Good volume berry shipments are expected from U.S. shippers the rest of the summer and a huge volume increase is in the forecast for imported Peruvian blueberries.
In early July, California strawberry shippers had moved over 105 million trays, compared to 121.4 million trays at the same time a year ago. Rain during the winter and spring followed by a heatwave the second week of June had California strawberry loadings running below last year’s numbers.
Besides strawberries there are other competing fruit shipments ranging from cherries, to stone fruit and melons.
Blueberry Shipments
Gourmet Tranding Co. of Los Angeles reports domestic blueberry shipments should remain strong for at least the next couple of months, continuing through September. However, domestic “blues” are expected to have some strong competition from Peruvian blueberry imports, which is seen increasing as much as 50 percent over a year ago. Those imports begin in August and continue through January and possibly into February.
The vast majority of domestic blueberry shipments during the summer are originating out of Michigan, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. All of these areas are reporting good crops.
Other Berry Shipments
Summertime means peak shipments for domestic raspberries and blackberries. A hot spell in California during June did not have as severe an impact on raspberries as it did on strawberries.
California raspberry shipments should continue into mid-November out of Watsonville. Razz loadings will then transition to Ventura County, before switching to Mexico for the winter.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville will be shipping California raspberries until late September or early October before shifting to Mexico.
New York state produce shipments rank in the top 10 states and while summer loadings have been going on, the heaviest movement still lies ahead.
The USDA reports New York biggest fresh commodities by volume reveal apples, cabbage, cucumbers and fresh snap beans increased last year, while onions, sweet corn and potatoes dropped compared to the 2017 report:
New York shipped 823 truck load equivalents of apples and exported 150 truck loads in 2018, up from 7,35 truck loads and 140 truck loads respectively, in 2017.
Dry onions were at 440 truck loads in 2018, down from 404 truck loads in 2017.
Cabbage was at 437 truck loads in 2018, up from 405 truck loads in 2017.
Sweet corn shipments reached 108 truck loads in 2018, down from 118 truck loads in 2017.
Cucumbers were at 713 truck loads in 2018, up from 660 truck loads in 2017.
Potato shipments 673 truck loads in 2018, down from 825 truck loads in 2017.
Fresh snap bean shipments were at 50 truck loads in 2018, up from 37 truck loads in 2017.
Minkus Family Farms in New Hampton will start shipping yellow and red onions from it 1,500 acres of onions and cover crops in Orange County in August. The company expects to ship about 200 truck loads of onions this season.
New York’s sweet corn loadings may be down a little this year due to adverse weather during the planting season. The sweet corn season typically runs from July 20 to Oct. 10, but this year, the harvest is expected to be 2 to 3 weeks late.
Cabbage planting started about 2½ to 3 weeks late as well, and pumpkins and other squash got in the ground, but their growth is stunted due to cool weather, so they may not be ready until October.
Bayonne, NJ – The consumers have spoken. Watermelon, one of today’s fastest-trending fruits, has enjoyed triple-digit growth in casual and fine dining. Demand for the refreshing summer staple is on the rise even in the fall and winter months. It’s a must for any mixologist and you’ll find it on one in 10 restaurant menus.
Most of all, people just love watermelon – and they know it’s good for them.
KAYCO (www.kayco.com) is taking the beverage industry by storm with Wonder Melon™, the latest thirst-quencher for those seeking clean, uniquely flavorful new refreshment options. Wonder Melon™ is made from 100% organic cold-pressed juice with no added sugar, artificial ingredients, or artificial colorings.
This healthy game-changer comes in two exciting varieties. Watermelon Cucumber Basil is a delightfully cool concoction of real watermelon juice, lemon juice, apple juice, cucumber juice, and basil, with only 80 calories per 8.45 oz. bottle. Watermelon Lemon Cayenne wakes up the taste buds with real watermelon juice, lemon juice, apple juice, and a dash of cayenne at just 100 calories per 8.45 oz. bottle.
