what’s ahead of us, but consumers will continue to trust in and depend on the organic label,” Batcha said in the release. “Organic producers and processors — indeed the entire organic supply chain — have been working around the clock through this difficult time to keep our stores filled with healthy, toxic-free and sustainably produced organic food and products. Organic is going to be there for the consumer.”
New York growers have been conservative planning for the 2020 summer shipping season in most part due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Turek Farms of King Ferry, N.Y. converted some of its vegetable acres into grain crops this year, because of all the uncertainty.
Sweet corn is Turek’s biggest crop, but also grows and ships cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, summer and winter squash, pumpkins and cauliflower.
Cabbage and summer squash loadings started in mid-July. Sweet corn shipments got underway the first few days in August, which is about 10-14 days later than usual.
Winter squash, broccoli and pumpkins are on schedule, with all pumpkins planted by the end of June.
A look westward at Torrey Farms in Elba, N.Y., reveals zucchini and yellow squash started about July 6 and cabbage and green beans July 12. Cucumbers and early transplant onions were ready about July 23.
Williams Farms of Marion, N.Y., has about 1,000 acres, and grows potatoes, onions and cabbage for the fresh market, field corn, and apples, carrots and beets for processing.
New York growers produced 14.7 percent of all the U.S. cabbage, 11.4 percent of the nation’s apples, 11.3 percent of the nation’s snap beans and 10.6 percent of the nation’s squash, according to the USDA’s annual statistical bulletin for 2017-18.
The state ranked second in highest production of cabbage, apples and snap beans.
A year later, New York growers produced 20.7 percent of all the U.S. cabbage, 13.6 percent of the nation’s apples, 12 percent of the nation’s snap beans and 10.9 percent of the nation’s squash, according to the USDA bulletin for 2018-19.
U.S. citrus imports from South America continue to account for significant volume this time of the year.
Chile has become a key supply source for lemons over the summer months, shipping 55,000 tons to the U.S. market in 2019. The Chilean Citrus Committee projects similar volumes for 2020, with 23,148 tons already shipped to the U.S. through mid July. Steady, promotable volumes will be available through September, with shipments winding down in late September.
Last summer Chile saw record exports, shipping 55,000MT to the U.S.. The Citrus Committee expects similar volumes in 2020 as the season pushes forward.
There has been particularly strong movement from the beginning of April through the first week of July. Those increases totaled from anywhere between 19 to 49 percent higher than last year.
Duda Farm Fresh Foods of Oviedo, FL launched its 18th consecutive import citrus program. Now through October, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will import citrus to the U.S. from the southern hemisphere in good volume.
Duda Farm Fresh Food’s line of imported citrus, sold under the Dandy® label, includes clementines, lemons, navels, and Cara Cara oranges.
“At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we are constantly improving our available citrus varieties to provide quality fruit from our growers in Chile, Peru and Uruguay,” said Mark Bassetti, senior vice president of Duda Farm Fresh Foods.
About Dandy® Celery
For nearly 100 years, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has been a leading grower, shipper, processor and marketer of fresh vegetables and citrus. Known for their superior celery, over the years the company has expanded their facilities to accommodate recent developments such as celery juicing and other health and wellness trends in order to provide consumers with the freshest celery possible. With primary locations in Florida, California, Arizona, Georgia and Michigan, Duda Farm Fresh Foods carries a commitment to innovation and sustainability and believes in growing a healthy future for generations to come. The company is a wholly owned subsidiary of A. Duda & Sons, Inc., a family-owned, diversified land company headquartered in Oviedo, Fla.
Chiquita Brands is stopping shipments of bananas from Honduras in favor of neighboring Guatemala.
The company has announced it will stop using Puerto Cortés, instead trucking the fruit across the border to Puerto Barrios, according to Honduran news site Tiempo. The decision was reportedly made before the Covid-19 pandemic, and Chiquita had already begun shipping Honduran bananas from the Guatemalan port. The move reportedly relates to the Guatemalan Government’s move allowing Chiquita to operate its own dock in the port for banana exports, which is more economical for the company.
Since July, Chiquita has only maintained administrative offices in Honduras in La Lima and San Pedro Sula.
A new crop of russets is now being shipped by Eagle Eye Produce of Idaho Falls, ID. These will be followed shortly by the harvesting of red and yellow potatoes.
Eagle Eye is introducing new pack styles with the new season, according to a news release, including Harvest Select half-and-half bags for russet, red and yellow potatoes. The company has a range of retail and foodservice packs under several brand names, with the option of private-label packs.
“Growing conditions for this upcoming crop have been excellent,” Coleman Oswald, director of sales, said in the release. “We are enthusiastic about what we are seeing in the fields at this point, and we are eager to get this new season underway.”
Eagle Eye Produce owns and operates warehouses and packing facilities in Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and California, according to the release.
