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Idaho farmers are ramping up to start harvesting potatoes soon. Plus, an updated report on how Michigan apple shipments will be in the wake of that spring freeze.
The 2017 Idaho potato harvest commences with days coming off of 308,000 acres. Over 700 farmers will be preparing to dig about 13 billion pounds of potatoes in a short six-week window.
This year’s crop, which will produce approximately one-third of all potatoes shipped in the United States, will contribute more than $4.5 billion to Idaho’s economy and provide more than 30,000 jobs. Idaho potato shipments are easily the largest volume in the country. Heres some more interesting facts:
When fall potatoes are harvested, approximately 62 percent will be used as processed products; 29 percent will be sold as fresh potatoes to retailers and foodservice operators; and 9 percent are grown for certified seed
- More than 25 potato varieties are grown in Idaho
- The average American eats about 113 pounds of potatoes each year
- Idaho potatoes are certified by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food
- A 5.3-ounce potato provides 110 calories, 45 percent daily value of vitamin C, nearly twice the potassium of a banana, three grams of fiber, and are fat-, sodium-, cholesterol- and gluten-free.
- The potato is the world’s fourth-largest food crop.
- At a White House dinner in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson was the first person to serve French fries in the United States
- New York consumes more Idaho potatoes than any other state, followed by Ohio, Florida and Texas
- The first potato was grown in Peru between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Michigan Apple Shipments
Following a hard frost on May 8-9 apple buds were damaged in certain Michigan production areas. However, opinions vary on how much fresh apple shipments will be affected this season..
Still, the majority opinion sees volume at about 75 to 80 of normal. In 2017 there was a huge crop that totaled 30 million bushels. Another difference this season will be timing. Crops of 2015 and 2016 were about three weeks earlier than normal. This season, the harvest and shipments will start on a more normal pattern, any day now with the Sweet Tango, Gala and McIntosh varieties.
The Ridge, which produces the majority of Michigan’s fresh apples, fared a little better, which is why the crop is not down more. The northern part of the state pretty much will have a full crop. Southern Michigan growers may be off 20 to 30 percent.
Northwest potato shipments from the Skagit Valley should be good this season. At the same time imports of Peruvian onions are looking favorable for American ports.
Skagit Valley Potato Shipments
The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington. According to Wikipedia, its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities including the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, as well as Sedro-Wooley, Concrete, Lyman-Hamilton and Burlington.
There are about 90,000 acres of land devoted to agriculture, which has long been the primary industry in the Skagit Valley of the Cascade Mountain Range. Farmers produce some $300 million in a variety of crops that include potatoes, berries, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers and the iconic tulips and daffodils as well as livestock and dairy products.
The Skagit Valley grows over 80 crops on 93,000 acres annually, including” some 300 million pounds of red, yellow and white potatoes. Additionally, about 95 percent of the red potatoes grown in Washington state are grown in the Skagit Valley. The acreage is used to produce mostly fresh market reds, whites, yellows, purple, fingerlings and some chipping potatoes.
About 12,000 acres of potatoes are now grown in Skagit County, a number that has remained constant for the last year of available records, 2015.
Harvest is just getting underway and good volume shipments are seen starting around Labor Day.
Peruvian Onion Imports
Last year Peru exported about 3,500 containers representing nearly 108,000 tons to the United States, with similar volume expected this season, which begins in a couple of months.
Peru has 6000 to 7200 acres of sweet onions with the main production areas being Ica, Norte Chico de Lima, and Arequipa.
Peru imported sweet onions get underway as the Vidalia sweet onion storage program is winding down. Some U.S. onion companies have partnered with local Peruvian growers. Volume is growing each season by about 5 to 7 percent. About 85 percent of Peruvian onion exports are coming to the United States, arriving mostly by boat at ports on both the east and west coasts.
An agreement between the U.S. and Columbia is resulting in hass avocado imports. Meanwhile, a new refrigerated container is coming from Maersk.
Cartagena – The United States has given the green light for hass avocados to be imported from Colombia.