“Wonder Melon™ perfectly captures what consumers are looking for right now,” says Kim Cassar, Kayco’s EVP Sales & Marketing – Beyond Division. “It’s not only healthful and out of the ordinary, but also undeniably trendy and irresistibly delicious. We’re confident that Wonder Melon™ will make a huge splash this summer.”
Both varieties are non-GMO verified, certified Fair Trade, USDA organic, and certified OU kosher (parve). Packaged 6 bottles per case ($3.99/bottle MSRP), Wonder Melon™ is available in the refrigerator section at Shop-Rite, Fairway, Best Market, independent grocers and Amazon.
Promotional Blitz
Kayco is supporting the Wonder Melon™ brand in New York City with an aggressive outreach campaign at the height of cold beverage season. Look for the following promotions:
· Segments on Time Warner Cable’s A Taste of New York, targeting affluent, influential, and educated New Yorkers. This spot will also be featured on A Taste of New York’s web site, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Pinterest site and Instagram.Sneak Peak – https://vimeo.com/tasteofny/download/340913533/0963707776
· Eye-catching Wonder Melon™ Vans will cruise the steamy summer streets with refreshing samples for thirsty Manhattanites starting July 12 and running all summer. Check Wonder Melon’s™ social media for dates and locations.
· Giant Wonder Melon™ trucks will roll out the product – literally – to provide additional exposure.
· In-store support including tastings and point-of-purchase materials.
Watermelon Stats
According to Menu Trends research by the Watermelon Board:
· All regions across the U.S. are experiencing increased use of watermelon.
· Watermelon is featured in one of 10 menus – up by 27 percent in the last four years.
· Watermelon is one of the fastest fruit flavors in non-alcoholic beverages, with 29 percent four-year growth.
· 82 percent of consumers surveys said they liked the taste of watermelon.
Wonderful Watermelon Facts
Watermelon’s 92 percent water content is excellent for hydration. It contains a bounty of nutrients, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals associated with the following:
· Digestive health
· Eye, skin, and hair health
· Sun protection
· Diabetes protection
· Heart and blood vessel health
· Weight loss
· Combating asthma
· Weight loss
· Nerve function
· Reduction of inflammation
Wonder Melon™ Recipes:
Cucumber Cooler
2 oz cucumber mint vodka
1/2 oz lemon juice
.25 oz simple syrup
2 oz Wonder Melon™ with Juice, Watermelon, Cucumber and Basil
Splash cucumber juice
Pineapple Punch
2 oz pineapple infused vodka
1.5 oz Wonder Melon™ with Juice, Watermelon, lemon, and cayenne
Splash simple syrup
.5 oz pineapple juice
.5 oz peach schnapps
Summer Refresher
2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. Watermelon juice
1/4 oz. Simple syrup
1 oz. Lemon juice
1 oz. Wonder Melon™ with Juice, Watermelon, Cucumber and Basil
Sugar rim
Wonder Melon Rita
2 oz. Tequila
1 1/2 Wonder Melon™ with Juice, Watermelon, lemon, and cayenne
Kayco is one of the largest manufacturers and suppliers of kosher foods. Its expanded Kayco Beyond Division sources and distributes new products to the general market beyond kosher, to meet the demands of consumers looking for optional products that are healthful, convenient and/or for restricted diets and lifestyles. These brands include Dorot, Absolutely Gluten Free, Beetology, Mighty Sesame, Tuscanini Foods, Wissotzky Tea Co. and new Wonder Melon™. They are headquartered in Bayonne, NJ. (www.KAYCO.com).
Pleasanton, Calif., — DeltaTrak® has introduced the next generation FlashLink Mini PDF In-Transit Logger.
According to Frederick Wu, President and CEO of DeltaTrak, “The FlashLink Mini PDF has been upgraded to include our patented Shadow Log® feature which sets it apart from other brands. Shadow Log® means that temperature data is recorded even if a shipper forgets to start the unit, so receivers will always be able to download trip data when a load arrives.”
The reports also have a new look, including both F° and °C scales on one chart, making it user friendly for receivers worldwide. Reports are automatically generated when the logger is plugged into the USB port of a PC, tablet, or printer, where they can be saved and shared by email in PDF and CSV formats.
