Author Archive
By Larry Oscar
It is interesting to observe how many family traditions creep into our lives over the years. Just about everybody has some favorite tradition for the holidays. Traditions are a part of our life that get ingrained into our very being.
Some people just cannot get through the holiday season without traditions. I wonder why that is? We have some national traditions that go back to the founding of our country. Traditions that are ingrained into the very fabric of our national character. In fact, one of these traditions became so important to the founding fathers that they included it in the Constitution.
You know the Constitution don’t you? It’s the supreme law of the land. One such tradition of the colonialists was free speech. That was something they did not have while living under the king, but after moving to America they suddenly found themselves living where they could say what they thought without fear of retribution from the king’s men.
As the tradition of free speech caught on it became such an important part of liberty that they were willing to die to defend it. Today free speech is under assault.
Our schools and universities have moved from teaching you how to think to teaching you what to think. And when free speech is a threat to their “what to think” belief system they mistakenly want to shut it down. Somehow they think the diversity of thought needs to be suppressed.
I hate to be a bearer of bad news to these folks, but diversity of thought is and shall ever be a founding pillar of our nation. We do not, nor should we, all think alike. Diversity of thought is what drives our quest for scientific knowledge, new technology, and even the arts.
Can you imagine what sort of music we would have today if composers were forced to all compose the same type of music? It is human nature to be diverse. We are all different in many respects. The founding fathers were intelligent enough to know this. That is why we are not one monolithic nation, but rather a united collection of individual states. Each state has people who live their lives with a slightly different approach than other states.
We are individuals who come together and unite for common causes. Diversity of thought and abilities is a natural state of mankind. ( I Corinthians 12). If the Marxist-Socialist beliefs that our universities preach is so superior then they should not be afraid of debate. Today it is said that we have a divided nation. Guess what? We have always had a divided nation. Factions exist in a free society. However, our differences have never been subjected to the scrutiny of social media as they are today.
Today you can exercise your right to free speech in just about 10 seconds and broadcast it to millions over social media. And your thoughts and ideas may just bruise the fragile emotions of many a thin skinned liberal. For they have never learned the value of free speech and how it adds to the advancement of our society.
Without free speech we would have never had the fugues of Bach. We would never have discovered the world was round. Copernicus would have been silenced and we would still think the sun revolves around the earth. We would still be having witch trials. We would never have made it to the moon. And we would never have become a free nation in the first place.
All of these things were the result of free speech. Just imagine what type of world we would all live in today if the United States had never been born. The world owes a great debt of gratitude to this nation. We have not always made the right decisions. And why would we? After all, we are just fallible humans. But the good this nation has done far exceeds the bad.
Our generosity and aid to the other nations of this world in times of crisis has never been equaled. We are the bellwether of liberty and freedom for the entire world. We have laid down our lives so that other peoples in other lands can have the freedoms we enjoy. We are indeed an exceptional nation with an exceptionally diversity of people. May we never be of monolithic thought.
We, the people, must stand up and demand that our institutions of higher learning do not become institutions of lower learning. This can only be accomplished within a climate of free speech. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” – Ronald Reagan.
(Larry Oscar is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is retired and lives with his wife on a lake in Oklahoma where he brews his own beer, sails, and is a member of numerous clubs and organizations.)
by Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network has introduced its 60cm x 40cm (24in x 15-3/4in) 5-Down Display Box for mangoes with minimum 24-Lb net product weight. Although 60x40cm 5-Down boxes are the industry standard for many commodities, most mangoes are currently packed in 34cm x 25cm (13-1/2in x 10in) 14-Down box. The 60x40cm Display box is intended to resolve issues that retailers have shared as impediments to the mango commodity’s enormous growth potential.
This design provides greatly increased pallet stability versus the 14-down box, therefore accelerating loading/unloading and warehouse movements. It also reduces transportation damage claims and the need for airbags and bracing.
At the DC and store level, labor is significantly reduced in picking product with each movement of the 5-Down Display Box equaling almost three of the regular box. This allows partial pallet store orders to be filled faster at the DC and large displays to be built with ease in the store. This larger box will not sink down and sit on other product causing bruising as smaller boxes tend to do when stacked on top of other commodities in mixed pallets.
The increased airflow possible with this design helps to have more consistent pressures when using ripening rooms. The display is very attractive and results in a larger footprint for mangoes within the produce department.
About Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network is an importer and distributor of mangoes and other produce with a mission to be the most efficient distribution channel in the United States for our customers and growers.
