Produce related company acquisitions seem to pick up as the economy improves and here are just three examples of moves by operations on both coasts of the U.S. From Premier Citrus in Florida, to the Cold Storage Co. in Oregon and Volm Cos. in Washington state, expansions have occurred either through buy-outs are building new facilities.
California prune shipments this season are expected to make a major rebound from recent years of fighting adverse weather….Also, the bad news continues to pile for the Florida citrus industry.
by Mann Packing Company
Peruvian “grass” (asparagus) imports by the U.S. will be peaking soon. At the same time in Wisconsin, a Spudmobile is touring the Midwest as the Badger state potato season gets underway.
In a new report consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen significantly since November 2008 compared with processed fruits and vegetables. Meanwhile, a look back is taken of the disastrous season in South Carolina for peach shipments.
Here’s a shipping outlook for dates and various nuts coming out of California.2016 California walnut shipments are forecast at 670,000 tons, up 11 percent from 2015’s volume of 603,000 tons. For the season starting in 2016 there was an impressive 16.8 percent jump in loadings. Growing conditions and quality are reported good for the 2017 crop. One of the larger California nut shippers is Mariani Nut Co. of Winters, CA, which grows almonds and walnuts in the Sacramento Valley on 14,000 irrigated acres.
Some of Florida’s citrus growing regions suffered total losses of some groves as a result Hurricane Irma hitting the heart of the growing region. The possible health of the industry could be threated with some groves completely destroyed, resulting in damage that will not only send prices higher.
The hurricane could not have come at a worst time as the harvest was just starting. Losses of many citrus grove operations in Southwestern Florida range from 70 to 100 percent. While some citrus trees were stripped of folage, the aftermath is grim as the hot sun barring down on exposed tree roots could threaten recovery of trees.
Other major citrus producers are Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico. However, Mexican producers are recovering from Hurricane Katia and the recent earthquake in Mexico. It is estimated up to 90 per cent of the fruit from citrus groves in Southwest and Central Florida are used for juice.
LINCOLN PARK, MI. — Carrier Transicold of Detroit is commemorating 50 years of serving eastern Michigan’s transport refrigeration providers, those vital links of the “cold-chain” that safely deliver food and other refrigerated essentials to supermarkets, restaurants, food service operations and more.
While Colorado potatoes are pretty well known to produce haulers, here are some loading opportunities such as California mandarins, Michigan apples and what — broccoli from Maine! Yep, that is right. Check it out.
Here’s a shipping outlook for different areas and commodities ranging from Florida after Hurricane Irma, to Idaho potatoes, Washington apples and imported mangoes.