A fungus known as pestalotiopsis, causes berries, leaves and roots to rot and turn brown and is bound to reduce total Florida strawberry shipments this season. By how much is not yet known.
A warm, wet winter allowed the fungus to take hold in December. It is spread by water and Florida had a lot of rain December. Warm weather also helps the fungus spread.
Florida ranks second to California in domestic strawberry shipments and plays an important role in strawberry volume during the winter months. Most of Florida’s 10,000 acres of strawberry farms are in Hillsborough County to the east of Tampa and Manatee County to the south.
Hillsborough County’s Plant City is the center of the industry. The town’s annual strawberry festival held in late February drew more than 550,000 peoplelast year.
The current outbreak of the fungus affected about 25 percent of the state’s strawberry fields and about half of the strawberries are grown organically,
One of the growers affected was Wish Farms of Plant City, FL who reported a loss of about 80 acres of organic strawberries. While it was described as a setback the company emphasized it was not a knockout punch and conditions were improving.
Florida strawberries – grossing about $2000 to Chicago.
An image of a strange-looking avocado recently posted on Facebook by a U.S. company has gone viral. It has stunned social media commenters with its peculiar shape and size.
In its Facebook post, the company said: “The avocados are popping off right now!”
“South Florida farmers grow dozens of unique varieties not common in any other part of the mainland USA.”
The image of the fruit, reportedly of the Pura Vida avocado variety, has generated thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
“That looks like a house deposit right there!” said one user, referring to controversial comments made by a millionaire two years ago that young people cannot afford to buy houses because they’re wasting their money on avocado toast.
Meanwhile, Australia Organic referred to the fruit as a “long neck avocado” and “100 percent organic and GMO-free”. Its post alone has received more than 10,000 comments and 8,000 shares.
Fagerberg Produce of Eaton, CO., has agreed to extend its use of IFCO reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for its dry onionss through 2020.
“IFCO (of Tampa, FL) is a great partner,” Ryan Fagerberg, president of Fagerberg Produce, said in a news release. “Their RPCs are a great packaging solution for our onions, they deliver first-class customer service and they share our passion for efficiency and sustainability in the food supply chain.”
Fagerberg, a fifth-generation family farm, has used IFCO RPCs since 2000, according to the release.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company will utilize IFCO RPCs to ship its yellow, red, white, Colorado sweet and organic onions to hundreds of U.S. retail locations, according to the release.
“We are pleased to continue to provide Fagerberg Produce with IFCO RPCs for their dry onions,” Dan Martin, president of IFCO North America, said in the release. “Our two companies are committed to providing consumers across the U.S. with safe, high quality, nutritious and affordable fresh food year-round.”
According to IFCO, the company has 314 million RPCs globally, and those containers are used for over 1.7 billion shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items every year.
For Fagerberg alone, the release said that in 2018, the company’s use of IFCO RPCs reduced C02 emissions by 170,000 kilograms and eliminated 205,000 pounds of solid waste, in addition to preventing product damage, reducing water consumption and giving other benefits.
California navel orange shipments may be down nearly 20 percent this season, although growers and shipper are not complaining considering the over production and poor markets of last season.
There was a huge navel orange crop with shipments hitting 80 million 40-pound cartons, and this doesn’t even count fruit that fell to the ground and product so small it didn’t make grade.
California Citrus Mutual of Exeter, CA is pleased the navel orange forecast for the 2019-20 season is down to 73 million cartons. As of mid January about 20 percent of California’s navels had been harvested, very similar to a year ago.
California grower-shippers are expecting ample supplies, large sizes and good-quality fruit.
Johnston Farms of Edison, CA believes there will be good supplies, better sizing and quality on navels over last year. The company has just wrapped up its satsuma mandarin season and is transitioning to murcotts. Good quality is reported.
Shipper, packer Cecelia Packing Corp. of Orange, CA expects navel volume to slow down a little in late March or early April since there will not be a lot of late varieties this year.