“Today I announce that the United States has reached an agreement for Colombia’s avocado hass to enter the US market. I want to congratulate you President (Juan Manuel) Santos and his Government, “said Vice President Mike Pence during the press conference following his bilateral meeting with President Santos during his official visit to Colombia.
Pence highlighted the progress of the Trade Agreement which he said has created jobs and opportunities in both nations.
This approval by the United States is a process in which the country has worked for more than 10 years and finally the admissibility was achieved to this destination.
“The United States is a market with a lot of potential that in 2016 imported about 2 billion pounds, almost 90 percent was bought from Mexico. So it is an opportunity that opens for Colombian producers, “said Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Claudia Lacouture.
The opening of the United States could mean for producers and exporters of avocado hass, doubling the exports that Colombia is making today to the world, which reached US $ 25.2 million as of June this year. Everything was sold to Europe.
“Europe is only half the US market, so opening up the latter destination means that exports could double. And we must have a high sense of responsibility to produce and sell with high quality standards, to safeguard the good image of this product, “said Jorge Alberto Uribe, representative of the firm Fruty Green.
New Refrigerated Container
Maersk Container Industry is introducing An energy meter with its Star Cool refrigerated containers is being introduced by Maersk Container Industry.
The new feature will monitor energy consumption during transportation, by land or sea. Star Cool reefers can now log energy consumption in real time, which can be monitored via a modem or manually.
“Taking our 270,000 reefer containers online has provided significant operational cost savings and will give our customers unprecedented visibility into their cargo during transport, enabling better planning across their supply chains,” said Catja Hjorth Rasmussen, head of equipment excellence at Tinglev, Denmark-based Maersk Line, said in a news release. “Being able to accurately track the energy consumption of individual Star Cool reefer containers is a valuable add on for us.”
The new energy meter means operators will not need third-party devices to capture energy data.
Nationally, cranberry shipments will be down this season. Meanwhile, favorable weather helps boost New Jersey to second place nationally in peach shipments.
Cranberry growers in Wisconsin are expected to have another big harvest this fall, although it will be less than last year when average yields reached an all-time high.
The USDA has released its latest forecast for the 2017 cranberry crop showing Badger State producers are projected to rake in 5.6 million barrels of the tart fruit, down nine percent from the 2016 crop.
The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association says producers will begin harvesting their crop in late September and continue through much of October. Approximately five percent of the state’s cranberries will be sold as fresh fruit, with the remainder being frozen and stored for dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more.
Nationally, about 9.05 million barrels are forecast to be harvested, down six percent from 2016. In Massachusetts, growers will harvest less than half of Wisconsin’s total production at 2.2 million barrels. Washington producers expect 2017 to be a good year due to favorable weather conditions.
NJ Peach Shipments
by New Jersey Department of Agriculture
TRENTON) –The USDA’s August Crop Production Forecast for 2017 sees New Jersey peach shipments rising to second in the U.S. The forecast, which is based on phone calls, mail, internet, and personal interviews with farmers in New Jersey and around the country, predicts state peach farmers will produce 48 million pounds of peaches this year.
“Conditions in New Jersey have been perfect for growing peaches this season, allowing farmers to have an extremely high yield of the juicy, sweet tree fruit,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said. “We want people to know Jersey Fresh peaches are plentiful and available at supermarkets, farmers markets, and roadside stands. We appreciate the work the USDA does to keep produce buyers and consumers up to date on the current trends in the industry.”
New Jersey is on track to harvest approximately eight million more pounds of peaches in 2017 than it did last year, and is behind only California in peach production. The Jersey peach season should continue through mid-September.
The USDA surveyed approximately 21,700 producers for the crop production report. The producers were asked questions about probable yield. These growers will continue to be surveyed throughout the growing season to provide indications of average yields.
The August Crop Production report also forecasted a crop of 44 million pounds of apples for the Garden State, also up from last year. New Jersey cranberry producers expect to harvest 590,000 barrels, which would rank New Jersey third in the U.S. in cranberry production.
(Editor’s Note: Both South Carolina and Georgia suffered severe crop losses this year due to a spring freeze, allowing New Jersey to come in second in peach volume. Also, virtually all of New Jersey cranberry production is for the processed market, not fresh.)