To us, being the most efficient distribution channel means providing the customer with the product, price, service, logistics and information he or she needs to be successful in the dynamic and complex world of produce while also providing the best possible returns to the growers who entrust us to market their crops.
Success is not achieved simply by selling the fruit at the highest price available in the market on any given day. Our success is achieved by obtaining the best average return for the grower’s crops over time through excellent stewardship of the product and service to our customers
SANTIAGO, CHILE — The Chilean cherry industry has reached a milestone as an industry, overtaking the historic cherry export limit of 20 million cartons, by shipping more than 30 million cartons during the current 2017-18 season; a figure that is expected to keep rising as exports continue.
“Up until last week we had reached more than 27 million cartons exported, but with the shipment that went out at the weekend, the industry has now overtaken 30 million cartons, the equivalent of 150,000 tons of cherries,” announced Cristian Tagle, President of the Cherry Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX).
According to Tagle, the volume reached to date has now surpassed the record 2014-15 campaign, when Chile exported over 21.7 million cartons or 103,081 tons of cherries.
“We estimate that Chilean cherries will continue to supply the Chinese market past Chinese New Year, which takes place on 16 February,” he said.
Tagle noted that the record exports have only been possible thanks to growers receiving favorable climatic conditions, particularly at the start of the season. However, he added that the achievement was also the result of hard work by producers and exporters, which had led to a greater planted area and an emphasis on better-tasting, more productive varieties, as well as the implementation of technologies that have enabled improved management and care of orchards.
ASOEX President Ronald Bown commented: “As we reach the record volume that we forecast, we have planned an important and intensive promotional campaign. The good news is we are ready and investing to boost consumption of these high volumes that are now a reality, particularly through promotional actions in China, which is the principle market for Chilean cherries.”
Of the 150,000 tons of Chilean cherries exported to date, some 89.1% was shipped to Asia, with China accounting for 94% of this total. In terms of other export destinations, the U.S. received 4.8% of the total volume, followed by Europe (2.4%), Canada (0.4%) and the Middle East (0.1%).
The Port of Savannah will soon see its container capacity increase with the addition of four cranes to help move those containers. The port is the largest single container facility in the U.S.
The four Neo-Panamax cranes arrived in late November, bringing the total number of the cranes at the facility to 30. Six more cranes are scheduled to arrive in 2020, and when all are operational, the port will be able to move 1,300 containers an hour, according to a news release.
“(As) we reflect on all the success we’ve enjoyed, we also look forward to the new era of prosperity these cranes will help usher in,” Georgia Ports Authority board chairman Jimmy Allgood said in the release. “Our considerable investments today ensure Georgia’s ports reputation for excellence.”
Upgrades to the Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah’s annual rail capacity to 1 million container lifts, expanding the port’s access to the Midwest.
The Neo-Panamax cranes can lift containers 152 feet above the dock and the booms reach out 192 feet. Each crane can lift 72 tons. The cranes operate over nine berth spaces.
All of the new cranes, a $47-million investment, will be operational by April.
L.A. is now receiving imported Chilean fruit….U.S. apple shipments are cranking up with the New Year.
The port of Los Angeles received its first breakbulk vessel shipment of Chilean summer fruit just before Christmas.
The ship unloaded 227,000 boxes of fresh cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and table grapes on December 22. The fruit was primarily delivered by truck to North American markets west of the Rockies, from Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia, and reaching into West Texas.
The Chilean fresh fruit import season usually runs from December to April. Last season, the port handled more than 82,000 metric tons of Chilean fresh fruit, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of all fruits and vegetables imported through Los Angeles.
U.S. Apple Shipments
There will be plenty of apple shipments in 2018, although U.S. volume will not be setting any records, according to a report from the U.S. Apple Association, based in Vienna, VA.
National apple volume, projected by the USDA in 2017, was for 248.7 million bushels, which would be below the record shipments of 281.3 million in 2014 and 268.4 million in 2016. The 2016 crop was the fourth-largest of all-time.
When the USDA’s estimated 2017 crop of 248.7 million bushels is included, the five-year rolling average of annual apple production stands at 257 million bushels, which is more than 2 million bushels greater than the previous record 5-year average of 255 million bushels in the period from 1994-98.
Washington led U.S. apple shipments with an estimate of 142.3 million bushels designated for the fresh market, according to USDA. New York was next, at 28 million, and Michigan, third, at 20.3 million.
A year ago, Michigan was No. 2-ranked in production, behind Washington, with 28 million boxes.
