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Lower Rio Grande Valley onion shipments are just getting underway with optimism for good volume and quality. Meanwhile, potato exports to Canada take a big jump.
South Texas onion shipments are just getting underway in very light volume, with decent loading opportunities expected in early April.
There are about 7,000 acres of onions in the ground, similar to past seasons. Shipments should continue into late May to early June out of the Rio Grande Valley. Much smaller volume will be available in July from the Winter Garden area just south of San Antonio. Light shipments from West Texas will be follow, continuing into early September. Currently, imported Mexican onions are crossing the border into South Texas and should finish sometime in April.
The Rio Grande Valley of South Texas has about 60 onion growers and about 30 shippers such as Southwest Onion Growers LLC, McAllen, The Onion House, Weslaco and J&D Produce of Edinburg. Total shipments of south Texas onions were about 3 million 50-pound equivalents for the 2015-16 season,
Potato Exports Show Big Growth to Canada, Mexico
U.S. fresh potato exports soared 17 percent in value last year led by double-digit growth in Canada and Mexico. U.S. fresh potato exports totaled $238.8 million, up 17 percent from a year ago, according to the USDA. Volume of fresh potatoes exported in 2017 totaled 544,624 metric tons, up 11 percent from 2016.
Leading the U.S. export market for fresh potatoes was Canada, where $101 million worth of potatoes were shipped, up 15 percent from 2016. The volume of U.S. fresh potatoes sold to Canada totaled 263,426 metric tons, up 9 percent.
Mexico purchased $41.8 million in 2017, up 14 percent from 2016. Volume of U.S. fresh potato exports to Mexico totaled 93,350 metric tons, up 2 percent from 2016.
Sales to other markets, with gains/loss compared with a year ago:
- Taiwan, $22.2 million (19 percent);
- Japan, $18.47 million (-5 percent);
- Philippines, $11.9 million (80 percent);
- South Korea, $8.9 million (160 percent); and
- Malaysia, $6.5 million (19 pecent).
By U.S. Department of Transportation
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced additional steps to address the unique needs of the country’s ag industries and provided further guidance to assist in the effective implementation of the Congressionally-mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule without impeding commerce or safety.
The Agency is announcing an additional 90-day temporary waiver from the ELD rule for agriculture related transportation. Additionally, during this time period, FMCSA will publish final guidance on both the agricultural 150 air-mile hours-of-service exemption and personal conveyance. FMCSA will continue its outreach to provide assistance to the agricultural industry and community regarding the ELD rule.
“We continue to see strong compliance rates across the country that improve weekly, but we are mindful of the unique work our agriculture community does and will use the following 90 days to ensure we publish more helpful guidance that all operators will benefit from,” said FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez.
Since December 2017, roadside compliance with the hours-of-service record-keeping requirements, including the ELD rule, has been steadily increasing, with roadside compliance reaching a high of 96 percent in the most recent available data. There are over 330 separate self-certified devices listed on the registration list.
Beginning April 1, 2018 full enforcement of the ELD rule begins. Carriers subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that do not have an ELD when required will be placed out-of-service. The driver will remain out-of-service for 10 hours in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) criteria. At that point, to facilitate compliance, the driver will be allowed to travel to the next scheduled stop and should not be dispatched again without an ELD. If the driver is dispatched again without an ELD, the motor carrier will be subject to further enforcement action.
The Agency is committed to continuing the ongoing dialogue on these issues.
The waiver and guidance will be published in the Federal Register.
For more information on ELDs please visit: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/eld
Artichokes are a healthy vegetable and here are five reasons why. Also, fresh produce is coming to hundreds of Dollar General stores this year.
Ocean Mist Farms is the leading grower of fresh artichokes and the only one to offer more than one artichoke option for you as a consumer – whole, raw artichokes to cook from scratch, organic and conventional, or washed, trimmed and ready to Season & Steam in a bag.
5 health benefits
- Antioxidants A study by the US Department of Agriculture found that artichokes rank number one over all other vegetables when it comes to antioxidant levels, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Don’t ignore the artichoke leaves or you’ll miss out on a plethora of nutrients!
2 FIBER One medium sized artichokes contains 6 grams of dietary fiber, which is a quarter of your recommended daily value! While artichokes are high in dietary fiber, they are low in calories – only 60 calories per artichoke.
- Protein Artichokes hold 6 grams of protein, making it one of the top vegetables that contain a significant amount to easily get more protein in your diet.
- Prebiotics You can find inulin, one of the most available and the more promising prebiotics in the food supply, in artichokes. It helps improve gut, heart and digestive health!
- Vitamins Artichokes are a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K, which help growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body, assist in blood clotting and is helpful for your bone health.
