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If great spring weather for growing vegetables, combined with optimism by Florida shippers mean anything, this should be one of the better years in a while for hauling produce from the Sunshine state.
Dozens of mixed vegetables are now being shipped, or will soon get underway. Similar to the strawberry crop that got an early start this season from the Plant City area (and is now finished), one would think Florida vegetable shipments would follow a similar path of earlier than usual volume.
April and May are typically the heaviest volume months, so we’ll see. The biggest movers currently are mature green, plum and grape tomatoes averaging over 350 truck loads a week. Other leading items are cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes (red, white and yellow), bell peppers and green beans. Very light volume is with numerous veggies ranging from cucumbers to lettuce, radish, and celery to eggplant.
Keep in mind, Florida isn’t Mexico or California when it comes to volume. There’s a reason so many multiple pick ups and drops are associated with hauling produce out of Florida.
Spring watermelons are heavy volume in season, but the first melons from Florida will not start until around the middle of April from the Immokalee area. In fact, most loadings of Florida produce for the next several weeks will occur in Southern and Central areas of the state.
Another significant item is Florida blueberry shipments, which have been increasing in volume in recent years. “Blues” will be starting in April.
Although Florida doesn’t compare to South Carolina, Georgia, or certainly not California, it does ship peaches as far north as Canada and across the Mississippi River. Operations such as Florida Sweet Peaches in Arcadia and Florida Classic Growers in Dundee have been expanding. Peach shipments should get underway in late March and continue through April and possibly early May.
Florida vegetable shipments – grossing about $2400 to Philadelphia.
by Veg-Fresh Farms
Corona, CA – For the second year in a row, Veg-Fresh Farms is supporting NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competition driver Blaine Perkins as a season sponsor.
Perkins, the teenaged son of Ryan Perkins, director of sales at Bakersfield stalwart Delano Farms, will be driving for his second year under the tutelage of veteran NASCAR driver Steve Portenga. In 2016 (his rookie season), Perkins tallied ten top-10 finishes in fourteen appearances and has been dubbed “a rising star” by NASCAR journalists.
With this sponsorship, Veg-Fresh Farms will place the logo of its organic brand, Good Life Organic™, on the hood of Perkins’ race car. Other sponsors include Four Star Fruit, Golden Gate Meat Company, and Double Eagle Produce.
“We’re excited to partner again with Veg-Fresh Farms along with all our other great sponsors –they help make each season possible. We’re looking forward to having our friends at Veg-Fresh cheering Blaine on at our Irwindale race coming up March 25!” said Ryan Perkins at Delano Farms.
“We’re proud to support Blaine in another year of his racing career. Not only do we see this as an excellent way to honor our friendship and partnership with the Delano Farms team, but we also see value in getting our organic brand in front of Blaine’s fans and social media followers. That generation is queued to be the next one making purchase decisions at the store, so we’re excited about the idea of getting in front of them now,” said Dino Cancellieri, General Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms.
The 2017 K&N Pro Series season kicked off in February, with more races scheduled throughout the spring, summer, and late fall. Perkins’ races will be broadcast live on NBC Sports throughout the season.
About Blaine Perkins Racing
Born and bred in Southern California’s Bakersfield region, 16-year old Blaine Perkins is a full-time driver of the #21 car in the NASCAR K&N West Series Championship under the leadership of Steve Portenga. Perkins finished 9th overall in points for the NASCAR K&N West Series, and boasted ten top-10 finishes and one top-5 finish in 2016.
About Veg-Fresh Farms
Veg-Fresh Farms is a third-generation, family-run agribusiness, currently providing fresh produce to national food service chains and national retailers under the Veg-Fresh Farms, Crystal Cove Berry Farms, and Good Life Organic™ labels. https://vegfresh.com
By Larry Oscar
Nothing like a good reality check I always say. Especially in the times we live in today.
Reality is something humans have a hard time coping with. Probably because we have a strong belief or emotional desire in what the outcome of something should be. Then when the outcome is something different we get all upset and unhinged. People who suffer from delusional disorder have a hard time dealing with reality in this regard. I know this very well.
My family has struggled with this for decades. Life is best enjoyed when you don’t expect a particular outcome of events, but rather just sit back and observe what happens and then connect the dots as to its cause. A case in point is what is happening on the world political stage. We are witnessing a time in human history when several change agents are working together at the same time on human society. With just one change agent you can have a better chance of predicting the outcome, but when two or more are working at the same time it becomes almost impossible to predict, with any accuracy, the eventual outcome.
