Total apples remaining to be shipped from U.S. storages has remained consistently high so far this year, holding steady at 15 percent up from a year ago-on-year.,
As of April 1st in the U.S., there were 81.7 million bushels of apples in storage, up from 71.3 million last year. This year’s figure is also 8 percent above the five-year average.
Fresh apples in storage specifically were registered at 58.7 million, which is also 15 percent up last year. But it is only fractionally higher than the 2017 figure for April of 57.7 million.
Apples for processing in storage came in at 23 million bushels, up 12 percent from a year ago, and slightly below the 23.5 million registered at the same point in the 2017 season.
Breaking down fresh apples in storage remaining to shipped by varieties as of April 1:
Fuji is at 7.7m bushels (6.2m in 2019, 7.2m in 2018) Gala is at 12.3m bushels (9.8m in 2019, 10.7m in 2018) Golden Delicious is at 4.3m bushels (2.3m in 2019, 3.8m in 2018) Granny Smith is at 8m bushels (6m in 2019, 10.1m in 2018) Honeycrisp is at 4.5m bushels (3.8m in 2019, 3.3m in 2018) Pink Lady/Cripps Pink is at 2.9m bushels (2.9m in 2019, 3.3m in 2018) Red Delicious is at 13.6m bushels (15m in 2019, 15.6m in 2018)
At the end of a long day, it’s tempting to order a large pizza or grab a drive-through cheeseburger for dinner. But, if offered cash, you might be persuaded to eat fruits and vegetables instead (or at least add them as a side dish).
That’s what researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder found to be true when they studied the effects of stress and incentives on fruit and vegetable consumption. The results of their study, titled “Stress and number of servings of fruit and vegetables consumed: Buffering effects of monetary incentives,” were published in October in the Journal of Health Psychology.
These results are an important contribution to the growing body of literature about the psychology of incentives and other public health topics. More broadly, the findings support the implementation of health programs that incorporate incentives—for example, companies that offer lower health insurance premiums for employees who exercise or visit the doctor for preventative care.
“What we know is that people tend to eat less healthy when they are stressed,” said Angela Bryan, professor of psychology and neuroscience and one of the study’s co-authors. “We wondered if we associated a more positive thing with healthy behaviors, is there any way we might be able to offset that stress effect? So, if you see a carrot less as something like, ‘Ugh, gosh, I have to eat a carrot’ and more, ‘I get paid to eat a carrot,’ does that mitigate the effects of stress on healthy eating?”
To get an answer to those questions, Bryan and graduate students Casey Gardiner and Sarah Hagerty asked a group of 128 participants to record their stress levels and the number of fruit and vegetable servings they ate each day for three weeks. Some study participants got paid $1 for each serving of fruits and vegetables they ate, up to $5 per day, while other participants received no incentive.
The experiment confirmed that people ate fewer servings of fruits and vegetables on days when they reported feeling stressed. But, notably, participants who received cash incentives maintained their daily fruit and vegetable consumption, even when stressed.
The incentives, in essence, shielded the participants from the negative effect stress would typically have on their diets. Even the researchers were surprised at the clear link between cash, food choices and stress.
“Obviously, we had the hypothesis that incentives might buffer the effects of stress and diet, but I didn’t think it would be this clear,” said Bryan. “I thought there might be a glimmer of something going on, so when we actually saw the effects and the size of the effects, I was pretty stunned.”
The researchers noted in their paper that future studies might improve upon their design by using a more objective measurement method, rather than having participants self-report. Future research might also track participants over a longer period of time to measure whether—and for how long—they kept up the healthy behaviors.
On a more personal level, the findings suggest that we should find ways to reward ourselves for making healthy choices—watching TV as a reward for eating fruits and vegetables, for example.
A small increase in California cherry shipment is expected this season over last year, assuming heavy rains or other adverse weather conditions such as the heavy rainfall that devastated much of the crop last May.
Flavor Tree Fruit Co., which is the marketing arm of Warmerdam Packing LLC of Hanford, CA reports California cherry loadings will arrive five or six days earlier this year.
Flavor Tree ships about 700,000 boxes of cherries, amounting to about 10 percent of the California volume.
Flavor Tree is just starting to pick cherries, which is a typical start time, but five or six days earlier than last year.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, WA has Chinchiolo Stemilt in Stockton, CA and notes the California cherry crop looks promising.