For recipe inspiration, visit www.oceanmist.com
Dollar General
Hundreds of remodeled Dollar General stores are adding fresh produce following successful tests.
That company has 1,000 store remodels planned for 2018, with about 400 of those locations featuring “traditional plus” stores including 34 cooler doors to merchandise an expanded perishables assortment. Of the 750 traditional-plus stores to be operating by the end of the year, about a third will include an assortment of fresh produce, bringing to 450 the number of stores carrying fresh fruits and vegetables.
It’s looking like another good year is shaping up for California strawberry shipments, despite a few punches from Mother Nature. In fact, with a little luck, shipments might set a record.
A fast start for shipments was the story earlier in California’s 2018 strawberry season because as of March 3 volume was more than double that of last year — 7.78 million trays compared to 3.7 million trays in 2017. However, some cold weather put a damper on things as volume was slashed.
But strawberries can rebound pretty fast and now there are adequate supplies expected for Easter (April 1st) and early April from Southern California, although it could be mid- to late April before heavy volume becomes available.
Both Santa Maria and the Watsonville districts suffered significant frost damage earlier this month, while Ventura and Orange Counties faired much better. Those latter two counties should have decent volume in time for Easter shipments.
However, strawberry growers weren’t as lucky in the northern shipping areas of California. For example, Red Blossom Sales Inc., of Salinas, which grows berries in Santa Maria, lost up to 30 percent of its product as a result of the March freeze.
Meanwhile Ventura and Orange counties should hit peak shipments in early April, with Santa Maria following by only a few days – probably mid-April. Peak loadings are expected to extend through the middle of May, including Mother’s Day, May 13th.
Salinas strawberries are expected to have good volume during the first half of April.
California has 33,791 acres of strawberries this year, down from 36,387 acres in 2017, with all shipping districts showing decreases in acreage.
Planted acreage has declined 13 percent over the past three years, while total volume has increased by 6 percent, resulting in two consecutive years of record fruit shipments.
Assuming the weather cooperates, California weekly strawberry shipments during the summer and fall are projected to equal or surpass 2017 totals. Last year, California strawberry shipments exceeded 206 million trays.
For decades, the U.S. produce industry has had the protection of the Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act (PACA) offering protection from unpaid bills and other unscrupulous business dealings. Unfortunately these protections do not extend to produce truckers.
For a long time the Canadian produce industry has wanted something similar to America’s PACA, but resistance has been common from key government leaders.
In a message to the trade last January, the Fresh Produce Alliance (made up of members of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, the Canadian Horticultural Council and the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation) pointed out they were “disillusioned” with a letter from Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The letter was a response to the committee’s request for an examination of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Model Law as a payment protection program for Canada’s fresh produce industry.
“The insolvency frequency of the fresh produce industry does not warrant the right to such an extraordinary remedy, which would have a significant effect on credit cost and availability and shift losses to other creditors,” according to the Bains-MacAulay letter.
The Canadian produce industry has been lobbying for a number of for a PACA, but disappointed with the decision. However, they contend efforts will not cease to convince lawmakers of the need for a PACA-like trust for Canada.
“While consideration was given to Canada’s loss of preferential treatment to the PACA dispute resolution process in the United States, the government does not support the industry’s claim that produce businesses have been substantially impacted by this decision with many companies not being able to afford the PACA double bond and writing off monies owed,” according to the Fresh Produce Alliance letter. Canadian leaders have been asking for a PACA-like payment protection program for more than 30 years, since the PACA was established in the U.S. in 1985. The PACA puts produce sellers first in line among creditors of a bankrupt firm.
The issue has added urgency since 2014, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked the privileged status Canadian sellers had under the PACA, because Canada lacked a similar program. Since then, Canadian firms that want to file a complaint against a PACA licensee have to provide a surety bond before the complaint will be investigated. The bonds are twice the amount of the claim.
A strategy to keep the issue before Parliament continues by The Fresh Produce Alliance.
As part of the strategy, the FPA said a letter is being sent to the key parliamentarians which expresses the industry’s deep disappointment and also identifies areas for continued effort.“We want to reaffirm our commitment to achieving a solution for industry and will continue to keep our members advised as we move forward,” according to the letter, signed by Canadian Horticultural Council Executive Director Rebecca Lee, CPMA President Ron Lemaire, and DRC President and CEO Fred Webber. “CPMA, DRC and CHC will continue to now look at our efforts at making sure our politicians realize there is a public policy value in having farmers protected when they sell fresh fruits and vegetables in the event of a bankruptcy,” Lemaire said.