SunWest Fruit Co. Inc. of Parlier, CA is experiencing increased volume with its cara cara navel oranges. The grower, shipper points out its increased volume with cara cara navels has not come at the expense of its navel orange loadings.
Southern California oranges – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
The NFL playoffs are only days away, but one thing’s for certain — Avocados From Mexico are returning to the Super Bowl.
The organization plans to air a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl LIV, which takes place Feb. 2 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla. The ad will be supported by a digital, earned media, retail and foodservice promotional campaign emphasizing Avocados From Mexico are “always worth it,” according to a news release.
The Big Game features the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We have really found our sweet spot with Big Game viewers, and we look forward to delighting avocadoo fans nationwide with what will be a really fun spot,” Kevin Hamilton, head of brand marketing, PR & strategy at Avocados From Mexico, said in the release.
“Our fully integrated campaign builds on what we’ve done before, engaging existing avocado lovers, while highlighting for new consumers that Avocados From Mexico are Always Worth It,” he said in the release.
This will be the sixth year in a row that the group has run an ad during the Super Bowl, but this year, fans at the game can also find guacamole and tacos at AFM’s Tacos Por fAVOr concession stand, which opened in September at the stadium, according to the release.
The group’s ads have earned more than 27 billion impressions over the past five years, according to the release.
“Avocados From Mexico sources more than 80 percent of Americans’ avocado obsession — this is a story worth showcasing to 112 million viewers and an opportunity we couldn’t pass up this year,” Alvaro Luque, president of Avocados From Mexico, said in the release.
“We look forward to being part of a big day in the marketing world and the country at large while reminding consumers that Avocados From Mexico are healthy, delicious and always in season,” he said in the release.
Avondale, PA — Mushroom growers are entering 2020 with record shipments volumes, increasing retail prices and solid demand for fresh mushrooms, according to the American Mushroom Institute.
The September shipment report from the Mushroom Council™ shows domestic mushroom production set a new all-time high. This was the fourth consecutive new monthly high and reflects steady sales growth throughout the summer months. Both June and August volume exceeded 80 million pounds for the first time ever, indicating that mushroom sales are strong year-round. Combined shipments (domestic plus imports) also hit new record highs.
Mark Lang, MBA, Ph.D., University of Tampa, analyzed the recent data trends for the Council. “As mushrooms become a staple item for many Americans and more people start consuming them, demand has risen steadily for the past decade,” said Lang.
About American Mushroom Institute
The American Mushroom Institute (AMI), headquartered in Avondale, Pennsylvania, is a national voluntary trade association representing the growers, processors and marketers of cultivated mushrooms in the US and industry suppliers worldwide. Members of AMI produce 90 percent of all cultivated mushrooms nationwide, which include Agaricus, Crimini, Portabella and specialty mushrooms. For more information, visit www.americanmushroom.org.
Improvements are coming to the Port of Wilmington, DE, which is a key facility for U.S. fruit imports.
In an agreement with the Diamond State Port Corp. last September, GT USA Wilmington was granted exclusive rights to operate and develop the Port of Wilmington for 50 years.
The beginning of that era has already seen improvements to the port and more are coming.
GT USA’s concession includes the full management and development of the port’s existing container volumes of 350,000 TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) per year, which is forecast to more than double in the years to come as a consequence of this deal, according to a news release.
The Port of Wilmington, which began operations in 1923, is the top North American port for imports of fresh fruit into the U.S.
Over the next nine years, Gulftainer plans to invest $580 million in the port, including approximately $410 million for a new 1.2 million TEU container facility at DuPont’s former Edgemoor site, which was acquired by the Diamond State Port Corp. in 2016.
Earlier this year, GT USA Wilmington took delivery of three 45-ton reach stackers from KoneCranes Inc.
The delivery is part of a larger order, which includes nine 41-ton Rubber Tired Gantry (RTG) cranes, and is part of the $500 million-plus investment into the Port of Wilmington and a new container terminal development at Edgemoor.