The FlashLink Mini PDF has a compact, single use design that incorporates a USB connector and on-board software, making it quick and easy to access data without special reading devices or installing software. One model can be used for all domestic and export trips up to 85 days, so shippers don’t have to stock multiple brands with various recording periods.
These accurate, reliable temperature recorders are ideal for compliance with Food Safety, HACCP, FSMA, and global regulations, to verify if products have been kept within their proper temperature range. Each unit comes mounted on a bright green shipping card, making it easy to locate when a shipment arrives. A peel-away barcode label with the logger serial number can be attached to shipping documents and scanned into the shipper’s ERP system for complete traceability.
The FlashLink Mini PDF In-Transit Logger is an essential tool to help shippers, third party logistics companies, importers and exporters ensure consumer safety and deliver high quality products that are safe to eat.
About DeltaTrak® DeltaTrak® is a leading innovator of cold chain management, environmental monitoring and food safety solutions for the food, produce, life science, and chemical industries.
Arisan Organics brand peaches and nectarine shipment got underway last week from Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, WA.
Volume organic stone fruit loadings will pick up quickly by the end of the month, according to a news release. Peak shipments will occur from early August to early September.
Stemilt’s first Artisan Organic peach variety of the season is zee lady, and Sierra rich and sweet dream will be the bulk of the August shipments, with August lady wrapping up the season in September. Grand bright, honey haven and August bright are the company’s main organic nectarine varieties, according to the release.
Stemilt’s stone fruit is all organic, and the company’s organic program is celebrating a 30-year anniversary this year.
The company’s organic peaches and nectarines primarily are grown by the Douglas family in southcentral Washington.
“The Douglas family have farmed for four generations and knows how this region’s climate affects their organic crops,” Brianna Shales, Stemilt’s communications manager said in the release. “They have spent years perfecting the art of growing organics and they have found what works and what doesn’t.”
SALINAS, Calif. – Taylor Farms is pleased to announce the acquisition of Earthbound Farm from Danone, SA. We are grateful for Danone’s stewardship of Earthbound Farm during the past two years and for the opportunity to return ownership of this organic fresh produce leader to local roots and family ownership.
Earthbound Farm will join the Taylor Farms Retail Group and help lead growth in the dynamic organic fresh produce category. We will build on Earthbound Farm’s tradition of organic authenticity, new variety development and quality focus with expanded regional organic growing and processing capability to better serve Earthbound Farm’s customers and consumers across North America.
ABOUT TAYLOR FARMS
Taylor Farms is a leading North American producer of salads and healthy fresh foods. Taylor Farms is grounded in a commitment to quality, innovation, sustainability and food safety. Taylor Farms is family owned and based in “The Salad Bowl of the World” Salinas, California. www.taylorfarms.com
Michigan vegetable shipments have been underway for months, but will be peaking in August and September.
The state actually ships produce the year around, although apples make up its fruit shipments during the winter. Likewise most winter vegetable shipments consist of potato and onion repacking operation with the product sourced from other areas.
But right now the focus on fresh summer and fall produce loadings.
In 2018, Michigan shipped the equivalent of 50.8 million 40-pound cartons of fresh fruits and vegetables, according the USDA.
The state’s total shipments were slightly less than 53.2 million 40-pound equivalent cartons shipped in 2017 and 9 percent lower than the 55.8 million 40-pound cartons shipped by the state in 2016.
While Michigan ships fruits and vegetables every month of the year, volume will increase seasonally this summer and fall. Last year, 14 percent of total annual Michigan produce shipments occurred in August, increasing to 15 percent in September.