(I have been advocating for 30 years the U.S. PACA include produce trucking under the protections afforded the produce industry, particularly in a case were there is a claims dispute. However, the produce industry has shown no interest and when necessary has actually opposed it. The USDA also seems to view it as a “hot potato.” — Bill Martin)
The face of Florida spring produce shipments long have been centered around citrus, mixed vegetables and tomatoes. This will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, but there are some other products that have entered the picture and could provide substantially larger volume in the future.
Florida peach shipments have started in recent years, and the state is heavily promoting the stone fruit, particularly in April, when it has a shipping window pretty much to itself. Florida peaches are shipped as imported Chilean peaches are winding down, and before the product is ready in California, Georgia and South Carolina.
Asian vegetables are relatively new to Florida produce production, which are grown across the state and have a growing concentration in the St. Augustine/Hastings area of North Florida.
These items range from Chinese cabbage, to bok choy, beans, bitter melon, Chinese broccoli and many other Asian herbs and vegetables. As these items become more mainstream, there will be more loading opportunities for produce haulers.
There also has been increasing acreage with sweet potatoes in recent years. Florida has the first domestic sweet potatoes of the growing season prior to the traditional Louisiana, Mississippi, California and North Carolina sweet potato seasons that start in late summer.
Brussels sprouts are another up-and-coming crop in Florida, particularly in the Hastings area. Cabbage traditionally has been a staple crop in this area, but growers in the area have recently branched out to other crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
Florida Tomato Shipments
Grower, shippers such as Oakes Farms Inc. of Immokalee and DiMare Co. of Homestead launched tomato shipments in October and continue into June. Tomato volume typically has a substainal volume increase starting in the middle of March.
Between March and May, Florida accounts for 55 percent of grape and cherry tomato shipments in the U.S. and 41 percent of the round tomatoes.
On average, Florida supplied 100 percent of temple oranges, 70 percent of sweet corn, and 55 percent of snap beans shipped the U.S. from 2014-17.
Florida produce shipments – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Imported Mexican shipments are expected to remain steady with good volume for the next six weeks. Meanwhile, here’s a break down of U.S. potato shipments when comparing russets and other varieties.
Mexican produce shipments from bumper spring crops are now occurring Mexico with items such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, watermelon and mangoes. Table grapes, among others, will begin in a few weeks.
March and April are often seen as a secondary shipping peak for northern-grown Mexican products as demand typically increases with improving spring weather in U.S. markets. Imported Mexican produce shipments are expected to remain very steady through April.
Russet Potatoes
Russet potato shipments have been giving away, at least to a certain degree, to other varieties of spuds, although russets easily remain the category. At least this is the case from a study of potato movement from July through December. It has been a long time since russet shipments have seen an increase compared to other potato varieties.
In data collected by Nielsen, fresh russet volume was up 0.43 percent for the six-month period. Russet potatoes accounted for 66.08 percent of potato category sales, up from 65.46 percent a year ago.
Red potato shipments ranked second behind russets for the July through December period, accounting for 16.03 percent, down from 17.03 percent in the same period a year ago. Red potato sales for the six-month period were off 1.48 percent compared with year-ago numbers, and red potato volume was down 6.78 percent compared with a year ago.
The third-ranked potato category in July through December last year was yellow potatoes, accounting for 10.75 percent of total fresh potato sales compared with 9.85 percent last year. White potatoes, the fourth-ranked fresh potato category, suffered declines in volume and sales compared with a year ago.
White potato sales were off 6.20 percent compared with a year ago, while volume of white potatoes sold at retail from July through December was off 12.21 percent compared with the same period a year ago. White potato sales accounted for 5.55 percent of potato category sales, down from 6.19 percent the same period a year ago.
Fingerling potato sales account for just 0.23 percent of total potato category sales from July through December, up just slightly from 0.22 percent the same period a year ago.
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Grand Forks, ND red potatoes – grossing about $4600 to New York City; $2000 to Chicago; $2800 to Dallas.
Idaho russets – grossing about $5100 to New York City.
San Luis Valley, Colorado russets – grossing about $2200 to Chicago $4000 to New York City.
As the the port of Philadelphia’s $392 million Main Channel Deepening Project approaches completion, cargo volumes in the port are surging, according to PhilaPort.
In 2017 container cargoes grew by 19 percent, leading all ports on the Atlantic seaboard. The growth is especially significant since the port is busy implementing its $300 million capital improvement plan.
“We have a lot of exciting developments all occurring at the same time; record cargo growth, preparation for the deepened channel and the arrival of our new cranes,” said Jeff Theobald, executive director and chief executive officer of PhilaPort. “It’s all very good news and we want to make sure we support the surge in cargo with proper training and landside and infrastructure improvements.”