The world stage is currently set for a storm of change agents to take effect. The rise of all types of social media in recent years has been a very powerful change agent we have yet to see the results of. It’s affect on the media has sent shock waves through all the world’s journalists. In fact, social media may just make journalists a thing of the past.
With the rise of social media and the internet, journalists are becoming irrelevant. After all social media has made everybody a journalist. We no longer need for a journalists to act as a middle man and report what someone said or what event may have happened. With social media we get it straight from the horses mouth. No journalistic comments are required or even welcomed. We are now in a position of having to make up our own mind. And that is scary for people who run on a high level of emotion. They are used to someone telling them how to think.
With this change currently taking place in society we are witnessing a major transformation in communications happening at breakneck speed right before our very eyes. Over 40 years ago I began my career working with computer technology. It was a rather wild ride. If you think dealing with change is hard, just try working with a technology that changes every six months. You have to embrace rapid change in the high tech business, or you are out of business just as rapidly as the changes occur. Another change agent working it’s magic today is the rapid increase in the prosperity of societies.
It was just a few decades ago that most of the world’s population was struggling to feed itself. There was no room for luxuries such as cell phones, automobiles, or airplane travel. Today most of the world has ready access to all of these. And air travel today can exceed 100,000 flights per day. With all of this rapid travel and instant communications you will find one of societies major institutions having a very hard time keeping up. And that would be governments.
We are placing demands on governments they were never designed to cope with. Almost all governments are slow to change and slow to institute changes by design. In the past we could have expected governments to make changes over a several year time span. Today we are expecting governmental changes to be made in weeks or months at the latest. This has thrown the political class into a tailspin. After all, they like to play politics.
And if you solve problems quickly they no longer have a political football to kick around. One of the best examples of this is the great wall that President Trump wants to build on the Mexico border. Oh my, if you are a liberal what a terrible thing. This just goes against “our values” cries old Chuckles the clown. Really, did they forget that a senator from New York named Hillary Clinton proposed just such a wall back in 2006?
And guess who voted for it? You got it, old Chuckles Schumer himself. Check it out….
The bottom line here is that change is coming whether we like it or not. You can get onboard the boat, or you can sit back and be left on the dock. The choice is yours.
(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 Pioneer Growers
Belle Glade, FL – Pioneer Growers has announced the near completion of their new facility expansion that includes expanded cold storage and processing facilities at their Belle Glade, FL location.
The facility became operational recently, and this is the third and final phase of a mid-term expansion plan that includes 64,000 additional square feet of space for processing, storage, and office space. The Florida facility now includes 13 docks and 700 new pallet spaces to aid in cooling incoming product and staging outgoing shipments.
Vice President and General Manager Gene Duff remarked, “As one of the largest fresh sweet corn growers in the U.S. it’s important that we continue to expand and improve our facilities to meet not only growing demand, but to maintain production efficiencies that continue to improve our product handling and quality.”
Construction of the phase three project began in August of 2016 and was part of a 5-year plan that included previous expansions of processing, receiving and packing areas and features Thermomass tilt wall construction.
Pioneer is currently shipping sweet corn, cabbage and radishes along with green beans which are processed in the new Phase 3 expansion.
In closing Duff remarked, “Pioneer Growers has always been an industry leader and our growers and employees are proud and excited to work in the most modern facility in the Glades where we produce and ship some of the freshest, best quality sweet corn and vegetables grown anywhere in the U.S.”
Pioneer Growers is a grower owned marketing cooperative specializing in fresh sweet corn and mixed vegetables including green beans, radishes, and cabbage. Today, Pioneer is a leader in the sweet corn industry offering year-round availability with more than 13,000 acres across Florida, Georgia and the Northeast with a focus on premium quality driven by their commitment to super sweet varieties packed in the Pioneer and Green Giant Fresh brands.
Florida tomato shipments and vegetable shipments – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
While everyone seems to be talking about Vidalia sweet onions, which won’t even start shipping for another month, there’s plenty of Mexican sweet onions crossing the border in South Texas, while an excellent crop of Texas 1015 variety sweet onions are now underway.
Onions from Peru are done, which is helping to bolster loadings out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
As of March 2nd shipments year to date out of Mexico a year ago were 2,667 truck loads in 2016. This year 4,523 truck loads have crossed the border into Texas by that same date. Mexican onion shipments got underway this year a month earlier than normal, which will result in loadings from Mexico ending earlier than usual. (A similar situation exists in South Texas and with Vidalia onions).
Mexican onion quality overall has been reported very good and is averaging over 700 truck loads crossing the border each week.