Washington state is shipping about 2500 truckload equivalents per week, while New York and Michigan are shipping around 150 truck equivalents of apples weekly.
Apples from the Yakima Valley and Wenatchee Valley of Washington – grossing about $8000 to New York City.
By Mucci Farms
KINGSVILLE, ON – Mucci Farms (the “company”) recently announced a large-scale, multi-year investment in Huron, Ohio. The company confirmed it was starting a multi-year, three phase construction project which will cover a total of 60 acres and feature the newest and latest state of the art greenhouses equipped with grow lights which extend the growing season. The constructed facility will also include a 272,000 sq. ft. distribution warehouse to support the company’s growing U.S. customer base. The company has already broken ground on the first phase which is the construction of a 24-acre range and expects produce from this facility will be available as soon as March 2018.
This new, state-of-the-art facility will include the latest grow light technology which simulates sunlight by providing or supplementing the necessary light to optimize plant growth. The use of this grow technology allows for year-round production, keeping our produce – “always in season”.
Mucci Farms already has a sustainable, successful business with a well recognized brand with a number of large U.S. retailers.
Expanding operations to include a U.S. growing facility was strategically done to meet U.S. customer demands for locally grown, year round, fresh and favourful produce.
Making this investment in Ohio allows us to reduce the food miles for our U.S. retailers and gives our U.S. consumers the confidence that they can bring fresh and flavourful Mucci Farms’ produce into their homes all year round.
The company has been actively exploring a number of U.S. expansion opportunities for the past 18 months and the site located in Huron, Ohio was a perfect fit due to its easy access to a number of current and potentially new retailer distribution facilities as well as its proximity to our corporate headquarters in Kingsville, ON.
The company has enjoyed establishing a number of working partnerships during the development stages of this expansion with the City of Huron and Erie County officials and the Company looks forward to what it expects will be a number of promising opportunities for continued community partnerships ahead.
The company anticipates when the first phase of construction is completed it will employ up to 100 full-time positions. The company expects this number will increase to 250 full-time positions by the completion of the third phase of construction.
Fresh potato shipments out of the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota are expected to be the largest volume in possibly a quarter of a century. Also, in Washington state, Henningsen Cold Storage is building a new cold storage.
About five million hundredweight(cwt.) of red as well as yellow potatoes should be shipped this season. During the ’60s and ’70s the Red River Valley actually shipped more spuds. However, there were a lot more wash plants in those days before consolidations took place. There also was not nearly the competition from potato producing regions in other parts of the country.
Another change in the valley has come with production of yellow potatoes. Volume has tripled over the past six year and now accounts for about 18 percent of the tonnage. Most of the balance comes with the more traditional red potato.
The valley has historically had transportation problems with shortages of trucks. Part of the problem was truckers having difficulty getting loads into the sparsely populated region. However, new federal regulations requiring electronic logging devices are making it even more difficult as many drivers are forced to reduce the number of hours they operate.
Red potatoes from Grand Forks, ND to Chicago – grossing about $2000.
Henningsen Cold Storage
by Henningsen Cold Storage Co.
HILLSBORO, Ore. — Henningsen Cold Storage Co. announces plans to build a new 5-million cubic foot temperature controlled warehouse to support the growing demand of customers in the Yakima Valley and Columbian Basin regions of Washington state. Construction will begin immediately with completion in the summer of 2018.
Grandview is located near the eastern border of Yakima County in south-central Washington State, and is equidistant, 40 miles, from the city of Yakima and the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco and Kennewick. It is in the heart of a thriving agri-business region and is an excellent distribution point to services customers throughout the entire Pacific Northwest.
The new location will offer over 20,000 pallet positions, with a variety of configurations and temperature ranges. It is designed to accommodate both production support and high-volume distribution business. A flexible racking design and layout will enable Henningsen to meet the needs of a wide variety of customer requirements.
Henningsen Transportation Services will augment the operation by offering local, regional and nationwide transportation services to manufacturers, retail and foodservice distributors, and international customers utilizing the new facility. About Henningsen Cold Storage Co.
Henningsen Cold Storage Co. is one of the largest public refrigerated warehousing companies in the U.S., with 11 facilities in six states providing 60 million cubic feet of temperature controlled storage. Henningsen is a fifth-generation family owned corporation with roots dating to 1923. To learn more about Henningsen, visit www.henningsen.com
By ACS / Friedrich Schiller University Jena
Raw broccoli sprouts, a rich source of potential cancer-fighting compounds, have become a popular health food in recent years. But conventional heat treatment used to kill bacteria on produce can reduce levels of the broccoli sprouts’ helpful phytochemicals. Now researchers report in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that high-pressure processing could wipe out harmful bacteria while maintaining high concentrations of its health-promoting ingredients.