Pleasanton, CA. — DeltaTrak® recently announced the release of its new FlashLink Real-Time Monitoring Solution. This system combines the FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger cloud service. The logger records temperature, humidity, shock, light and location and sends data via GSM cellular network to a web account. Reliable up-to-the-minute information is accessed with a standard web browser using a PC or any internet-ready device.
“The FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger is especially beneficial to shippers because they don’t have to wait for a receiver to open vehicle doors, find the logger, download it and email the trip history report,” according to Fred Wu, President and CEO of DeltaTrak. “Information is automatically uploaded to the cloud and shared between shippers and receivers, and critical cold chain management decisions can be made right away.” The stored data is also available for traceability, audits, HACCP documentation and FSMA compliance.
Two logger configurations are available, a domestic model with a 25-day logging duration and data uploaded every 15 minutes, and an export model with a 100- day logging duration and data uploaded every hour. Shippers can customize high/low alarm settings, and alerts are automatically sent when out-of-range conditions occur. The logger also measures shock which indicates rough handling of a load, and a light sensor indicates door openings which either means a shipment arrived and is being received, or it can reveal security issues if this occurs while the shipment is still in transit.
The single use FlashLink Real-Time Logger is packaged in DeltaTrak’s unique and highly durable logger sleeve which provides protection for the device and maximizes reliable operational characteristics. Using GSM cellular data transmission technology, the FlashLink Real-Time Logger has been demonstrated to reliably transmit from within steel shipping containers and refrigerated trailers making it ideal for use in most transportation applications. The FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger is a great solution for anyone that needs up to the minute information on the quality of the products being shipped.
About DeltaTrak
DeltaTrak® is a leading innovator of cold chain management, environmental monitoring and food safety solutions for the food, produce, life science, and chemical industries.Additional information can be found at www.deltatrack.com.
International Paper’s North American Container business is putting Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on bulk bins.
Two product displays with the characters are available. Both are corrugated bulk bins, with one featuring Snoopy and watermelons and the other with Snoopy, Linus and Charlie Brown under the words “it’s the great pumpkin.”
“This powerful combination is a standout, drawing customer attention and increasing sales by making shopping a fun experience,” said Scott Dillon, director of marketing, said in a news release. “Peanuts has a multi-generational appeal, and this is a solid way to capture the consumer sentiment around this iconic brand.”
The bins are available at International Paper’s five bulk facilities.
Kroger, Fresh Encounters win Marsh stores at auction
Marsh Supermarkets, at one time a leading Midwest supermarket chain based in Indiana, has recently accepted bids at auction for 26 of its remaining 44 stores. The move follows the company’s closure of 19 locations and bankruptcy filing in May.
Cincinnati-based supermarket powerhouse Kroger will acquire 11 Marsh stores for $16 million, and Fresh Encounter Inc., based in Findlay, OH, will buy 15 Marsh locations for $8 million.
Kroger currently has 2,800 stores nationwide, while Fresh Encounter operates 21 stores under the Community Markets, Great Scott Community Markets, Sack ‘N Save Supermarket and Chief banners. Earlier this year, Fresh Encounter purchased Remke Markets’ 10 stores in the Cincinnati area.
The transactions are subject to bankruptcy court approval. One possible obstacle to the sale is an objection by CVS Health, which purchased the pharmacy accounts from Marsh in April. As part of the agreement, CVS stipulated that 37 stores where Marsh operated pharmacies could not operate as pharmacies for five years.
Kroger and Fresh Encounters have said in court documents that it would proceed with the acquisition only if the restriction is removed. Marsh has countered that the agreement only bars Marsh from operating pharmacies at the stores, and that the language is not enforceable under the bankruptcy code.
The sale of the remaining locations would bring to an end Marsh’s 86 years in business. Ermal Marsh opened the first Marsh store in 1931 in Muncie, IN. The company went public in 1953, when it operated 16 stores.
The last half of summer is typically good for hauling California tomatoes as well as California table grapes.
California’s San Joaquin Valley mature green summer tomato shipments started in late July and will continue into November. About 500 truck loads of mature greens are being loaded weekly.