The top 10 fresh produce commodities for the state in 2018, in 40-pound carton equivalents, were:
Apples, 6.9 million cartons, down 13 percent from 7.9 million cartons in 2017;
Potatoes: 5.65 million cartons, down 4 percent from 5.91 million cartons in 2017;
Watermelons (seeded and unseeded): 2.46 million cartons, up 5 percent from 2.35 million cartons in 2017;
Cucumbers: 2.05 million cartons, down 7 percent from 2.21 million cartons in 2017;
Onions: 1.14 million carton, down 16 percent from 1.36 million cartons in 2017;
Bell peppers: 985,000 cartons, down 26 percent from 1.33 million cartons in 2017:
Cabbage: 880,000 cartons, down 15 percent from 1.04 million cartons in 2017;
Squash: 880,000 cartons, up 4 percent from 847,500 cartons in 2017;
Celery: 862,500 cartons, down 33 percent from 1.28 million cartons in 2017;
Blueberries: 672,500 cartons, down 32 percent from 982,500 cartons in 2017;
Tomatoes (all types): 655,000 cartons, down 33 percent from 975,000 cartons in 2017;
Sweet corn: 562,500 cartons, down 5 percent from 592,500 cartons in 2017;
Asparagus: 272,500 cartons, down 8 percent from 297,500 cartons in 2017; and
Peaches: 117,500 cartons, down 4 percent from 122,500 acres in 1970.
Long-term acreage trends
The USDA’s Census of Agriculture reveals most Michigan fruit and vegetables experienced an acreage decline in the past 10 years, though there are exceptions.
Acreage figures for Michigan fruits and vegetables in 2017, compared with 2007:
Apples: 38,563 acres in 2017, down 13 percent from 44,189 in 2007;
Peaches: 2,863 acres in 2017, down 47 percent from 5,400 acres in 2007;
Grapes: 13,127 acres in 2017, down 11 percent from 14,701 acres in 2007;
Blueberries: 22,959 acres in 2017 (no data for 2007);
Celery: 2,078 acres in 2017, up 6 percent from 1,968 acres in 2007;
Carrots: 3,473 acres in 2017, down 37 percent from 5,499 acres in 2007;
Onions: 2,495 acres in 2017, down 46 percent from 4,592 acres in 2007;
Cucumbers: 34,409 acres in 2017, down 16 percent from 40,820 acres in 2007;
Lettuce: 1,027 acres in 2017, up 17 percent from 876 acres in 2007;
Bell peppers: 1,876 acres in 2017, up 19 percent from 1,577 acres in 2007;
Potatoes (fresh market and processing): 30,750 acres in 2017, up 19 percent from 1,577 acres in 2007;
Sweet corn: 8,466 acres in 2017, down 11 percent from 10,885 acres in 2007;
Strawberries: 870 acres in 2017, down 29 percent from 1,229 acres in 2007; and
Raspberries: 532 acres in 2017, down 19 percent from 654 acres in 2007.
Domestic pears are back in season as California has just begun shipments.
California pear shippers are predicting they will harvest 2.28 million packages of Bartlett pears this summer, which is slightly more than last year’s crop of just over 2 million packages. In addition to Bartlett, the primary variety grown in California, the state is anticipating another 500,000 boxes of other varieties led by Golden Bosc. Additional heirloom varieties to be offered include Sunsprite, Starkcrimson, Red pears, traditional Bosc, Comice, Seckel and French Butter along with a limited supply of organic varieties.
The River Delta growing region in California will be first to harvest of Bartletts July 22 with the Mendocino growing area harvest predicted for August 5 and Lake County to begin August 12. Pears are sold by 4 California pear shipping companiess that include: David J. Elliot & Son and Greene and Hemly Inc., both of Courtland; Rivermaid Trading Company, Lodi; and Scully Packing, Finely.
This means that retailers and consumers can look forward to having fresh U.S. pears in their stores again instead of buying pears from other countries or from storage.
“To ensure top quality, most shippers will be hand-selecting the largest fruit first and pre-conditioning so consumers can enjoy ripe, ready-to-eat fruit from the beginning of our season,” says Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board.
“Now is the time for retail stores nationwide to begin planning promotions for these early season, freshly harvested California pears,” stresses Zanobini. “In fact, marketing research clearly shows the early summer pear season is absolutely the most profitable for retail pear sales.”
When the harvest started, California had the only freshly harvested pears available.