The first two of a total of four super post-Panamax cranes are due soon at the port’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. Ocean carriers are already supporting the growth by scheduling Ultra Large Container Vessels to call the port. Several 11,000 TEU vessels started calling PAMT in December and 12,200 TEU vessels are expected in the coming days. Recently the board of directors of the port of Philadelphia granted funds to the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware to train for these new class of vessels 12,000–14,000 TEUs.
The long-anticipated completion of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project from 40 to 45 feet is drawing to a close. In March, the port expects announcements on a phased approach, which will allow vessels to utilize increased arrival and departure draft depth.
PhilaPort, the port of Philadelphia, is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing and promotion of publicly-owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PhilaPort works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospect port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania.
By L&M
L&M is full swing into the Florida farming season with four times more organic shipments planned in 2018. Unlike many Florida companies that are consolidating organics, L&M is growing organics on two of their own, company-owned farms in Florida.
The company is growing organic bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and butternut and spaghetti squash in Branford, FL. Over in Palatka, FL, L&M has already begun harvesting organic broccoli, green and red cabbage, and kale; and will be adding red and golden beets and cauliflower into the mix this year as well.
Over the years, L&M has worked hard on its organic program, taking the same pride in their certified organic farming and packing as they do on their other farming programs, including sustainability and food safety.
“We have made great progress on our organic program and are as proud of our attention to detail and exceptional quality on organics as we are on our conventional products. So far this year we have produced some very nice organic broccoli, cabbage, and kale; and we look forward to beginning harvest of beets, peppers, cucumbers, and squash in the coming weeks” noted Adam Lytch, Operations Manager for L&M Farms.
Greg Cardamone, General Manager of Vegetables, added, “Organics is an exciting space to move into with continued growth and popularity. Year after year, consumption of organic fruits and vegetables is increasing and we are excited to be able to meet our customers’ needs with East Coast production.
“With the recent truck shortage our customers have found it valuable to be able to load their organic and conventional items together – without giving up the valuable shelf life that large cross-dock programs often bring.”
Along with increased organic farming, L&M has also developed new purple organic packaging. Most recently, L&M added new organic broccoli and cauliflower bags and tags, butt tags for organic cabbage, 3lb mesh sweet potato bags, and hard squash labels.
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South Florida vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Boston.
Pleasanton, CA — DeltaTrak’s® FlashLink BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Wireless Monitoring Solution allows receivers to read temperature history data from the FlashLink BLE Logger without opening the vehicle doors or locating the logger inside the truck. As soon as a vehicle arrives, the smart phone application accesses data from the logger from up to ~100 feet meters away, so information is available immediately upon arrival.
According to Frederick, president and CEO of DeltaTrak, “With the current security feature, shippers have the option to require receivers to enter an access code before they can see or download data from the BLE loggers. This gives them that extra layer of data security.” A smartphone app sends information from a mobile device to the BLE Web Application where it can be viewed remotely by authorized users. This solution is ideal for three types of applications which include 24/7 facility monitoring, pre-cooling operations, and delivery routes.
With the FlashLink BLE loggers, customers have secure access to data, immediate alert notifications, and reports in PDF and CSV formats. The FlashLink BLE logger helps suppliers maintain continuous visibility of temperature and humidity during facility monitoring and pre-cooling operations. It is ideal for thermal mapping and facility monitoring, such as in cold storage warehouses, distribution centers, greenhouses, temperature controlled processing, packing and staging areas.
Alert notifications are sent to personnel which allow them to take quick corrective action before products are compromised by changes in temperature conditions. With the FlashLink BLE Wireless Monitoring Solution, pre-cooling operations will improve efficiency, increase pallet throughput and extend product shelf life.
The loggers monitor produce in cooling tunnels and when required temperatures are reached alerts are sent via email or SMS notifications. Instead of pre-cooling based on time and relying on staff to take pulp temperature, this automates tracking and provides real-time temperature conditions during the process. Data can be analyzed by personnel to identify strengths and weaknesses of their operation, and assure that products are adequately cooled, while eliminating the problem of pallets not being cooled long enough.
FlashLink BLE Logger settings are customizable, including device name, logging interval, and high/low alarm limits. All data is available in the cloud, where temperature and location are reviewed remotely for tracking shipments in progress, making cold chain management decisions and reports for audits, HACCP and FSMA documentation.
Lower Rio Grande Valley onion shipments are just getting underway with optimism for good volume and quality. Meanwhile, potato exports to Canada take a big jump.
South Texas onion shipments are just getting underway in very light volume, with decent loading opportunities expected in early April.