As Mexican onion shipments have entered the last half of its season, sweet onions out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley have just recently got underway. While no official acreage report has been issued, some believe there are fewer acres planted in the Rio Grande Valley than a year ago. Less than 75 truck loads of Texas sweet onions were shipped from the valley last week, but volume is increasing.
Imported Mexican tropical fruits and vegetables – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
1015 Sweet Onion History
The sweet onions from Texas started when the Bermuda onion was introduced into South Texas in 1898 when a packet of onion seed was planted near Cotulla. The onions were shipped in 1899 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they were so enthusiastically received that a larger acreage was planted.
By 1904, approximately 500 acres of Bermuda onions were planted in South Texas. In spring, 1907, 1,011 carloads (rail) of onions were shipped from South and Southwest Texas; in 1908, production had more than doubled, and in 1909, 12 counties shipped 2,920 carloads. Shipments reached 6,735 carloads in 1917; this figure was not exceeded until 1928 and 1929 when the total movements were 7,055 and 7,232 carloads, respectively. The largest movement in 50 years for a single season was 10,164 carloads in 1946.
The Canary Islands, principally Teneriffe Island, produced most of the onion seed planted in Texas until about 1946. The two types of Bermuda onions generally grown in Texas were the Yellow Bermuda and White Bermuda and Crystal Wax.
More Texas grapefruit loads than usual are headed to the East Coast this season. Meanwhile, apples remaining in storages to be shipped remain significant higher than a year ago.
Florida grapefruit shipments have halted for the season, as much as three weeks ahead of schedule as volume declines continue, something that has been affecting all Florida citrus as citrus greening losses continue to mount.
Texas grapefruit shipments which have increased this season (by 10 percent) are now destined for some East Coast cities to fill the void left by Florida. Meanwhile, California citrus loadings are just getting underway.
Florida grapefruit acreage has plunged from more than 124,000 acres in 1970 to about 40,300 acres this past season. The estimated end-of-season shipments this season is 9 million 85-pound cartons, compared to 10.8 million a year ago and 12.9 million in 2014-15.
There were no quality problems with the Florida grapefruit that could be shipped, but there was a much lower quantity. The blame is laid on citrus greening and not weather. It’s the lowest volume in possibly three decades.
As for Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, grapefruit shipments have yet to be effected by citrus greening. Lone Star State Loadings should continue through mid-April.
California citrus shipments should be in good volume leading up to Easter, which is April 16th.
Texas grapefruit, and imported Mexican produce – grossing about $4200 to New York City.
Apple Shipments
Fresh apples remaining in U.S. storages as of March 1st stood at 69.7 million (42-pound) cartons, 12 percent more higher than last year and 8 percent over the five-year average.
Washington state accounted for 90 percent of the remaining apples, amounting to 62.7 million cartons. Red delicious storage apples totaled 24.4 million cartons, up 33 percent from 18.4 million cartons in 2016. However, this was down 16 percent from 29 million cartons from March 2015.
Gala variety fresh apples in storage stood at 12.9 million cartons, up 36 percent from 9.5 million cartons a year ago and about the same as two years ago.
Washington’s Yakima and Wenatchee Valley apples and pears – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
As the month of March progresses, produce shippers will be transitioning to the coastal valleys of California as well as the Huron district on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. However, for now primary vegetables shipments continue from the desert regions of California and Arizona. But shipping gapes in the weeks ahead are certain.
Loadings for some early season cauliflower and broccoli should start from the Salinas Valley in mid-March. Meanwhile desert lettuce shipments will shift to Huron (San Joaquin Valley) by the end of March. However it be early April before lettuce and leaf items are shipped from Salinas. This is when the shipping gaps will start and the issues will continue at least until May.
A couple of hours drive to the south a very similar scenario is seen in Santa Maria. The broccoli and cauliflower currently being harvested has quality issues due to relentless recent rains.
Quality is expected to gradually improve along with volume throughout March, but yields and loadings will be down along with supply gaps.
Vegetable shipments from the California and Arizona deserts should finish during the third week of March.
In Southern California, rains hit strawberry fields and volume is slowly improving, but still struggling to get back to normal. Decent strawberry shipments are expected by the third week of March from Ventura County. While Southern California strawberries are working to regain good volume, shipments from Florida and Mexico are starting to decline. Both those areas of origin are well above their shipping levels compared to the same time in 2016.
Florida and Mexico had a combined volume of about 36 million cartons compared to about half that in late February 2016. For the past two years, those two production areas have combined to ship around 50 million trays to U.S. markets.
In late February, California had shipped just 3 million crates compared to the close to 200 million it typically ships in a calendar year.