Improvements coming
Dave Harriss, vice president of commercial operations GT USA Wilmington, the U.S. arm of ports and logistics company Gulftainer, said there is $170 million earmarked for the Port of Wilmington terminal.
“We’ve probably spent about $49 million so far on new equipment and a lot of infrastructure changes,” he said.
The port has reinforced its piers, changed the traffic flows and created a terminal operating system that tracks cargo flows for both containers and breakbulk, he said.
“I suspect we will have close to $140 million spent by the end of 2020 because we’re adding an additional two warehouses and taking our refrigerated square feet up over a million square feet and our dry capacity up to 300,000 square feet,” he said.
The Port of Wilmington is located on just more than 300 acres, he said, and GT USA Wilmington is changing the operating structure and will allow the company to squeeze more capacity out of those 300 acres.
For example, a master gate system will replace individual fences around tenant facilities, allowing greater consolidation of operating areas. Dole and Chiquita are legacy customers for the port and both have renewed long-term commitments.
GT USA Wilmington is taking the port’s container footprint from 300,000 TEUs up to 600,000 TEUs by going to a stacked configuration instead of a grounded configuration, he said.
In the past year, the port has experienced an increase from 350,000 TEUs to 408,000 TEUs, he said.
Breakbulk is still a vital part of the port’s fruit business, though container volume is bigger business. About two breakbulk ships come to the port each week, Harriss said.
Looking ahead, he said GT USA Wilmington will continue to invest in the legacy port facilities at the Port of Wilmington, with coming changes more pronounced and visual. Improvements accomplished so far include reinforcing the piers, laying in fiber optics and installing new wi-fi systems.
“Now the big visual changes are going to take place after the winter season,” he said.
“You’re going to see the gantry cranes coming in and the look and feel of the place is going to change,” he said, noting the new gate complex and a new refrigerated warehouse.
Groundbreaking also will occur at the Edgemoor site. That terminal facility will be strictly oriented to handling containers and is expected to handle about 1.2 million TEUs.
“We think it will be open for business in 2023,” he said.
The Port of Wilmington will remain a mixed use facility while Edgemoor will be geared to handle big container ship operators, and will have a 240,000-square-foot-high cube refrigerator space.
Fruit trends
Considering trends in fruit imports, Harriss thinks that the South American trade will continue to edge up its share of containerized business versus breakbulk, but that there will always be a need for breakbulk shipments.
In terms of suppliers, he pointed to rising volumes from Peru.
“I think that Peru is going to come out swinging this year and volumes from Peru are going to be robust,” he said.
Eagle, Idaho — After traveling 35,350 miles for eight months promoting America’s favorite vegetable, the Big Idaho® Potato Truck has officially completed its eighth season on the road. During its cross-country trek, the 4-ton spud participated in 54 scheduled events in 50 different cities and donated $12,500 to 25 local non-profits through its charitable program, A Big Helping.
“The Big Idaho® Potato Truck was only supposed to be on the road for one year to celebrate the Idaho Potato Commission’s 75th anniversary. Here we are eight years later and folks are scheduling the Truck two years out,” said Frank Muir, President & CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “By definition we have reached pop culture status — a product or brand that has mass accessibility and appeal. Last fall the popular television show American Idol invited us to participate in their auditions in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. It doesn’t get much bigger than that!”
While it’s impossible to count all the people who experienced the Truck either at events or traveling on America’s highways and byways, the estimated reach was close to 2 million and is measured by social media engagement, event attendees and media impressions.
This year the Big Idaho® Potato Truck attended three events with more than 300K attendees:
Pegasus Week and Kentucky Derby (Louisville, KY)
NASCAR Bristol and Family Nights (Bristol, TN)
National Memorial Day Parade (Washington, D.C.)