There are about 7,000 acres of onions in the ground, similar to past seasons. Shipments should continue into late May to early June out of the Rio Grande Valley. Much smaller volume will be available in July from the Winter Garden area just south of San Antonio. Light shipments from West Texas will be follow, continuing into early September. Currently, imported Mexican onions are crossing the border into South Texas and should finish sometime in April.
The Rio Grande Valley of South Texas has about 60 onion growers and about 30 shippers such as Southwest Onion Growers LLC, McAllen, The Onion House, Weslaco and J&D Produce of Edinburg. Total shipments of south Texas onions were about 3 million 50-pound equivalents for the 2015-16 season,
Potato Exports Show Big Growth to Canada, Mexico
U.S. fresh potato exports soared 17 percent in value last year led by double-digit growth in Canada and Mexico. U.S. fresh potato exports totaled $238.8 million, up 17 percent from a year ago, according to the USDA. Volume of fresh potatoes exported in 2017 totaled 544,624 metric tons, up 11 percent from 2016.
Leading the U.S. export market for fresh potatoes was Canada, where $101 million worth of potatoes were shipped, up 15 percent from 2016. The volume of U.S. fresh potatoes sold to Canada totaled 263,426 metric tons, up 9 percent.
Mexico purchased $41.8 million in 2017, up 14 percent from 2016. Volume of U.S. fresh potato exports to Mexico totaled 93,350 metric tons, up 2 percent from 2016.
Sales to other markets, with gains/loss compared with a year ago:
- Taiwan, $22.2 million (19 percent);
- Japan, $18.47 million (-5 percent);
- Philippines, $11.9 million (80 percent);
- South Korea, $8.9 million (160 percent); and
- Malaysia, $6.5 million (19 pecent).
By U.S. Department of Transportation
The U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced additional steps to address the unique needs of the country’s ag industries and provided further guidance to assist in the effective implementation of the Congressionally-mandated electronic logging device (ELD) rule without impeding commerce or safety.
The Agency is announcing an additional 90-day temporary waiver from the ELD rule for agriculture related transportation. Additionally, during this time period, FMCSA will publish final guidance on both the agricultural 150 air-mile hours-of-service exemption and personal conveyance. FMCSA will continue its outreach to provide assistance to the agricultural industry and community regarding the ELD rule.
“We continue to see strong compliance rates across the country that improve weekly, but we are mindful of the unique work our agriculture community does and will use the following 90 days to ensure we publish more helpful guidance that all operators will benefit from,” said FMCSA Administrator Ray Martinez.
Since December 2017, roadside compliance with the hours-of-service record-keeping requirements, including the ELD rule, has been steadily increasing, with roadside compliance reaching a high of 96 percent in the most recent available data. There are over 330 separate self-certified devices listed on the registration list.
Beginning April 1, 2018 full enforcement of the ELD rule begins. Carriers subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) that do not have an ELD when required will be placed out-of-service. The driver will remain out-of-service for 10 hours in accordance with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) criteria. At that point, to facilitate compliance, the driver will be allowed to travel to the next scheduled stop and should not be dispatched again without an ELD. If the driver is dispatched again without an ELD, the motor carrier will be subject to further enforcement action.
The Agency is committed to continuing the ongoing dialogue on these issues.
The waiver and guidance will be published in the Federal Register.
For more information on ELDs please visit: www.fmcsa.dot.gov/eld
Artichokes are a healthy vegetable and here are five reasons why. Also, fresh produce is coming to hundreds of Dollar General stores this year.
Ocean Mist Farms is the leading grower of fresh artichokes and the only one to offer more than one artichoke option for you as a consumer – whole, raw artichokes to cook from scratch, organic and conventional, or washed, trimmed and ready to Season & Steam in a bag.
5 health benefits
- Antioxidants A study by the US Department of Agriculture found that artichokes rank number one over all other vegetables when it comes to antioxidant levels, including anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Don’t ignore the artichoke leaves or you’ll miss out on a plethora of nutrients!
2 FIBER One medium sized artichokes contains 6 grams of dietary fiber, which is a quarter of your recommended daily value! While artichokes are high in dietary fiber, they are low in calories – only 60 calories per artichoke.
- Protein Artichokes hold 6 grams of protein, making it one of the top vegetables that contain a significant amount to easily get more protein in your diet.
- Prebiotics You can find inulin, one of the most available and the more promising prebiotics in the food supply, in artichokes. It helps improve gut, heart and digestive health!
- Vitamins Artichokes are a very good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K, which help growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body, assist in blood clotting and is helpful for your bone health.
For recipe inspiration, visit www.oceanmist.com
Dollar General
Hundreds of remodeled Dollar General stores are adding fresh produce following successful tests.