Caution is recommended when loading this product. There’s been some triple digit weather this season, which can stress the product and lead to quality issues. The weather is supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s this week in the Merced area, but inching towards the 100 mark by next weekend. However, in Brawley, scorching temperatures well above 100 are predicted all week.
In the San Diego and Baja California areas summer vine ripe tomatoes and romas are being shipping in a similar timeframe as those in the San Joaquin Valley. California tomato shipments have been good this summer as weather has impacted tomato seasons in Alabama, Virginia and Tennessee.
California Grape Shipments
Sun Pacific Marketing Cooperative Inc., based in Pasadena, CA is perhaps better known for its easy peel Cuties brand clementines and mandarins, as well as it Mighties brand kiwifruit.
However, it has become a significant player with table grape shipments and this season should move about 4 million cartons of grapes from the San Joaquin Valley. The company is looking to increase it grape volume by as much as 50 percent over the next few seasons.
California has steady loadings with grapes now and is averaging around 1700 truckloads per week. The vast majority of the fruit is still being shipped from the southern half of the valley, but this will gradually shift to greater tonnage coming out of more northern parts of the valley as we approach fall.
During the past decade more than two dozen grape varieties – red, green and black, have been introduced. This is leading to fruit with larger berries, more crunch and sweeter taste.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
By Stemilt Growers
WENATCHEE, Wash. – As the grower/marketer with the rights to University of Minnesota’s newest apple brand, Rave™, Stemilt Growers is set to harvest the apple’s first commercial crop and introduce this special early season apple to consumers in select regions come late August.
Rave™ is the brand name for the apple cultivar MN55, which is a cross between Honeycrisp and an unreleased variety called MonArk. It was first developed through natural cross-pollination 20 years ago by David Bedford as part of the apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota. Bedford is also the breeder behind the popular Honeycrisp and its successor, SweeTango® apples.
Last fall, the University of Minnesota chose Rave™ as the brand name for the apple and then Stemilt got to work on designing a logo, PLU sticker, and packaging ahead of the apple’s introductory year. The company played off people’s common use of the word rave to praise things they like and messaging “the apple you’ll rave about.” Stemilt used fun, bold colors in order to attract shoppers to the brand, and will use #RaveApples to promote social buzz around Rave™ this season and beyond.
The parentage of the apple gives Rave™ the ability to fracture when bitten, just like Honeycrisp. Rave™ has its own special flavor that’s best described as “outrageously juicy with a refreshing snappy zing.” It will also have the unique position of harvesting and going to market before any other apple variety in Washington State, due to its ability to color and ripen during the summer heat.
“Rave™ not only allows retailers to get a jumpstart on apple season each year, but do so with an apple that is stunning to look at, and incredible to eat,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager.
While volume will be limited this season, volumes are predicted to grow quickly following this introductory year as new acreage comes into production, Stemilt will be sharing Rave™ with media and social media influencers this season. The company will look to build knowledge and excitement of Rave™ through a kick-off event, on its blog, The Stem, and via its social channels with #RaveApples.
Once it hits produce shelves, Rave™ will be another chapter in Stemilt’s story of bringing innovative products to market. The company successfully introduced its signature apple Piñata!® to the marketplace back in 2009, introduced Skylar Rae® brand cherries in 2016, and also supplies the West Coast with the popular SweeTango® apple.
“The apple category is changing quickly with so many options available to consumers today. That means that each new apple must have attributes that will make it stand out. Rave™ is an apple with star power, and we are excited to start sharing it this season,” said Shales.
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About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the leading shipper of sweet cherries and one of the nation’s largest suppliers of organic tree fruits.
A USDA crop production report predicts U.S. apple shipments will be down 7 percent compared to last season.
The apple crop (both fresh and processed uses) should total 248.6 million 42-pound cartons, off from the 268.4 million cartons in the 2016 season. year ago.
On the up side, apple shipments from the Eastern state will increase. However, a significant decline in apple volume is predicted for the Central U.S. states, while a moderate decrease is seen in Western growing regions.
The Western states, led by Washington, are projected to total 170.4 million cartons, down 9 percent from a year ago, according to the estimates. The Washington apple harvest is running a few weeks later than 2016, according to the USDA, with good quality but slightly smaller fruit expected compared with the 2016 crop.