Nine events with more than 100K attendees:
Mazda IndyCar (St. Petersburg, FL)
Mazda IndyCar (Indianapolis, IN)
Atlanta St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Atlanta, GA)
First Ever 16th Annual World’s Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade (Hot Springs, AR)
McDonald’s Houston Children’s Event (Houston, TX)
NASCAR Poconos (Poconos, PA)
Thunder Over Louisville (Louisville, KY)
America’s Birthday Parade and Celebration (St. Louis, MO)
Dublin Irish Festival (Dublin, OH)
And several other highlight events including:
Ryan Seacrest Studios (Nashville, TN)
Bear World (Rexburg, ID)
West Virginia Strawberry Festival (Buckhannon, WV)
Winona Steamboat Days (Winona, MN)
100th Anniversary Reno Rodeo (Reno, NV)
In total, the 2019 Big Idaho® Potato Truck tour generated more than 200 million media impressions, and continues to reign as the IPC’s most successful marketing campaign, ever. Everywhere it goes, it promotes the nutritional value of Idaho’s famous potatoes and reminds folks to look for the “Grown in Idaho®” seal to be sure they are purchasing genuine Idaho® potatoes.
After eight years on the road, the Truck continues to have a lasting impact on the communities it visits. In total, it has delivered some impressive numbers:
The average tour length is 6 months
The Truck has traveled approximately 248,000 miles
Attended events in 701 cities/towns
Participated in 49 events with over 300,000 people in attendance
Participated in 85 events with over 100,000 people in attendance
“A Big Helping” has donated $79,500 to 150 charities across the country
Millions have taken pictures of the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on their mobile devices
The team receives appearance requests from fans, festivals and events all over the country on a daily basis
Total media coverage to date is in the billions!
The 2020 Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour schedule will be released in early February 2020 at www.bigidahopotato.com.
About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency that is responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered trademark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiate Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit www.idahopotato.com.
Retail food price increases are expected to remain low at supermarkets and food stores for 2020, according to the latest USDA’s Economic Research Service Food Price report. Inflation is expected to be in a range from 0.5 to 1.5 percent.
That, the agency said, would make 2019 the fourth straight year of deflating or lower-than-average food inflation at retail. Over the past 20 years, retail food inflation has averaged about 2 percent per year.
Commodities with lower prices this year, range from poultry, to eggs, fats and oils, and fresh fruits. On the other hand, fresh vegetables in 2019 are projected to increase at inflation rates greater than the 20-historical average.
For the year 2021, USDA economists predict low retail food inflation will continue.
“In 2020, food-at-home prices are expected to increase in a range between 0.5 percent and 1.5 percent, as potentially the fifth year in a row with deflating or lower-than-average inflating retail food prices,” the agency said.
Retail fresh fruit inflation is forecast at -1.5 to -0.5 percent in 2019 and 1 to 2 percent in 2020. Retail fresh vegetable prices are pegged to jump 3 to 4 percent in 2019, but change just zero to 1 percent in 2020.
Restaurant food prices have increased at a faster rate than supermarket food in recent years; the USDA projects food-away-from-home inflation at 2 to 3 percent for both 2019 and 2020.
As of the New Year there were 14 percent more apples in the U.S. remaining to be shipped than last season.
The U.S. Apple Association of Falls Church, VA reports U.S. fresh market apples remaining in storages as of January 1st totaled 103.97 million (42-pound) bushels.
The U.S. Apple report notes the total number of apples in storage (fresh and for processing) on January 1 was 144.1 million bushels, 15 percent greater than a year ago and 3 percent above the 5-year average for that date.
Fresh apple variety holdings with percentage change from a year ago were:
Cosmic Crisp: 175,238 bushels (first year);
Red delicious: 22.35 million bushels, down 9 percent
Gala: 22.2 million bushels, up 22 percent;
Fuji: 12.7 million bushels, up 7 percent;
Granny smith: 12.6 million bushels, up 35 percent;
Honeycrisp: 10.32 million bushels, up 31 percent;
Golden delicious: 6.7 million bushels, up 60 percent;
Cripps pink/Pink Lady: 5.32 million bushels, up 14 percent.