That company has 1,000 store remodels planned for 2018, with about 400 of those locations featuring “traditional plus” stores including 34 cooler doors to merchandise an expanded perishables assortment. Of the 750 traditional-plus stores to be operating by the end of the year, about a third will include an assortment of fresh produce, bringing to 450 the number of stores carrying fresh fruits and vegetables.
It’s looking like another good year is shaping up for California strawberry shipments, despite a few punches from Mother Nature. In fact, with a little luck, shipments might set a record.
A fast start for shipments was the story earlier in California’s 2018 strawberry season because as of March 3 volume was more than double that of last year — 7.78 million trays compared to 3.7 million trays in 2017. However, some cold weather put a damper on things as volume was slashed.
But strawberries can rebound pretty fast and now there are adequate supplies expected for Easter (April 1st) and early April from Southern California, although it could be mid- to late April before heavy volume becomes available.
Both Santa Maria and the Watsonville districts suffered significant frost damage earlier this month, while Ventura and Orange Counties faired much better. Those latter two counties should have decent volume in time for Easter shipments.
However, strawberry growers weren’t as lucky in the northern shipping areas of California. For example, Red Blossom Sales Inc., of Salinas, which grows berries in Santa Maria, lost up to 30 percent of its product as a result of the March freeze.
Meanwhile Ventura and Orange counties should hit peak shipments in early April, with Santa Maria following by only a few days – probably mid-April. Peak loadings are expected to extend through the middle of May, including Mother’s Day, May 13th.
Salinas strawberries are expected to have good volume during the first half of April.
California has 33,791 acres of strawberries this year, down from 36,387 acres in 2017, with all shipping districts showing decreases in acreage.
Planted acreage has declined 13 percent over the past three years, while total volume has increased by 6 percent, resulting in two consecutive years of record fruit shipments.
Assuming the weather cooperates, California weekly strawberry shipments during the summer and fall are projected to equal or surpass 2017 totals. Last year, California strawberry shipments exceeded 206 million trays.
For decades, the U.S. produce industry has had the protection of the Perishable Agriculture Commodities Act (PACA) offering protection from unpaid bills and other unscrupulous business dealings. Unfortunately these protections do not extend to produce truckers.
For a long time the Canadian produce industry has wanted something similar to America’s PACA, but resistance has been common from key government leaders.
In a message to the trade last January, the Fresh Produce Alliance (made up of members of the Canadian Produce Marketing Association, the Canadian Horticultural Council and the Fruit and Vegetable Dispute Resolution Corporation) pointed out they were “disillusioned” with a letter from Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.
The letter was a response to the committee’s request for an examination of the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Model Law as a payment protection program for Canada’s fresh produce industry.
“The insolvency frequency of the fresh produce industry does not warrant the right to such an extraordinary remedy, which would have a significant effect on credit cost and availability and shift losses to other creditors,” according to the Bains-MacAulay letter.
The Canadian produce industry has been lobbying for a number of for a PACA, but disappointed with the decision. However, they contend efforts will not cease to convince lawmakers of the need for a PACA-like trust for Canada.
“While consideration was given to Canada’s loss of preferential treatment to the PACA dispute resolution process in the United States, the government does not support the industry’s claim that produce businesses have been substantially impacted by this decision with many companies not being able to afford the PACA double bond and writing off monies owed,” according to the Fresh Produce Alliance letter. Canadian leaders have been asking for a PACA-like payment protection program for more than 30 years, since the PACA was established in the U.S. in 1985. The PACA puts produce sellers first in line among creditors of a bankrupt firm.
The issue has added urgency since 2014, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture revoked the privileged status Canadian sellers had under the PACA, because Canada lacked a similar program. Since then, Canadian firms that want to file a complaint against a PACA licensee have to provide a surety bond before the complaint will be investigated. The bonds are twice the amount of the claim.
A strategy to keep the issue before Parliament continues by The Fresh Produce Alliance.
As part of the strategy, the FPA said a letter is being sent to the key parliamentarians which expresses the industry’s deep disappointment and also identifies areas for continued effort.“We want to reaffirm our commitment to achieving a solution for industry and will continue to keep our members advised as we move forward,” according to the letter, signed by Canadian Horticultural Council Executive Director Rebecca Lee, CPMA President Ron Lemaire, and DRC President and CEO Fred Webber. “CPMA, DRC and CHC will continue to now look at our efforts at making sure our politicians realize there is a public policy value in having farmers protected when they sell fresh fruits and vegetables in the event of a bankruptcy,” Lemaire said.