Washington state apple shipments are pegged at 159.5 million cartons, off 9 percent from the 2016 crop of 174.3 million cartons. The state is expected tol account for 64 percent of total U.S. apple shipments in 2017, down from 65 percnt in 2016.
In Eastern U.S. states, apple loadings are forecast at 55.7 million cartons, up 8 percent from 2016. New York, accounting for half of Eastern apple shipments, has a crop of 28.5 million cartons, up slightly from 28.1 million cartons a year ago. Growers and shippers there reported localized hail damage and noted rainfall and cool temperatures could affect fruit size, according to the report.
Apple shipments in the Central U.S. is forecast at 22.5 million cartons, down 27 percent from a year ago. A freeze in early May hurt Michigan crop prospects, according to the USDA. Michigan’s crop is projected at 19 million cartons, down more than 30 percent from 2016 output of nearly 28 million cartons.
In its Agricultural Prices report, the USDA said the average grower price for apples in June was 36.3 cents per pounds, down from 38 cents per pound in June last year.
The U.S. Apple Association will release its annual crop production estimate during the Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference Aug. 24-25 in Chicago
The ports of Manatee and Oakland are having record-setting years, with much of that success coming from produce imports.
Port of Manatee
The Port of Manatee’s container volume already has handled as volume in 10 has it has totaled in a record setting 12-month year..
The Florida-based port has moved 32,907 20-foot-equivalent (TEU) container units since October 1st, surpassing the full-year record of 30,431 TEUs, which was set in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010.
A news release from Port Manatee points out the record-setting container volume represents a 47 percent increase over the first 10 months of the preceding fiscal year.
The increase is primarily attributed to Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. switching from breakbulk shipping to containers for imports of Central American pineapple and bananas, as well as to the success of World Direct’s weekly shipping service which transports refrigerated produce from Mexico.
“We are excited to have already set a new container record for Port Manatee and are further encouraged this favorable trend is anticipated to be sustained for a long time,” Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee’s executive director, said in the release.
The port’s tonnage also increased in the first 10 months of its fiscal year, topping last fiscal year’s numbers by 17 percent.
Port of Oakland
A record for import cargo in July has been set by The Port of Oakland.
The port handled 84,835 loaded 20-foot import containers in July, which tops the previous record of 84,023 containers set in March 2015.
A press release from the California port shows import volume through the first seven months of the year was also up 3.7 percent over the same time last year.
Looking ahead, Port of Oakland leaders believey they foresee a five-year period of record cargo volume beginning in 2018.
That prediction comes from the recently released Strategic Maritime Roadmap. The roadmap forecasts a record volume of 2.4 million cargo containers in 2018.
The roadmap also predicts greater volumes arriving on larger ships driven by Northern California’s robust freight market along with new distribution and freight transfer centers. The document predicts ships will be 35 percent larger within 15 years.
“We’re serving a thriving area and developing new services for our customers,” Oakland’s maritime director John Driscoll said. “The combination should be positive for everyone who relies on the port for their business or their job.”
Idaho farmers are ramping up to start harvesting potatoes soon. Plus, an updated report on how Michigan apple shipments will be in the wake of that spring freeze.
The 2017 Idaho potato harvest commences with days coming off of 308,000 acres. Over 700 farmers will be preparing to dig about 13 billion pounds of potatoes in a short six-week window.
This year’s crop, which will produce approximately one-third of all potatoes shipped in the United States, will contribute more than $4.5 billion to Idaho’s economy and provide more than 30,000 jobs. Idaho potato shipments are easily the largest volume in the country. Heres some more interesting facts:
When fall potatoes are harvested, approximately 62 percent will be used as processed products; 29 percent will be sold as fresh potatoes to retailers and foodservice operators; and 9 percent are grown for certified seed
- More than 25 potato varieties are grown in Idaho
- The average American eats about 113 pounds of potatoes each year
- Idaho potatoes are certified by the American Heart Association as a heart-healthy food
- A 5.3-ounce potato provides 110 calories, 45 percent daily value of vitamin C, nearly twice the potassium of a banana, three grams of fiber, and are fat-, sodium-, cholesterol- and gluten-free.