U.S. federal regulators are preparing to clamp down on those in the food supply chain ranging from shippers to truckers who do not comply with the federal government’s new food transportation safety rule coming in April.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply, from the way it is grown, harvested and processed, to ensure it is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it.
Many businesses have been slow to prepare for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation on the sanitary transportation of human and animal food, implemented in response to the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. Some industry experts see the transportation industry as being pretty clueless about the rules. Tough talk has been coming from those who are to enforce the new act.
The law was prompted after many reported incidents of foodborne illnesses during the first decade of the 2000s. Tainted food has cost the food industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.
This bill is similar to the Food Safety Enhancement Act which passed the House in 2009. It is considered the first major piece of federal legislation addressing food safety since 1938. ] It is also the first piece of legislation to address intentional adulteration.
The changes are expected force shippers and carriers to have some serious talks involving new contracts or adjusting tweaks to existing agreements.
The new act will effect everything from the loading dock to the receiver’s dock and will need to document procedures, processes, training and records.
Transport Topics recently quoted Leonard “Bud” Rodowick, an executive at transport refrigeration unit supplier Thermo King Corp as saying, “It’s government on steroids.” Indeed, the scope of the new rule is broad, requiring shippers, carriers, brokers, receivers and loaders to hone their best sanitary food transportation practices. The 283-page rule places the primary burden on shippers and manufacturers to ensure that the proper written procedures and data collection are in place to keep food properly cooled and trailers cleaned between loads.
However, it also requires carriers to make good on their promises to shippers. The new FDA requirements are part of the federal government’s larger effort to prevent food safety problems, rather than reacting to crises when food becomes contaminated.
A packing date is set for Vidalia sweet onions. Otherwise, primary onion loadings a taking place from two western U.S. areas. Finally, here’s the outlook for imported mangoes.
An April 12th pack date for Vidalia onions has been set by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which is about two weeks earlier than the pack dates during the past three seasons.
GDA rules mandate that no Vidalia onions can be packed or sold before the April 12 pack date. The pack date is established prior to each season to ensure the highest quality onions are delivered to retail stores for consumers across the country. The 2017 Vidalia onion crop is ahead of schedule because of the mild temperatures this winter thus resulting in the earlier pack date. Any sweet onions shipped from the Vidalia growing district prior to April 12th cannot be sold and shipped as Vidalia onions.
This is a very quiet time of year for Georgia produce shipments, with very light volume on a few items such as carrots and greens. Peach shipments are a couple of months away.
Storage Onion Shipments
The largest amount of onions coming out of domestic storages, averaging about 800 truck loads per week, is from western Idaho and nearby Malheur Co. in eastern Oregon. Similar onion volume also is be loaded from the Columbia Basin in Washington state and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon.
Idaho/Oregon onions – grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.
Southern Washington/ Northern Oregon onions – grossing about $4800 to New York City.
Mango Imports
Mango imports for markets in the U.S. are expected to be similar in volume to last year. Peruvian imported mangoes are rapidly declining as the season comes to a close, while it will be April before there is big volume crossing the border from Mexico.
U.S. consumption of mangos continues to increase as the tropical fruit becomes more mainstream than ever. Since 2005, mango volume has increased over 75 percent, from 62 million boxes in 2005 to 109 million boxes in 2016. U.S. per capita consumption has grown 58 percent since 2005 to almost three pounds per person in 2016.
All of the units are now full on the San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market, and now it is starting its next phase of development.
With all 50 of the produce market’s spaces available for lease being occupied, and it is now pre-selling lots in an industrial park scheduled to be completed in late 2018.
Once a company purchases a lot, which is about 10,000 square feet, it can build a warehouse there to its specifications.
Companies can start construction on their individual warehouses after the completion of the infrastructure of the industrial park, which will include streets and parking, water, sewer and electric services, and security, cleaning and maintenance of common areas.
“Our business is definitely moving in the right direction,” said Luz Moreno, sales and marketing director for San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market.
“The interest is definitely very good.”
Warehouses built on lots in the industrial park will allow for significantly more storage than current units, which are about 4,000 square feet.
Those hold about 150 pallets, while the warehouses built on the lots in the industrial park should be able to hold nearly 650 pallets.
San Antonio Produce Terminal Market is located at the address 1500 S Zarzamora St in San Antonio, Texas 78207. They can be contacted via phone at (210) 223-1235 for pricing, hours and directions. It was founded in 1948.
San Antonio Produce Terminal Market has an annual sales volume of $5 to 10 million. For more information contact Tom Preston, Executive Director
If great spring weather for growing vegetables, combined with optimism by Florida shippers mean anything, this should be one of the better years in a while for hauling produce from the Sunshine state.