Stemilt’s 2020 Californiacherry shipments should start the last week of April or in early May. Stemilt expects to have a 40- to 50-day season in California.
Primavera Marketing Inc. of Linden, CA plans to start its 2020 cherry season the week of April 27. The company accounts for about 20 percent of the total volume for California cherries and will wrap up its season sometime between early and mid June.
Last year’s industrywide California cherry volume was headed for the biggest crop in history, but record rains in May “demolished the crop.
At one point, there were 10 million to 12 million 18-pound box equivalents of cherries on the trees, but only about 5.7 million were packed.
California’s record cherry crop came in 2017, when growers picked 9.6 million boxes.
Some observers see a possible crop this season of 6 million to 7 million boxes — an increase of 10 to 15 percent, slightly above the 6.5 million box 10-year average.
Florida ships a nation-leading one-third of the country’s fresh market tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, over 20 percent of the fresh market sweet corn and snaps beans, as well as more than 12 percent of the squash, and over 10 percent of the fresh market cabbage, according to USDA.
Springtime mean the heaviest volume for Florida with loadings of bell pepper, squash, cucumbers, chili peppers, watermelons, cantaloupes, cabbage, broccoli, greens, new crop fresh potatoes and a number of other items.
L & M Companies of Raleigh, N.C. has a strong presence in Palatka, FL, and the ships broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, greens, squash, onions, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes.
Florida is also a primary supplier of Spring vegetables to the major centers of the Eastern Seaboard and Midwest and sometimes as far west as Texas and the Rockies.
Mack Farms of Lake Wales, FL ships the first new crop of potatoes available in early in February and points out other potato produce regions as still shipping storage spuds from last fall.
Mack Farms was among the pioneer growers of seedless watermelons more than 50 years ago, before turning his small acreage in Alabama into the 3,500-acre Lake Wales flagship fields for the growing operation.
The company currently concentrates on early-season potatoes and watermelons grown in four states.
“We grow yellow, red, white and fingerling potatoes,” says Leger. “The potato program has stayed the same since I came here in 2012, and the company has been here since 1967.”
Mack’s Florida vegetable shipments starting in March includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, radishes, greens, beans, spinach, squash, corn and tomatoes.
All of those except broccoli are available in April, when carrots are added to the mix.
During the Spring months, Duda Farms Fresh Foods of Belle Glade, FL is shipping corn, celery, organic celery, cello radishes, value-added radishes, Romaine, Romaine hearts, cello lettuce, green leaf, red leaf, endive, and escarole. All product is grown, packed and shipped out of the Belle Glade Farm.
FOLSOM, Calif. — According to a new epidemiological study, women in their late 50s and early 60s who consumed at least two servings of walnuts per week had a greater likelihood of healthy aging compared to those who did not eat walnuts. After accounting for various factors that could impact health in older adults, such as education and physical activity, walnuts were the only nut associated with significantly better odds of healthy aging.
In this study, which was supported by the California Walnut Commission, “healthy aging” was defined as longevity with sound mental health and no major chronic diseases, cognitive issues or physical impairments following the age of 65. Researchers found a significant association between total nut consumption (including walnuts, peanuts and other nuts) and healthy aging, but the link was particularly robust for walnuts.
By 2034, for the first time ever, older adults will outnumber children. Baby boomers (those 65 and older) are expected to make up 21 percent of the population, with more than half being women. The significance of this demographic turning point in our country’s history is clear – research that examines the aging process, including simple, low-cost interventions like healthy food choices, will be especially crucial to healthier lifespans.
Previous research from primary investigator Dr. Francine Grodstein, formerly of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, has found that eating walnuts may have a positive impact on reducing the risk for physical impairments in older adults as well as cognitive decline. Additionally, others in the same research group have found decreases in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes – all conditions that become more common as we age. There is no one solution to slowing down the effects of aging, but adopting the right habits, like snacking on a handful of walnuts, can help.