Research has found broccoli sprouts contain anywhere from 10 to 100 times more glucosinolates than their mature counterparts. Glucosinolates are the main compounds in broccoli and sprouts that are transformed into isothiocyanates when chopped or chewed. Studies suggest isothiocyanates have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory activity. To help prevent bacterial contamination, the sprouts can be heated, but high temperatures can affect the conversion of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates. So Volker Bohm and colleagues wanted to explore an alternative method for getting rid of broccoli sprouts’ microbial contamination.
The researchers treated sprouts with high pressure, a method that is sometimes used to ensure the safety of seeds, fruits and vegetables while preserving heat-sensitive nutrients. Results showed that processing broccoli sprouts at 400 to 600 megapascals increased the amount of glucosinolates that turned into isothiocyanates. Up to 85 percent of glucosinolates were converted under high-pressure processing, boosting the plants’ potential health-promoting compounds. The rate of conversion for mild heat treatment at 60 degrees Celsius was 69 percent. Isothiocyanate content in boiled samples were undetectable or not quantifiable. Thus, the researchers say high pressure could be a preferred method over heating for processing broccoli sprouts.
Funding was provided by Ohio State University for the research.
Chicory
By Amiel Stanick, Bon Apetit
A crisp, leafy salad is a miraculous thing: It lends satisfying bulk to a light meal and bright balance to a heavy one. It seems like just yesterday chefs of every stripe were obsessing over alt-Caesars, crunchy piles of Little Gem, and reinvented wedges. But this year it’s definitely a family of hardy, pleasantly bitter, multihued lettuces that are having their moment in the salad spotlight. Some varieties, like escarole and radicchio, feel familiar; others, like boutiquey speckled Castelfranco and finger-spindly Tardivo, look fantastically exotic.
One of the biggest selling points of chicories is their hardiness. They taste sturdy, they feel sturdy, meaning you can treat them aggressively, says chef Jake Nemmers of Flora Bar in NYC. They want lots of salt and acid and fat. They are dying to be seasoned. Not only does that mean that chicories play nice with more intense salad elements such as salty cheese, nuts, and fruit, but also that they’ll hold up over the course of a long, lazy meal much better than more delicate lettuces.
Deliciousness aside, chicories are also a win visually, an Instagram-age slam dunk. “They’re just so beautiful,” J.J. Proville, chef of Seattle’s Our Sin. Whether you’re a chef or a home cook, a chicory salad with all those incredible hues of purple and white and green is going to impress. It’s a lot more interesting than iceberg. Proville recommends mixing up different varieties for maximum visual and textural impact.
I’m not sure where 2017 went, but ready or not I’m plowing right into 2018!
I’ve been very blessed in many ways, one of which is the way HaulProduce.com continues to have more folks signing up for our free subscriptions. This tells me you are finding worthwhile information here relating to produce hauling, as well as other news such as the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
There have now been over 1900 posts published on the website since it was launched on January 12, 2012. Six years! Where has the time gone!
The primary sponsors of HaulProduce – Allen Lund Co., Cool Runnings, and DMTB, I have personally known the owners a combined 105 years! They are all good, honest people that I can’t say enough good things about. The bottom line is they care about maintaining impeccable business reputations and they truly care about the trucking industry and particularly the hard working Americans that deliver well over 9o percent of the fresh produce to destinations across North America.
So, here is a shout out to 3 of the finest men I’ve ever known – Allen Lund, Fred Plotsky and Jimmy DeMatteis.
It looks like we are entering another cycle in the trucking industry. If you are old enough you have witnessed several of these over the years. The economy slows down, excess equipment is out there and freight rates plunge. Luckily, it looks like what started in 2017 is just really getting started with this new cycle in trucking. The economy is picking up, equipment and qualified drivers are harder to find, and freight rates are on the rise.
Of course, we can always count on the federal and state governments to put a damper on things, particularly with more rules, regulations and taxes, most of which seem to do more harm than good, and often increase costs of operation.
I continue to be amazed, especially with the owner operators and small fleet owners, that continue to persevere.
This is wishing each of you much happiness and health in the New Year. – Bill Martin
2017 had its share of bad weather conditions of different varieties that presented challenges for produce truckers.