- The potato is the world’s fourth-largest food crop.
- At a White House dinner in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson was the first person to serve French fries in the United States
- New York consumes more Idaho potatoes than any other state, followed by Ohio, Florida and Texas
- The first potato was grown in Peru between 7,000 and 10,000 years ago.
Michigan Apple Shipments
Following a hard frost on May 8-9 apple buds were damaged in certain Michigan production areas. However, opinions vary on how much fresh apple shipments will be affected this season..
Still, the majority opinion sees volume at about 75 to 80 of normal. In 2017 there was a huge crop that totaled 30 million bushels. Another difference this season will be timing. Crops of 2015 and 2016 were about three weeks earlier than normal. This season, the harvest and shipments will start on a more normal pattern, any day now with the Sweet Tango, Gala and McIntosh varieties.
The Ridge, which produces the majority of Michigan’s fresh apples, fared a little better, which is why the crop is not down more. The northern part of the state pretty much will have a full crop. Southern Michigan growers may be off 20 to 30 percent.
Northwest potato shipments from the Skagit Valley should be good this season. At the same time imports of Peruvian onions are looking favorable for American ports.
Skagit Valley Potato Shipments
The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington. According to Wikipedia, its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities including the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, as well as Sedro-Wooley, Concrete, Lyman-Hamilton and Burlington.
There are about 90,000 acres of land devoted to agriculture, which has long been the primary industry in the Skagit Valley of the Cascade Mountain Range. Farmers produce some $300 million in a variety of crops that include potatoes, berries, broccoli, cauliflower, cucumbers and the iconic tulips and daffodils as well as livestock and dairy products.
The Skagit Valley grows over 80 crops on 93,000 acres annually, including” some 300 million pounds of red, yellow and white potatoes. Additionally, about 95 percent of the red potatoes grown in Washington state are grown in the Skagit Valley. The acreage is used to produce mostly fresh market reds, whites, yellows, purple, fingerlings and some chipping potatoes.
About 12,000 acres of potatoes are now grown in Skagit County, a number that has remained constant for the last year of available records, 2015.
Harvest is just getting underway and good volume shipments are seen starting around Labor Day.
Peruvian Onion Imports
Last year Peru exported about 3,500 containers representing nearly 108,000 tons to the United States, with similar volume expected this season, which begins in a couple of months.
Peru has 6000 to 7200 acres of sweet onions with the main production areas being Ica, Norte Chico de Lima, and Arequipa.
Peru imported sweet onions get underway as the Vidalia sweet onion storage program is winding down. Some U.S. onion companies have partnered with local Peruvian growers. Volume is growing each season by about 5 to 7 percent. About 85 percent of Peruvian onion exports are coming to the United States, arriving mostly by boat at ports on both the east and west coasts.
An agreement between the U.S. and Columbia is resulting in hass avocado imports. Meanwhile, a new refrigerated container is coming from Maersk.
Cartagena – The United States has given the green light for hass avocados to be imported from Colombia.
“Today I announce that the United States has reached an agreement for Colombia’s avocado hass to enter the US market. I want to congratulate you President (Juan Manuel) Santos and his Government, “said Vice President Mike Pence during the press conference following his bilateral meeting with President Santos during his official visit to Colombia.
Pence highlighted the progress of the Trade Agreement which he said has created jobs and opportunities in both nations.
This approval by the United States is a process in which the country has worked for more than 10 years and finally the admissibility was achieved to this destination.
“The United States is a market with a lot of potential that in 2016 imported about 2 billion pounds, almost 90 percent was bought from Mexico. So it is an opportunity that opens for Colombian producers, “said Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, María Claudia Lacouture.
The opening of the United States could mean for producers and exporters of avocado hass, doubling the exports that Colombia is making today to the world, which reached US $ 25.2 million as of June this year. Everything was sold to Europe.
“Europe is only half the US market, so opening up the latter destination means that exports could double. And we must have a high sense of responsibility to produce and sell with high quality standards, to safeguard the good image of this product, “said Jorge Alberto Uribe, representative of the firm Fruty Green.