(I have been advocating for 30 years the U.S. PACA include produce trucking under the protections afforded the produce industry, particularly in a case were there is a claims dispute. However, the produce industry has shown no interest and when necessary has actually opposed it. The USDA also seems to view it as a “hot potato.” — Bill Martin)
The face of Florida spring produce shipments long have been centered around citrus, mixed vegetables and tomatoes. This will continue to be the case in the foreseeable future, but there are some other products that have entered the picture and could provide substantially larger volume in the future.
Florida peach shipments have started in recent years, and the state is heavily promoting the stone fruit, particularly in April, when it has a shipping window pretty much to itself. Florida peaches are shipped as imported Chilean peaches are winding down, and before the product is ready in California, Georgia and South Carolina.
Asian vegetables are relatively new to Florida produce production, which are grown across the state and have a growing concentration in the St. Augustine/Hastings area of North Florida.
These items range from Chinese cabbage, to bok choy, beans, bitter melon, Chinese broccoli and many other Asian herbs and vegetables. As these items become more mainstream, there will be more loading opportunities for produce haulers.
There also has been increasing acreage with sweet potatoes in recent years. Florida has the first domestic sweet potatoes of the growing season prior to the traditional Louisiana, Mississippi, California and North Carolina sweet potato seasons that start in late summer.
Brussels sprouts are another up-and-coming crop in Florida, particularly in the Hastings area. Cabbage traditionally has been a staple crop in this area, but growers in the area have recently branched out to other crops, such as broccoli and cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.
Florida Tomato Shipments
Grower, shippers such as Oakes Farms Inc. of Immokalee and DiMare Co. of Homestead launched tomato shipments in October and continue into June. Tomato volume typically has a substainal volume increase starting in the middle of March.
Between March and May, Florida accounts for 55 percent of grape and cherry tomato shipments in the U.S. and 41 percent of the round tomatoes.
On average, Florida supplied 100 percent of temple oranges, 70 percent of sweet corn, and 55 percent of snap beans shipped the U.S. from 2014-17.
Florida produce shipments – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Imported Mexican shipments are expected to remain steady with good volume for the next six weeks. Meanwhile, here’s a break down of U.S. potato shipments when comparing russets and other varieties.
Mexican produce shipments from bumper spring crops are now occurring Mexico with items such as tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, bell peppers, watermelon and mangoes. Table grapes, among others, will begin in a few weeks.
March and April are often seen as a secondary shipping peak for northern-grown Mexican products as demand typically increases with improving spring weather in U.S. markets. Imported Mexican produce shipments are expected to remain very steady through April.
Russet Potatoes
Russet potato shipments have been giving away, at least to a certain degree, to other varieties of spuds, although russets easily remain the category. At least this is the case from a study of potato movement from July through December. It has been a long time since russet shipments have seen an increase compared to other potato varieties.
In data collected by Nielsen, fresh russet volume was up 0.43 percent for the six-month period. Russet potatoes accounted for 66.08 percent of potato category sales, up from 65.46 percent a year ago.
Red potato shipments ranked second behind russets for the July through December period, accounting for 16.03 percent, down from 17.03 percent in the same period a year ago. Red potato sales for the six-month period were off 1.48 percent compared with year-ago numbers, and red potato volume was down 6.78 percent compared with a year ago.
The third-ranked potato category in July through December last year was yellow potatoes, accounting for 10.75 percent of total fresh potato sales compared with 9.85 percent last year. White potatoes, the fourth-ranked fresh potato category, suffered declines in volume and sales compared with a year ago.
White potato sales were off 6.20 percent compared with a year ago, while volume of white potatoes sold at retail from July through December was off 12.21 percent compared with the same period a year ago. White potato sales accounted for 5.55 percent of potato category sales, down from 6.19 percent the same period a year ago.
Fingerling potato sales account for just 0.23 percent of total potato category sales from July through December, up just slightly from 0.22 percent the same period a year ago.
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Grand Forks, ND red potatoes – grossing about $4600 to New York City; $2000 to Chicago; $2800 to Dallas.
Idaho russets – grossing about $5100 to New York City.
San Luis Valley, Colorado russets – grossing about $2200 to Chicago $4000 to New York City.
As the the port of Philadelphia’s $392 million Main Channel Deepening Project approaches completion, cargo volumes in the port are surging, according to PhilaPort.
In 2017 container cargoes grew by 19 percent, leading all ports on the Atlantic seaboard. The growth is especially significant since the port is busy implementing its $300 million capital improvement plan.
“We have a lot of exciting developments all occurring at the same time; record cargo growth, preparation for the deepened channel and the arrival of our new cranes,” said Jeff Theobald, executive director and chief executive officer of PhilaPort. “It’s all very good news and we want to make sure we support the surge in cargo with proper training and landside and infrastructure improvements.”