Heavy snows early in the year resulted in collapsing buildings in the Northwest holding onions, among other items. During the spring a Southeastern killer freeze wiped out the majority of peaches and blueberries.
On the Gulf Coast and in Florida two hurricanes were devastating.
On the positive side, winter rains eased the California drought significantly.
Citrus hauling was adversely affected with Irma causing at least $760 million in losses to citrus, with many growers losing at least half of their crop. Vegetable and strawberry shipments also were adversely affected by Irma, but not nearly as much.
Banana imports by boat were diverted from Galveston to Florida ports after the storm. The port of Houston remained closed for months. The 50 inches of rain dumped on the Gulf Coast area was the most on record in the U.S. for a single storm.
In Georgia, a March freeze knocked out 70 percent of the peach shipments and an even higher percentage of blueberries.
Wave after wave of late-winter rains flooded fields, caused crop delays and played havoc with planting schedules and ultimately produce shipping schedules in California. However, Salinas Valley produce grower and shippers were so desperate for rain they weren’t complaining.
The rains brought a much-needed cleansing of the soil in the Salinas Valley by helping to leach unwanted salts below the farmed portions of the soil. Still California needs another two or three years like 2017 to end its drought.
In January 2017 in the Treasure Valley region of Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon, two major snow storms in less than two weeks resulted in collapsing of a number of onion storage sheds and other structures. At least eight onion companies lost one or more buildings, while at least five had three or more cave in.
By Larry Oscar
It is interesting to observe how many family traditions creep into our lives over the years. Just about everybody has some favorite tradition for the holidays. Traditions are a part of our life that get ingrained into our very being.
Some people just cannot get through the holiday season without traditions. I wonder why that is? We have some national traditions that go back to the founding of our country. Traditions that are ingrained into the very fabric of our national character. In fact, one of these traditions became so important to the founding fathers that they included it in the Constitution.
You know the Constitution don’t you? It’s the supreme law of the land. One such tradition of the colonialists was free speech. That was something they did not have while living under the king, but after moving to America they suddenly found themselves living where they could say what they thought without fear of retribution from the king’s men.
As the tradition of free speech caught on it became such an important part of liberty that they were willing to die to defend it. Today free speech is under assault.
Our schools and universities have moved from teaching you how to think to teaching you what to think. And when free speech is a threat to their “what to think” belief system they mistakenly want to shut it down. Somehow they think the diversity of thought needs to be suppressed.
I hate to be a bearer of bad news to these folks, but diversity of thought is and shall ever be a founding pillar of our nation. We do not, nor should we, all think alike. Diversity of thought is what drives our quest for scientific knowledge, new technology, and even the arts.
Can you imagine what sort of music we would have today if composers were forced to all compose the same type of music? It is human nature to be diverse. We are all different in many respects. The founding fathers were intelligent enough to know this. That is why we are not one monolithic nation, but rather a united collection of individual states. Each state has people who live their lives with a slightly different approach than other states.
We are individuals who come together and unite for common causes. Diversity of thought and abilities is a natural state of mankind. ( I Corinthians 12). If the Marxist-Socialist beliefs that our universities preach is so superior then they should not be afraid of debate. Today it is said that we have a divided nation. Guess what? We have always had a divided nation. Factions exist in a free society. However, our differences have never been subjected to the scrutiny of social media as they are today.
Today you can exercise your right to free speech in just about 10 seconds and broadcast it to millions over social media. And your thoughts and ideas may just bruise the fragile emotions of many a thin skinned liberal. For they have never learned the value of free speech and how it adds to the advancement of our society.
Without free speech we would have never had the fugues of Bach. We would never have discovered the world was round. Copernicus would have been silenced and we would still think the sun revolves around the earth. We would still be having witch trials. We would never have made it to the moon. And we would never have become a free nation in the first place.
All of these things were the result of free speech. Just imagine what type of world we would all live in today if the United States had never been born. The world owes a great debt of gratitude to this nation. We have not always made the right decisions. And why would we? After all, we are just fallible humans. But the good this nation has done far exceeds the bad.
Our generosity and aid to the other nations of this world in times of crisis has never been equaled. We are the bellwether of liberty and freedom for the entire world. We have laid down our lives so that other peoples in other lands can have the freedoms we enjoy. We are indeed an exceptional nation with an exceptionally diversity of people. May we never be of monolithic thought.