Dozens of mixed vegetables are now being shipped, or will soon get underway. Similar to the strawberry crop that got an early start this season from the Plant City area (and is now finished), one would think Florida vegetable shipments would follow a similar path of earlier than usual volume.
April and May are typically the heaviest volume months, so we’ll see. The biggest movers currently are mature green, plum and grape tomatoes averaging over 350 truck loads a week. Other leading items are cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes (red, white and yellow), bell peppers and green beans. Very light volume is with numerous veggies ranging from cucumbers to lettuce, radish, and celery to eggplant.
Keep in mind, Florida isn’t Mexico or California when it comes to volume. There’s a reason so many multiple pick ups and drops are associated with hauling produce out of Florida.
Spring watermelons are heavy volume in season, but the first melons from Florida will not start until around the middle of April from the Immokalee area. In fact, most loadings of Florida produce for the next several weeks will occur in Southern and Central areas of the state.
Another significant item is Florida blueberry shipments, which have been increasing in volume in recent years. “Blues” will be starting in April.
Although Florida doesn’t compare to South Carolina, Georgia, or certainly not California, it does ship peaches as far north as Canada and across the Mississippi River. Operations such as Florida Sweet Peaches in Arcadia and Florida Classic Growers in Dundee have been expanding. Peach shipments should get underway in late March and continue through April and possibly early May.
Florida vegetable shipments – grossing about $2400 to Philadelphia.
by Veg-Fresh Farms
Corona, CA – For the second year in a row, Veg-Fresh Farms is supporting NASCAR K&N Pro Series West competition driver Blaine Perkins as a season sponsor.
Perkins, the teenaged son of Ryan Perkins, director of sales at Bakersfield stalwart Delano Farms, will be driving for his second year under the tutelage of veteran NASCAR driver Steve Portenga. In 2016 (his rookie season), Perkins tallied ten top-10 finishes in fourteen appearances and has been dubbed “a rising star” by NASCAR journalists.
With this sponsorship, Veg-Fresh Farms will place the logo of its organic brand, Good Life Organic™, on the hood of Perkins’ race car. Other sponsors include Four Star Fruit, Golden Gate Meat Company, and Double Eagle Produce.
“We’re excited to partner again with Veg-Fresh Farms along with all our other great sponsors –they help make each season possible. We’re looking forward to having our friends at Veg-Fresh cheering Blaine on at our Irwindale race coming up March 25!” said Ryan Perkins at Delano Farms.
“We’re proud to support Blaine in another year of his racing career. Not only do we see this as an excellent way to honor our friendship and partnership with the Delano Farms team, but we also see value in getting our organic brand in front of Blaine’s fans and social media followers. That generation is queued to be the next one making purchase decisions at the store, so we’re excited about the idea of getting in front of them now,” said Dino Cancellieri, General Partner at Veg-Fresh Farms.
The 2017 K&N Pro Series season kicked off in February, with more races scheduled throughout the spring, summer, and late fall. Perkins’ races will be broadcast live on NBC Sports throughout the season.
About Blaine Perkins Racing
Born and bred in Southern California’s Bakersfield region, 16-year old Blaine Perkins is a full-time driver of the #21 car in the NASCAR K&N West Series Championship under the leadership of Steve Portenga. Perkins finished 9th overall in points for the NASCAR K&N West Series, and boasted ten top-10 finishes and one top-5 finish in 2016.
About Veg-Fresh Farms
Veg-Fresh Farms is a third-generation, family-run agribusiness, currently providing fresh produce to national food service chains and national retailers under the Veg-Fresh Farms, Crystal Cove Berry Farms, and Good Life Organic™ labels. https://vegfresh.com
By Larry Oscar
Nothing like a good reality check I always say. Especially in the times we live in today.
Reality is something humans have a hard time coping with. Probably because we have a strong belief or emotional desire in what the outcome of something should be. Then when the outcome is something different we get all upset and unhinged. People who suffer from delusional disorder have a hard time dealing with reality in this regard. I know this very well.
My family has struggled with this for decades. Life is best enjoyed when you don’t expect a particular outcome of events, but rather just sit back and observe what happens and then connect the dots as to its cause. A case in point is what is happening on the world political stage. We are witnessing a time in human history when several change agents are working together at the same time on human society. With just one change agent you can have a better chance of predicting the outcome, but when two or more are working at the same time it becomes almost impossible to predict, with any accuracy, the eventual outcome.
The world stage is currently set for a storm of change agents to take effect. The rise of all types of social media in recent years has been a very powerful change agent we have yet to see the results of. It’s affect on the media has sent shock waves through all the world’s journalists. In fact, social media may just make journalists a thing of the past.