In this study, Grodstein looked at data from 33,931 women in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) to evaluate the association between nut consumption and overall health and well-being in aging. Between 1998-2002, female nurses in the NHS were asked about their diet (including total nut consumption); evaluated for chronic diseases (such as cancer, heart attack, heart failure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and Parkinson’s disease); and assessed for memory concerns, mental health and physical limitations (including daily activities like walking one block, climbing a flight of stairs, bathing, dressing oneself and pushing a vacuum cleaner). Of the study participants, 16% were found to be “healthy agers,” defined as having no major chronic diseases, reported memory impairment or physical disabilities as well as having intact mental health.
Although previous research has connected a healthy diet, including walnuts, to better physical function among older men and women, this study only included women. More research is needed to understand if these results hold true among men. Additionally, participants were not assigned to eat walnuts or other foods; they were simply asked about their dietary choices. It is possible that subjects misreported their dietary intake since this information was collected by questionnaires. As an observational study, this does not prove cause and effect. However, this research sheds light on simple habits that can influence health during later years in life – such as eating walnuts.
The California Walnut Commission (CWC) supported this research. The CWC has supported health-related research on walnuts for more than 30 years with the intent to provide knowledge and understanding of the unique health benefits associated with consuming walnuts. While the CWC does provide funds and/or walnuts for various projects, all studies are conducted independently by researchers who design the experiments, interpret the results and present evidence-based conclusions. The CWC is committed to scientific integrity of industry-funded research.
The California walnut industry is made up of over 4,800 growers and more than 90 handlers (processors). The growers and handlers are represented by two entities, the California Walnut Board (CWB) and the California Walnut Commission (CWC).
California Walnut Commission The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The CWC represents over 4,800 growers and approximately 90 handlers (processors) of California walnuts in export market development activities and conducts health research. The CWC is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA).
Fresh citrus shipments as well as orange juice loadings have taken off in recent weeks as shoppers nationwide stock up on vitamin-C packed food and drink items.
California Citrus Mutual of Exeter, CA reports strong supplies of oranges and mandarins as demand increases. The organization notes California fresh citrus volume is capable of meeting consumer demand. Additionally, the Florida orange juice industry has ramped up production.
The U.S. citrus industry has experienced higher demand in the recent weeks for fresh oranges and mandarins due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
While demand has started to slow from its peak, shipments are still up. Shipments to the foodservice industry has taken a massive hit, with lemons currently affected the most. However, overall volume for fresh citrus has improved because of consumer demand for nutritious products high in Vitamin C.
This increase comes at a challenging time for the U.S. citrus industry as it faces with citrus greening disease – which had a negative impact on California and Florida crop in past seasons, though the industry saw a slight comeback this year.
Orange juice leaps in sales Although markets are experiencing extreme downturns on average, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shows that frozen orange juice concentrates are performing better than ever before. Soaring 25% in the past month, the market for orange juice is up in a big way.
According to Nielsen data on retail sales of orange juice, provided by the Florida Department of Citrus, frozen orange juice sales have jumped 27 percent.
The risk of having Alzheimer’s dementia in older adults may be reduced by eating more strawberries, according to researchers at Rush University, Chicago.
A team led by Puja Agarwal analyzed data collected from 295 people — ages 58 to 98 and dementia-free at the start of the study — using food questionnaires and neurological evaluations as part of the Rush Memory and Aging Project between 2004 and 2018, according to a news release.
The association between frequent strawberry consumption and decreased Alzheimer’s dementia emerged and information on the link was published in the December 2019 issue of Nutrients.
Researchers said there is a potential link between disease symptoms and more oxidative stress and inflammation. Strawberries appear to have anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, possibly due to high content of flavonoids and vitamin C. Also, animal studies have shown strawberries improve neuronal function, cognition and some motor outcomes, according to the release.
Strawberry intake ranged from zero to two servings a week in the Rush study. Researcher found for every single serving increase in strawberry consumption, there was a 24 percent reduced risk of Alzheimer’s dementia.
Overall, participants eating one or more servings of strawberries per week had a 34 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s dementia when compared to those consuming none or less than once per month.
California strawberry shipments in the Salinas-Watsonville area kicked off at the end of March, in time to meet increased demand for berries spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Volumes of California strawberries will be plentiful this season, according to a news release from California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville.
Nick Chappell, director of retail sales for the berry company, said in the release that Oxnard harvest will peak by mid-April and Santa Maria strawberry volumes are “continuing to increase with volumes unlike we have seen in years.”