We, the people, must stand up and demand that our institutions of higher learning do not become institutions of lower learning. This can only be accomplished within a climate of free speech. “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” – Ronald Reagan.
(Larry Oscar is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is retired and lives with his wife on a lake in Oklahoma where he brews his own beer, sails, and is a member of numerous clubs and organizations.)
by Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network has introduced its 60cm x 40cm (24in x 15-3/4in) 5-Down Display Box for mangoes with minimum 24-Lb net product weight. Although 60x40cm 5-Down boxes are the industry standard for many commodities, most mangoes are currently packed in 34cm x 25cm (13-1/2in x 10in) 14-Down box. The 60x40cm Display box is intended to resolve issues that retailers have shared as impediments to the mango commodity’s enormous growth potential.
This design provides greatly increased pallet stability versus the 14-down box, therefore accelerating loading/unloading and warehouse movements. It also reduces transportation damage claims and the need for airbags and bracing.
At the DC and store level, labor is significantly reduced in picking product with each movement of the 5-Down Display Box equaling almost three of the regular box. This allows partial pallet store orders to be filled faster at the DC and large displays to be built with ease in the store. This larger box will not sink down and sit on other product causing bruising as smaller boxes tend to do when stacked on top of other commodities in mixed pallets.
The increased airflow possible with this design helps to have more consistent pressures when using ripening rooms. The display is very attractive and results in a larger footprint for mangoes within the produce department.
About Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network is an importer and distributor of mangoes and other produce with a mission to be the most efficient distribution channel in the United States for our customers and growers.
To us, being the most efficient distribution channel means providing the customer with the product, price, service, logistics and information he or she needs to be successful in the dynamic and complex world of produce while also providing the best possible returns to the growers who entrust us to market their crops.
Success is not achieved simply by selling the fruit at the highest price available in the market on any given day. Our success is achieved by obtaining the best average return for the grower’s crops over time through excellent stewardship of the product and service to our customers
SANTIAGO, CHILE — The Chilean cherry industry has reached a milestone as an industry, overtaking the historic cherry export limit of 20 million cartons, by shipping more than 30 million cartons during the current 2017-18 season; a figure that is expected to keep rising as exports continue.
“Up until last week we had reached more than 27 million cartons exported, but with the shipment that went out at the weekend, the industry has now overtaken 30 million cartons, the equivalent of 150,000 tons of cherries,” announced Cristian Tagle, President of the Cherry Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX).
According to Tagle, the volume reached to date has now surpassed the record 2014-15 campaign, when Chile exported over 21.7 million cartons or 103,081 tons of cherries.
“We estimate that Chilean cherries will continue to supply the Chinese market past Chinese New Year, which takes place on 16 February,” he said.
Tagle noted that the record exports have only been possible thanks to growers receiving favorable climatic conditions, particularly at the start of the season. However, he added that the achievement was also the result of hard work by producers and exporters, which had led to a greater planted area and an emphasis on better-tasting, more productive varieties, as well as the implementation of technologies that have enabled improved management and care of orchards.
ASOEX President Ronald Bown commented: “As we reach the record volume that we forecast, we have planned an important and intensive promotional campaign. The good news is we are ready and investing to boost consumption of these high volumes that are now a reality, particularly through promotional actions in China, which is the principle market for Chilean cherries.”
Of the 150,000 tons of Chilean cherries exported to date, some 89.1% was shipped to Asia, with China accounting for 94% of this total. In terms of other export destinations, the U.S. received 4.8% of the total volume, followed by Europe (2.4%), Canada (0.4%) and the Middle East (0.1%).
The Port of Savannah will soon see its container capacity increase with the addition of four cranes to help move those containers. The port is the largest single container facility in the U.S.
The four Neo-Panamax cranes arrived in late November, bringing the total number of the cranes at the facility to 30. Six more cranes are scheduled to arrive in 2020, and when all are operational, the port will be able to move 1,300 containers an hour, according to a news release.
“(As) we reflect on all the success we’ve enjoyed, we also look forward to the new era of prosperity these cranes will help usher in,” Georgia Ports Authority board chairman Jimmy Allgood said in the release. “Our considerable investments today ensure Georgia’s ports reputation for excellence.”
Upgrades to the Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah’s annual rail capacity to 1 million container lifts, expanding the port’s access to the Midwest.
The Neo-Panamax cranes can lift containers 152 feet above the dock and the booms reach out 192 feet. Each crane can lift 72 tons. The cranes operate over nine berth spaces.
All of the new cranes, a $47-million investment, will be operational by April.