With the rise of social media and the internet, journalists are becoming irrelevant. After all social media has made everybody a journalist. We no longer need for a journalists to act as a middle man and report what someone said or what event may have happened. With social media we get it straight from the horses mouth. No journalistic comments are required or even welcomed. We are now in a position of having to make up our own mind. And that is scary for people who run on a high level of emotion. They are used to someone telling them how to think.
With this change currently taking place in society we are witnessing a major transformation in communications happening at breakneck speed right before our very eyes. Over 40 years ago I began my career working with computer technology. It was a rather wild ride. If you think dealing with change is hard, just try working with a technology that changes every six months. You have to embrace rapid change in the high tech business, or you are out of business just as rapidly as the changes occur. Another change agent working it’s magic today is the rapid increase in the prosperity of societies.
It was just a few decades ago that most of the world’s population was struggling to feed itself. There was no room for luxuries such as cell phones, automobiles, or airplane travel. Today most of the world has ready access to all of these. And air travel today can exceed 100,000 flights per day. With all of this rapid travel and instant communications you will find one of societies major institutions having a very hard time keeping up. And that would be governments.
We are placing demands on governments they were never designed to cope with. Almost all governments are slow to change and slow to institute changes by design. In the past we could have expected governments to make changes over a several year time span. Today we are expecting governmental changes to be made in weeks or months at the latest. This has thrown the political class into a tailspin. After all, they like to play politics.
And if you solve problems quickly they no longer have a political football to kick around. One of the best examples of this is the great wall that President Trump wants to build on the Mexico border. Oh my, if you are a liberal what a terrible thing. This just goes against “our values” cries old Chuckles the clown. Really, did they forget that a senator from New York named Hillary Clinton proposed just such a wall back in 2006?
And guess who voted for it? You got it, old Chuckles Schumer himself. Check it out….
The bottom line here is that change is coming whether we like it or not. You can get onboard the boat, or you can sit back and be left on the dock. The choice is yours.
(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 Pioneer Growers
Belle Glade, FL – Pioneer Growers has announced the near completion of their new facility expansion that includes expanded cold storage and processing facilities at their Belle Glade, FL location.
The facility became operational recently, and this is the third and final phase of a mid-term expansion plan that includes 64,000 additional square feet of space for processing, storage, and office space. The Florida facility now includes 13 docks and 700 new pallet spaces to aid in cooling incoming product and staging outgoing shipments.
Vice President and General Manager Gene Duff remarked, “As one of the largest fresh sweet corn growers in the U.S. it’s important that we continue to expand and improve our facilities to meet not only growing demand, but to maintain production efficiencies that continue to improve our product handling and quality.”
Construction of the phase three project began in August of 2016 and was part of a 5-year plan that included previous expansions of processing, receiving and packing areas and features Thermomass tilt wall construction.
Pioneer is currently shipping sweet corn, cabbage and radishes along with green beans which are processed in the new Phase 3 expansion.
In closing Duff remarked, “Pioneer Growers has always been an industry leader and our growers and employees are proud and excited to work in the most modern facility in the Glades where we produce and ship some of the freshest, best quality sweet corn and vegetables grown anywhere in the U.S.”
Pioneer Growers is a grower owned marketing cooperative specializing in fresh sweet corn and mixed vegetables including green beans, radishes, and cabbage. Today, Pioneer is a leader in the sweet corn industry offering year-round availability with more than 13,000 acres across Florida, Georgia and the Northeast with a focus on premium quality driven by their commitment to super sweet varieties packed in the Pioneer and Green Giant Fresh brands.
Florida tomato shipments and vegetable shipments – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
While everyone seems to be talking about Vidalia sweet onions, which won’t even start shipping for another month, there’s plenty of Mexican sweet onions crossing the border in South Texas, while an excellent crop of Texas 1015 variety sweet onions are now underway.
Onions from Peru are done, which is helping to bolster loadings out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
As of March 2nd shipments year to date out of Mexico a year ago were 2,667 truck loads in 2016. This year 4,523 truck loads have crossed the border into Texas by that same date. Mexican onion shipments got underway this year a month earlier than normal, which will result in loadings from Mexico ending earlier than usual. (A similar situation exists in South Texas and with Vidalia onions).
Mexican onion quality overall has been reported very good and is averaging over 700 truck loads crossing the border each week.
As Mexican onion shipments have entered the last half of its season, sweet onions out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley have just recently got underway. While no official acreage report has been issued, some believe there are fewer acres planted in the Rio Grande Valley than a year ago. Less than 75 truck loads of Texas sweet onions were shipped from the valley last week, but volume is increasing.