New Refrigerated Container
Maersk Container Industry is introducing An energy meter with its Star Cool refrigerated containers is being introduced by Maersk Container Industry.
The new feature will monitor energy consumption during transportation, by land or sea. Star Cool reefers can now log energy consumption in real time, which can be monitored via a modem or manually.
“Taking our 270,000 reefer containers online has provided significant operational cost savings and will give our customers unprecedented visibility into their cargo during transport, enabling better planning across their supply chains,” said Catja Hjorth Rasmussen, head of equipment excellence at Tinglev, Denmark-based Maersk Line, said in a news release. “Being able to accurately track the energy consumption of individual Star Cool reefer containers is a valuable add on for us.”
The new energy meter means operators will not need third-party devices to capture energy data.
Nationally, cranberry shipments will be down this season. Meanwhile, favorable weather helps boost New Jersey to second place nationally in peach shipments.
Cranberry growers in Wisconsin are expected to have another big harvest this fall, although it will be less than last year when average yields reached an all-time high.
The USDA has released its latest forecast for the 2017 cranberry crop showing Badger State producers are projected to rake in 5.6 million barrels of the tart fruit, down nine percent from the 2016 crop.
The Wisconsin Cranberry Growers Association says producers will begin harvesting their crop in late September and continue through much of October. Approximately five percent of the state’s cranberries will be sold as fresh fruit, with the remainder being frozen and stored for dried cranberries, juices, sauces and more.
Nationally, about 9.05 million barrels are forecast to be harvested, down six percent from 2016. In Massachusetts, growers will harvest less than half of Wisconsin’s total production at 2.2 million barrels. Washington producers expect 2017 to be a good year due to favorable weather conditions.
NJ Peach Shipments
by New Jersey Department of Agriculture
TRENTON) –The USDA’s August Crop Production Forecast for 2017 sees New Jersey peach shipments rising to second in the U.S. The forecast, which is based on phone calls, mail, internet, and personal interviews with farmers in New Jersey and around the country, predicts state peach farmers will produce 48 million pounds of peaches this year.
“Conditions in New Jersey have been perfect for growing peaches this season, allowing farmers to have an extremely high yield of the juicy, sweet tree fruit,” New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher said. “We want people to know Jersey Fresh peaches are plentiful and available at supermarkets, farmers markets, and roadside stands. We appreciate the work the USDA does to keep produce buyers and consumers up to date on the current trends in the industry.”
New Jersey is on track to harvest approximately eight million more pounds of peaches in 2017 than it did last year, and is behind only California in peach production. The Jersey peach season should continue through mid-September.
The USDA surveyed approximately 21,700 producers for the crop production report. The producers were asked questions about probable yield. These growers will continue to be surveyed throughout the growing season to provide indications of average yields.
The August Crop Production report also forecasted a crop of 44 million pounds of apples for the Garden State, also up from last year. New Jersey cranberry producers expect to harvest 590,000 barrels, which would rank New Jersey third in the U.S. in cranberry production.
(Editor’s Note: Both South Carolina and Georgia suffered severe crop losses this year due to a spring freeze, allowing New Jersey to come in second in peach volume. Also, virtually all of New Jersey cranberry production is for the processed market, not fresh.)
Pleasanton, CA. — DeltaTrak® recently announced the release of its new FlashLink Real-Time Monitoring Solution. This system combines the FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger cloud service. The logger records temperature, humidity, shock, light and location and sends data via GSM cellular network to a web account. Reliable up-to-the-minute information is accessed with a standard web browser using a PC or any internet-ready device.
“The FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger is especially beneficial to shippers because they don’t have to wait for a receiver to open vehicle doors, find the logger, download it and email the trip history report,” according to Fred Wu, President and CEO of DeltaTrak. “Information is automatically uploaded to the cloud and shared between shippers and receivers, and critical cold chain management decisions can be made right away.” The stored data is also available for traceability, audits, HACCP documentation and FSMA compliance.