L.A. is now receiving imported Chilean fruit….U.S. apple shipments are cranking up with the New Year.
The port of Los Angeles received its first breakbulk vessel shipment of Chilean summer fruit just before Christmas.
The ship unloaded 227,000 boxes of fresh cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and table grapes on December 22. The fruit was primarily delivered by truck to North American markets west of the Rockies, from Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia, and reaching into West Texas.
The Chilean fresh fruit import season usually runs from December to April. Last season, the port handled more than 82,000 metric tons of Chilean fresh fruit, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of all fruits and vegetables imported through Los Angeles.
U.S. Apple Shipments
There will be plenty of apple shipments in 2018, although U.S. volume will not be setting any records, according to a report from the U.S. Apple Association, based in Vienna, VA.
National apple volume, projected by the USDA in 2017, was for 248.7 million bushels, which would be below the record shipments of 281.3 million in 2014 and 268.4 million in 2016. The 2016 crop was the fourth-largest of all-time.
When the USDA’s estimated 2017 crop of 248.7 million bushels is included, the five-year rolling average of annual apple production stands at 257 million bushels, which is more than 2 million bushels greater than the previous record 5-year average of 255 million bushels in the period from 1994-98.
Washington led U.S. apple shipments with an estimate of 142.3 million bushels designated for the fresh market, according to USDA. New York was next, at 28 million, and Michigan, third, at 20.3 million.
A year ago, Michigan was No. 2-ranked in production, behind Washington, with 28 million boxes.
Washington state is shipping about 2500 truckload equivalents per week, while New York and Michigan are shipping around 150 truck equivalents of apples weekly.
Apples from the Yakima Valley and Wenatchee Valley of Washington – grossing about $8000 to New York City.
By Mucci Farms
KINGSVILLE, ON – Mucci Farms (the “company”) recently announced a large-scale, multi-year investment in Huron, Ohio. The company confirmed it was starting a multi-year, three phase construction project which will cover a total of 60 acres and feature the newest and latest state of the art greenhouses equipped with grow lights which extend the growing season. The constructed facility will also include a 272,000 sq. ft. distribution warehouse to support the company’s growing U.S. customer base. The company has already broken ground on the first phase which is the construction of a 24-acre range and expects produce from this facility will be available as soon as March 2018.
This new, state-of-the-art facility will include the latest grow light technology which simulates sunlight by providing or supplementing the necessary light to optimize plant growth. The use of this grow technology allows for year-round production, keeping our produce – “always in season”.
Mucci Farms already has a sustainable, successful business with a well recognized brand with a number of large U.S. retailers.
Expanding operations to include a U.S. growing facility was strategically done to meet U.S. customer demands for locally grown, year round, fresh and favourful produce.
Making this investment in Ohio allows us to reduce the food miles for our U.S. retailers and gives our U.S. consumers the confidence that they can bring fresh and flavourful Mucci Farms’ produce into their homes all year round.
The company has been actively exploring a number of U.S. expansion opportunities for the past 18 months and the site located in Huron, Ohio was a perfect fit due to its easy access to a number of current and potentially new retailer distribution facilities as well as its proximity to our corporate headquarters in Kingsville, ON.
The company has enjoyed establishing a number of working partnerships during the development stages of this expansion with the City of Huron and Erie County officials and the Company looks forward to what it expects will be a number of promising opportunities for continued community partnerships ahead.
The company anticipates when the first phase of construction is completed it will employ up to 100 full-time positions. The company expects this number will increase to 250 full-time positions by the completion of the third phase of construction.
Fresh potato shipments out of the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota are expected to be the largest volume in possibly a quarter of a century. Also, in Washington state, Henningsen Cold Storage is building a new cold storage.
About five million hundredweight(cwt.) of red as well as yellow potatoes should be shipped this season. During the ’60s and ’70s the Red River Valley actually shipped more spuds. However, there were a lot more wash plants in those days before consolidations took place. There also was not nearly the competition from potato producing regions in other parts of the country.
Another change in the valley has come with production of yellow potatoes. Volume has tripled over the past six year and now accounts for about 18 percent of the tonnage. Most of the balance comes with the more traditional red potato.
The valley has historically had transportation problems with shortages of trucks. Part of the problem was truckers having difficulty getting loads into the sparsely populated region. However, new federal regulations requiring electronic logging devices are making it even more difficult as many drivers are forced to reduce the number of hours they operate.
Red potatoes from Grand Forks, ND to Chicago – grossing about $2000.