“Not only are we about to have momentous supply for our partners during a time of increased retail demand, but all regions are producing exceptional quality to kick-start the spring season.” Sales data from IRI show that berry category sales for the week ending March 15 saw an increase of almost 32 percent from the same period in 2019.
California Giant started an e-mail marketing campaign in late March targeting its most engaged consumers — a.k.a the “Berry Squad” — in the company’s database.
“With the uncertainties and difficulties families are currently facing, we wanted to offer an incentive and support to shoppers that are looking to stock up on fresh, nutritious berries on their grocery runs,” Chappell said in the release.
Digital connectivity and communities are becoming more important as consumers limit contact with others because of the virus. Marketing Manager Morgan Maitoza said a recent customer response statement to consumers and trade customers received a high “open rate” of 43%.
“While routines and realities look very different for families across the nation at this time, our goal is to continue to connect with our shoppers, provide helpful, relatable and comforting content and attainable recipes with ingredients and pantry staples shoppers may already have in their own homes, while adding in the sweetness, diversity and nutritional benefits of berries,” Maitoza said in the release.
In April, California Giant will have a new promotion focusing on heavy volume periods with a “Back to the Basics” theme, as consumers spend more time at home and find comfort in food, according to the release.
Ventura County strawberries and vegetables – grossing $8000 to New York City.
Vidalia sweet onion shipments should be good as the season gets officially underway April 16.
The official pack date is determined each year by The Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Vidalia Onion Committee.
Vidalia onions represent about 40 percent of the U.S. sweet onion market and are shipped to every state.
The determined pack date is when growers, packers and shippers are allowed to start selling and moving their Vidalia onions, according to a news release.
“As the keeper of the official trademark for our state vegetable, we are proud of the reputation Vidalia onions have earned around the world by both renowned chefs and home cooks,” state agriculture commissioner Gary W. Black said in the release.
The mild, juicy onion is hand-cultivated by 60 registered growers in 20 southeastern Georgia counties. It’s available for a short period of time each year, mainly spring and summer.
The pack date is determined by soil and weather conditions during the growing season. The committee voted unanimously for the April 16 date, according to the release.
“We are going to have a strong harvest this year,” Aries Haygood, newly elected committee chairman, said in the release. He said 9,400 acres of Vidalia onions were planted for the season.
The committee will continue its Sweet Life marketing campaign launched in 2019 to reach home cooks across the country who enjoy cooking and entertaining.
The Vidalia trademark is owned by the state of Georgia because of the Vidalia Onion Act of 1986.
To be considered a Vidalia onion, the vegetables must be cultivated in the South Georgia soil from a Granex seed and packed and sold on or after the official pack date each year.
REUS, Spain — A recent INC-funded study, published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, showed that a high intake of nuts may help protect the elderly from cognitive decline.
A team of researchers examined whether a diet high in nuts might help protect against age-related cognitive decline over a three-year period.
A total of 119 participants aged 65 and over with dementia were selected from the InCHIANTI cohort, a representative population-based study of elderly residents of Chianti, Italy. Participants were selected based on their nut intake: non-nut consumers and regular nut consumers (2.9 g/day).
Nut exposure was measured at the beginning of the study with a validated food frequency questionnaire or with an analytical tool for the characterization of phenolic compounds. In addition, cognitive decline was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination test.
Researchers found that, from 119 subjects, 38 participants experienced cognitive decline, 28 from the non-nut consumers group and 10 from the nut consumers group. Nut consumption estimated either by the dietary marker or by the urinary marker model was in both cases associated with lower cognitive decline.
“The use of a panel of metabolites provides accurate and complementary information on nut exposure and reinforces the results obtained using dietary information,” states Prof. Andrés-Lacueva, ICREA Academia at the University of Barcelona, Group leader of CIBERFES on Frailty and Healthy Aging and principal investigator of the study.
The study was supported by the INC.
About the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
The INC is the international umbrella organization for the nut and dried fruit industry. Its members include more than 800 nut and dried fruit sector companies from over 80 countries. INC membership represents over 85 percent of the world’s commercial “farm gate” value of trade in nuts and dried fruit. The INC’s mission is to stimulate and facilitate sustainable growth in the global nut and dried fruit industry. It is the leading international organization on health, nutrition, statistics, food safety, and international standards and regulations regarding nuts and dried fruit.