Imported Mexican tropical fruits and vegetables – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
1015 Sweet Onion History
The sweet onions from Texas started when the Bermuda onion was introduced into South Texas in 1898 when a packet of onion seed was planted near Cotulla. The onions were shipped in 1899 to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where they were so enthusiastically received that a larger acreage was planted.
By 1904, approximately 500 acres of Bermuda onions were planted in South Texas. In spring, 1907, 1,011 carloads (rail) of onions were shipped from South and Southwest Texas; in 1908, production had more than doubled, and in 1909, 12 counties shipped 2,920 carloads. Shipments reached 6,735 carloads in 1917; this figure was not exceeded until 1928 and 1929 when the total movements were 7,055 and 7,232 carloads, respectively. The largest movement in 50 years for a single season was 10,164 carloads in 1946.
The Canary Islands, principally Teneriffe Island, produced most of the onion seed planted in Texas until about 1946. The two types of Bermuda onions generally grown in Texas were the Yellow Bermuda and White Bermuda and Crystal Wax.
More Texas grapefruit loads than usual are headed to the East Coast this season. Meanwhile, apples remaining in storages to be shipped remain significant higher than a year ago.
Florida grapefruit shipments have halted for the season, as much as three weeks ahead of schedule as volume declines continue, something that has been affecting all Florida citrus as citrus greening losses continue to mount.
Texas grapefruit shipments which have increased this season (by 10 percent) are now destined for some East Coast cities to fill the void left by Florida. Meanwhile, California citrus loadings are just getting underway.
Florida grapefruit acreage has plunged from more than 124,000 acres in 1970 to about 40,300 acres this past season. The estimated end-of-season shipments this season is 9 million 85-pound cartons, compared to 10.8 million a year ago and 12.9 million in 2014-15.
There were no quality problems with the Florida grapefruit that could be shipped, but there was a much lower quantity. The blame is laid on citrus greening and not weather. It’s the lowest volume in possibly three decades.
As for Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, grapefruit shipments have yet to be effected by citrus greening. Lone Star State Loadings should continue through mid-April.
California citrus shipments should be in good volume leading up to Easter, which is April 16th.
Texas grapefruit, and imported Mexican produce – grossing about $4200 to New York City.
Apple Shipments
Fresh apples remaining in U.S. storages as of March 1st stood at 69.7 million (42-pound) cartons, 12 percent more higher than last year and 8 percent over the five-year average.
Washington state accounted for 90 percent of the remaining apples, amounting to 62.7 million cartons. Red delicious storage apples totaled 24.4 million cartons, up 33 percent from 18.4 million cartons in 2016. However, this was down 16 percent from 29 million cartons from March 2015.
Gala variety fresh apples in storage stood at 12.9 million cartons, up 36 percent from 9.5 million cartons a year ago and about the same as two years ago.
Washington’s Yakima and Wenatchee Valley apples and pears – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
As the month of March progresses, produce shippers will be transitioning to the coastal valleys of California as well as the Huron district on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. However, for now primary vegetables shipments continue from the desert regions of California and Arizona. But shipping gapes in the weeks ahead are certain.
Loadings for some early season cauliflower and broccoli should start from the Salinas Valley in mid-March. Meanwhile desert lettuce shipments will shift to Huron (San Joaquin Valley) by the end of March. However it be early April before lettuce and leaf items are shipped from Salinas. This is when the shipping gaps will start and the issues will continue at least until May.
A couple of hours drive to the south a very similar scenario is seen in Santa Maria. The broccoli and cauliflower currently being harvested has quality issues due to relentless recent rains.
Quality is expected to gradually improve along with volume throughout March, but yields and loadings will be down along with supply gaps.
Vegetable shipments from the California and Arizona deserts should finish during the third week of March.
In Southern California, rains hit strawberry fields and volume is slowly improving, but still struggling to get back to normal. Decent strawberry shipments are expected by the third week of March from Ventura County. While Southern California strawberries are working to regain good volume, shipments from Florida and Mexico are starting to decline. Both those areas of origin are well above their shipping levels compared to the same time in 2016.
Florida and Mexico had a combined volume of about 36 million cartons compared to about half that in late February 2016. For the past two years, those two production areas have combined to ship around 50 million trays to U.S. markets.
In late February, California had shipped just 3 million crates compared to the close to 200 million it typically ships in a calendar year.