Henningsen Cold Storage
by Henningsen Cold Storage Co.
HILLSBORO, Ore. — Henningsen Cold Storage Co. announces plans to build a new 5-million cubic foot temperature controlled warehouse to support the growing demand of customers in the Yakima Valley and Columbian Basin regions of Washington state. Construction will begin immediately with completion in the summer of 2018.
Grandview is located near the eastern border of Yakima County in south-central Washington State, and is equidistant, 40 miles, from the city of Yakima and the Tri-Cities of Richland, Pasco and Kennewick. It is in the heart of a thriving agri-business region and is an excellent distribution point to services customers throughout the entire Pacific Northwest.
The new location will offer over 20,000 pallet positions, with a variety of configurations and temperature ranges. It is designed to accommodate both production support and high-volume distribution business. A flexible racking design and layout will enable Henningsen to meet the needs of a wide variety of customer requirements.
Henningsen Transportation Services will augment the operation by offering local, regional and nationwide transportation services to manufacturers, retail and foodservice distributors, and international customers utilizing the new facility. About Henningsen Cold Storage Co.
Henningsen Cold Storage Co. is one of the largest public refrigerated warehousing companies in the U.S., with 11 facilities in six states providing 60 million cubic feet of temperature controlled storage. Henningsen is a fifth-generation family owned corporation with roots dating to 1923. To learn more about Henningsen, visit www.henningsen.com
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I’m not sure where 2017 went, but ready or not I’m plowing right into 2018!
I’ve been very blessed in many ways, one of which is the way HaulProduce.com continues to have more folks signing up for our free subscriptions. This tells me you are finding worthwhile information here relating to produce hauling, as well as other news such as the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
There have now been over 1900 posts published on the website since it was launched on January 12, 2012. Six years! Where has the time gone!
The primary sponsors of HaulProduce – Allen Lund Co., Cool Runnings, and DMTB, I have personally known the owners a combined 105 years! They are all good, honest people that I can’t say enough good things about. The bottom line is they care about maintaining impeccable business reputations and they truly care about the trucking industry and particularly the hard working Americans that deliver well over 9o percent of the fresh produce to destinations across North America.
So, here is a shout out to 3 of the finest men I’ve ever known – Allen Lund, Fred Plotsky and Jimmy DeMatteis.
It looks like we are entering another cycle in the trucking industry. If you are old enough you have witnessed several of these over the years. The economy slows down, excess equipment is out there and freight rates plunge. Luckily, it looks like what started in 2017 is just really getting started with this new cycle in trucking. The economy is picking up, equipment and qualified drivers are harder to find, and freight rates are on the rise.
Of course, we can always count on the federal and state governments to put a damper on things, particularly with more rules, regulations and taxes, most of which seem to do more harm than good, and often increase costs of operation.
I continue to be amazed, especially with the owner operators and small fleet owners, that continue to persevere.
This is wishing each of you much happiness and health in the New Year. – Bill Martin
2017 had its share of bad weather conditions of different varieties that presented challenges for produce truckers.
Heavy snows early in the year resulted in collapsing buildings in the Northwest holding onions, among other items. During the spring a Southeastern killer freeze wiped out the majority of peaches and blueberries.
On the Gulf Coast and in Florida two hurricanes were devastating.
On the positive side, winter rains eased the California drought significantly.
Citrus hauling was adversely affected with Irma causing at least $760 million in losses to citrus, with many growers losing at least half of their crop. Vegetable and strawberry shipments also were adversely affected by Irma, but not nearly as much.
Banana imports by boat were diverted from Galveston to Florida ports after the storm. The port of Houston remained closed for months. The 50 inches of rain dumped on the Gulf Coast area was the most on record in the U.S. for a single storm.
In Georgia, a March freeze knocked out 70 percent of the peach shipments and an even higher percentage of blueberries.
Wave after wave of late-winter rains flooded fields, caused crop delays and played havoc with planting schedules and ultimately produce shipping schedules in California. However, Salinas Valley produce grower and shippers were so desperate for rain they weren’t complaining.
The rains brought a much-needed cleansing of the soil in the Salinas Valley by helping to leach unwanted salts below the farmed portions of the soil. Still California needs another two or three years like 2017 to end its drought.
In January 2017 in the Treasure Valley region of Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon, two major snow storms in less than two weeks resulted in collapsing of a number of onion storage sheds and other structures. At least eight onion companies lost one or more buildings, while at least five had three or more cave in.