California growers believe in harvesting and marketing the traditional way versus using controlled atmosphere storage or chemically treating the fruit for longer storage life. So, California can offer a fresh pear for its entire shipping period.
California pears have a rich history as one of the first tree fruits planted and sold commercially in the nation. Some 60 farming families continue to produce pears in California on orchards that can be over 100 years old.
“Today’s California pears are grown by fourth and fifth generation families who are farming the same land their grandparents and great-grandparents did during the California Gold Rush,” explains Zanobini. “The California Bartlett pear is truly heirloom variety and we want consumers to enjoy the rich history of our farming community as much as they enjoy our pears.”
Pleasanton, Calif. — DeltaTrak® has introduced the next generation FlashLink Real-Time Mini Loggers.
The next generation FlashLink In-Transit Real-Time Mini Logger offers an extended battery life and is a cost-effective real-time logger providing temperature, humidity, and location information utilizing GSM cellular technology. Shipments are tracked worldwide using DeltaTrak’s ColdTrak 24/7 cloud service. Reliable up-to-the-minute information can be accessed securely anywhere with user login and password on a standard web browser using a PC or any internet-ready device.
Using the same cloud-based dashboard, the next generation FlashLink Reusable Real-Time Mini Data Logger monitors truck cool down. The logger alarm limits can be set to loading temperature and an alert will be sent so that dock supervisors know which trucks are ready, and improve efficiency by streamlining the loading process.
“The FlashLink Real-Time Mini Loggers help our customers closely track temperature before it reaches a dangerous level,” according to Frederick Wu, President and CEO of DeltaTrak. “and, are cost-effective real-time data loggers that are easy to integrate into our customers’ existing SOPs (standard operating procedures). Equally important, the data and reporting are extremely valuable tools for traceability and audit purposes.”
For the in-transit logger, DeltaTrak offers two models, one for most domestic shipments with a 15-day logging duration and data uploaded every 10 minutes, and a second model for longer trips with a 60-day logging duration and data uploaded every 60 minutes, ideal for export shipments. For the reusable logger, shippers can program their own trip duration and logging intervals.
The ColdTrak web portal provides enhanced features and allows growers and shippers the option to upload documentation and archive data for FSMA, HACCP and regulatory compliance. Customers can customize high/low alarm settings, and alerts are automatically sent when out-of-range conditions occur.
The FlashLink In-Transit Real-Time Mini Logger is mounted on a highly visible shipping card which makes the units easy to locate inside a trailer or container. Each unit comes charged and ready-to-use. Shippers can simply start the logger with the one-button activation and place it in their loads. The FlashLink Reusable Real-Time Mini Data Logger is configurable and customers can recharge it after each trip to allow unlimited uses.
The FlashLink Real-Time Mini Loggers are a great solution for anyone that needs up-to-the-minute information on the temperature of their products. For a demonstration, please visit Stand 1-VV09 at THAIFEX 2019. About DeltaTrak® DeltaTrak® is a leading innovator of cold chain management, environmental monitoring and food safety solutions for the food, produce, life science, and chemical industries.
Both retail and farm-level prices for fresh vegetables have been revised upward for 2019.
In the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook report of June 25, the agency reported that although fresh vegetable prices decreased 1% from April to May, prices are 5.2% higher than in May 2018. “The price indexes for all fresh vegetable components (potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, and other fresh vegetables) continued to show strong year-over-year growth,” the USDA said in the report.
“Following a 1.1% increase in 2018, this month’s forecast for fresh vegetable prices has again been revised upward, with expectations for an increase in a range between 3% and 4% in 2019.”
The USDA said the index of farm-level vegetable prices increased by 3.6% in May and was up 9.6% since the same time last year. The farm-level vegetable producer price index declined 1.7% in 2018, but the USDA now calls for an increase of 11% to 12% in producer prices for vegetables this year.
The USDA said the index for producer prices for fruit decreased 3.7% in May and was 15.9% lower since a year ago. After a decrease of 1.9% in 2018, the USDA said fruit prices at the farm level in 2019 are expected to decrease between 4% and 5%.