U.S. federal regulators are preparing to clamp down on those in the food supply chain ranging from shippers to truckers who do not comply with the federal government’s new food transportation safety rule coming in April.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law by President Barack Obama on January 4, 2011. It aims to ensure the U.S. food supply, from the way it is grown, harvested and processed, to ensure it is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it.
Many businesses have been slow to prepare for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s regulation on the sanitary transportation of human and animal food, implemented in response to the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act. Some industry experts see the transportation industry as being pretty clueless about the rules. Tough talk has been coming from those who are to enforce the new act.
The law was prompted after many reported incidents of foodborne illnesses during the first decade of the 2000s. Tainted food has cost the food industry billions of dollars in recalls, lost sales and legal expenses.
This bill is similar to the Food Safety Enhancement Act which passed the House in 2009. It is considered the first major piece of federal legislation addressing food safety since 1938. ] It is also the first piece of legislation to address intentional adulteration.
The changes are expected force shippers and carriers to have some serious talks involving new contracts or adjusting tweaks to existing agreements.
The new act will effect everything from the loading dock to the receiver’s dock and will need to document procedures, processes, training and records.
Transport Topics recently quoted Leonard “Bud” Rodowick, an executive at transport refrigeration unit supplier Thermo King Corp as saying, “It’s government on steroids.” Indeed, the scope of the new rule is broad, requiring shippers, carriers, brokers, receivers and loaders to hone their best sanitary food transportation practices. The 283-page rule places the primary burden on shippers and manufacturers to ensure that the proper written procedures and data collection are in place to keep food properly cooled and trailers cleaned between loads.
However, it also requires carriers to make good on their promises to shippers. The new FDA requirements are part of the federal government’s larger effort to prevent food safety problems, rather than reacting to crises when food becomes contaminated.
A packing date is set for Vidalia sweet onions. Otherwise, primary onion loadings a taking place from two western U.S. areas. Finally, here’s the outlook for imported mangoes.
An April 12th pack date for Vidalia onions has been set by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which is about two weeks earlier than the pack dates during the past three seasons.
GDA rules mandate that no Vidalia onions can be packed or sold before the April 12 pack date. The pack date is established prior to each season to ensure the highest quality onions are delivered to retail stores for consumers across the country. The 2017 Vidalia onion crop is ahead of schedule because of the mild temperatures this winter thus resulting in the earlier pack date. Any sweet onions shipped from the Vidalia growing district prior to April 12th cannot be sold and shipped as Vidalia onions.
This is a very quiet time of year for Georgia produce shipments, with very light volume on a few items such as carrots and greens. Peach shipments are a couple of months away.
Storage Onion Shipments
The largest amount of onions coming out of domestic storages, averaging about 800 truck loads per week, is from western Idaho and nearby Malheur Co. in eastern Oregon. Similar onion volume also is be loaded from the Columbia Basin in Washington state and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon.
Idaho/Oregon onions – grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.
Southern Washington/ Northern Oregon onions – grossing about $4800 to New York City.
Mango Imports
Mango imports for markets in the U.S. are expected to be similar in volume to last year. Peruvian imported mangoes are rapidly declining as the season comes to a close, while it will be April before there is big volume crossing the border from Mexico.
U.S. consumption of mangos continues to increase as the tropical fruit becomes more mainstream than ever. Since 2005, mango volume has increased over 75 percent, from 62 million boxes in 2005 to 109 million boxes in 2016. U.S. per capita consumption has grown 58 percent since 2005 to almost three pounds per person in 2016.
All of the units are now full on the San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market, and now it is starting its next phase of development.
With all 50 of the produce market’s spaces available for lease being occupied, and it is now pre-selling lots in an industrial park scheduled to be completed in late 2018.
Once a company purchases a lot, which is about 10,000 square feet, it can build a warehouse there to its specifications.
Companies can start construction on their individual warehouses after the completion of the infrastructure of the industrial park, which will include streets and parking, water, sewer and electric services, and security, cleaning and maintenance of common areas.
“Our business is definitely moving in the right direction,” said Luz Moreno, sales and marketing director for San Antonio Wholesale Produce Market.
“The interest is definitely very good.”
Warehouses built on lots in the industrial park will allow for significantly more storage than current units, which are about 4,000 square feet.
Those hold about 150 pallets, while the warehouses built on the lots in the industrial park should be able to hold nearly 650 pallets.
San Antonio Produce Terminal Market is located at the address 1500 S Zarzamora St in San Antonio, Texas 78207. They can be contacted via phone at (210) 223-1235 for pricing, hours and directions. It was founded in 1948.
San Antonio Produce Terminal Market has an annual sales volume of $5 to 10 million. For more information contact Tom Preston, Executive Director