The first two of a total of four super post-Panamax cranes are due soon at the port’s Packer Avenue Marine Terminal. Ocean carriers are already supporting the growth by scheduling Ultra Large Container Vessels to call the port. Several 11,000 TEU vessels started calling PAMT in December and 12,200 TEU vessels are expected in the coming days. Recently the board of directors of the port of Philadelphia granted funds to the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware to train for these new class of vessels 12,000–14,000 TEUs.
The long-anticipated completion of the Delaware River Main Channel Deepening Project from 40 to 45 feet is drawing to a close. In March, the port expects announcements on a phased approach, which will allow vessels to utilize increased arrival and departure draft depth.
| PhilaPort, the port of Philadelphia, is an independent agency of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged with the management, maintenance, marketing and promotion of publicly-owned port facilities along the Delaware River in Philadelphia, as well as strategic planning throughout the port district. PhilaPort works with its terminal operators to modernize, expand and improve its facilities, and to market those facilities to prospect port users. Port cargoes and the activities they generate are responsible for thousands of direct and indirect jobs in the Philadelphia area and throughout Pennsylvania. |
By L&M
L&M is full swing into the Florida farming season with four times more organic shipments planned in 2018. Unlike many Florida companies that are consolidating organics, L&M is growing organics on two of their own, company-owned farms in Florida.
The company is growing organic bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and butternut and spaghetti squash in Branford, FL. Over in Palatka, FL, L&M has already begun harvesting organic broccoli, green and red cabbage, and kale; and will be adding red and golden beets and cauliflower into the mix this year as well.
Over the years, L&M has worked hard on its organic program, taking the same pride in their certified organic farming and packing as they do on their other farming programs, including sustainability and food safety.
“We have made great progress on our organic program and are as proud of our attention to detail and exceptional quality on organics as we are on our conventional products. So far this year we have produced some very nice organic broccoli, cabbage, and kale; and we look forward to beginning harvest of beets, peppers, cucumbers, and squash in the coming weeks” noted Adam Lytch, Operations Manager for L&M Farms.
Greg Cardamone, General Manager of Vegetables, added, “Organics is an exciting space to move into with continued growth and popularity. Year after year, consumption of organic fruits and vegetables is increasing and we are excited to be able to meet our customers’ needs with East Coast production.
“With the recent truck shortage our customers have found it valuable to be able to load their organic and conventional items together – without giving up the valuable shelf life that large cross-dock programs often bring.”
Along with increased organic farming, L&M has also developed new purple organic packaging. Most recently, L&M added new organic broccoli and cauliflower bags and tags, butt tags for organic cabbage, 3lb mesh sweet potato bags, and hard squash labels.
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South Florida vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Boston.
Pleasanton, CA — DeltaTrak’s® FlashLink BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Wireless Monitoring Solution allows receivers to read temperature history data from the FlashLink BLE Logger without opening the vehicle doors or locating the logger inside the truck. As soon as a vehicle arrives, the smart phone application accesses data from the logger from up to ~100 feet meters away, so information is available immediately upon arrival.
| According to Frederick, president and CEO of DeltaTrak, “With the current security feature, shippers have the option to require receivers to enter an access code before they can see or download data from the BLE loggers. This gives them that extra layer of data security.” A smartphone app sends information from a mobile device to the BLE Web Application where it can be viewed remotely by authorized users. This solution is ideal for three types of applications which include 24/7 facility monitoring, pre-cooling operations, and delivery routes.
With the FlashLink BLE loggers, customers have secure access to data, immediate alert notifications, and reports in PDF and CSV formats. The FlashLink BLE logger helps suppliers maintain continuous visibility of temperature and humidity during facility monitoring and pre-cooling operations. It is ideal for thermal mapping and facility monitoring, such as in cold storage warehouses, distribution centers, greenhouses, temperature controlled processing, packing and staging areas. Alert notifications are sent to personnel which allow them to take quick corrective action before products are compromised by changes in temperature conditions. With the FlashLink BLE Wireless Monitoring Solution, pre-cooling operations will improve efficiency, increase pallet throughput and extend product shelf life. The loggers monitor produce in cooling tunnels and when required temperatures are reached alerts are sent via email or SMS notifications. Instead of pre-cooling based on time and relying on staff to take pulp temperature, this automates tracking and provides real-time temperature conditions during the process. Data can be analyzed by personnel to identify strengths and weaknesses of their operation, and assure that products are adequately cooled, while eliminating the problem of pallets not being cooled long enough. FlashLink BLE Logger settings are customizable, including device name, logging interval, and high/low alarm limits. All data is available in the cloud, where temperature and location are reviewed remotely for tracking shipments in progress, making cold chain management decisions and reports for audits, HACCP and FSMA documentation. |