Two logger configurations are available, a domestic model with a 25-day logging duration and data uploaded every 15 minutes, and an export model with a 100- day logging duration and data uploaded every hour. Shippers can customize high/low alarm settings, and alerts are automatically sent when out-of-range conditions occur. The logger also measures shock which indicates rough handling of a load, and a light sensor indicates door openings which either means a shipment arrived and is being received, or it can reveal security issues if this occurs while the shipment is still in transit.
The single use FlashLink Real-Time Logger is packaged in DeltaTrak’s unique and highly durable logger sleeve which provides protection for the device and maximizes reliable operational characteristics. Using GSM cellular data transmission technology, the FlashLink Real-Time Logger has been demonstrated to reliably transmit from within steel shipping containers and refrigerated trailers making it ideal for use in most transportation applications. The FlashLink Real-Time In-Transit Logger is a great solution for anyone that needs up to the minute information on the quality of the products being shipped.
About DeltaTrak
DeltaTrak® is a leading innovator of cold chain management, environmental monitoring and food safety solutions for the food, produce, life science, and chemical industries.Additional information can be found at www.deltatrack.com.
International Paper’s North American Container business is putting Snoopy, Charlie Brown and other Peanuts characters on bulk bins.
Two product displays with the characters are available. Both are corrugated bulk bins, with one featuring Snoopy and watermelons and the other with Snoopy, Linus and Charlie Brown under the words “it’s the great pumpkin.”
“This powerful combination is a standout, drawing customer attention and increasing sales by making shopping a fun experience,” said Scott Dillon, director of marketing, said in a news release. “Peanuts has a multi-generational appeal, and this is a solid way to capture the consumer sentiment around this iconic brand.”
The bins are available at International Paper’s five bulk facilities.
Kroger, Fresh Encounters win Marsh stores at auction
Marsh Supermarkets, at one time a leading Midwest supermarket chain based in Indiana, has recently accepted bids at auction for 26 of its remaining 44 stores. The move follows the company’s closure of 19 locations and bankruptcy filing in May.
Cincinnati-based supermarket powerhouse Kroger will acquire 11 Marsh stores for $16 million, and Fresh Encounter Inc., based in Findlay, OH, will buy 15 Marsh locations for $8 million.
Kroger currently has 2,800 stores nationwide, while Fresh Encounter operates 21 stores under the Community Markets, Great Scott Community Markets, Sack ‘N Save Supermarket and Chief banners. Earlier this year, Fresh Encounter purchased Remke Markets’ 10 stores in the Cincinnati area.
The transactions are subject to bankruptcy court approval. One possible obstacle to the sale is an objection by CVS Health, which purchased the pharmacy accounts from Marsh in April. As part of the agreement, CVS stipulated that 37 stores where Marsh operated pharmacies could not operate as pharmacies for five years.
Kroger and Fresh Encounters have said in court documents that it would proceed with the acquisition only if the restriction is removed. Marsh has countered that the agreement only bars Marsh from operating pharmacies at the stores, and that the language is not enforceable under the bankruptcy code.
The sale of the remaining locations would bring to an end Marsh’s 86 years in business. Ermal Marsh opened the first Marsh store in 1931 in Muncie, IN. The company went public in 1953, when it operated 16 stores.
The last half of summer is typically good for hauling California tomatoes as well as California table grapes.
California’s San Joaquin Valley mature green summer tomato shipments started in late July and will continue into November. About 500 truck loads of mature greens are being loaded weekly.
Caution is recommended when loading this product. There’s been some triple digit weather this season, which can stress the product and lead to quality issues. The weather is supposed to be in the mid to upper 90s this week in the Merced area, but inching towards the 100 mark by next weekend. However, in Brawley, scorching temperatures well above 100 are predicted all week.
In the San Diego and Baja California areas summer vine ripe tomatoes and romas are being shipping in a similar timeframe as those in the San Joaquin Valley. California tomato shipments have been good this summer as weather has impacted tomato seasons in Alabama, Virginia and Tennessee.
California Grape Shipments
Sun Pacific Marketing Cooperative Inc., based in Pasadena, CA is perhaps better known for its easy peel Cuties brand clementines and mandarins, as well as it Mighties brand kiwifruit.
However, it has become a significant player with table grape shipments and this season should move about 4 million cartons of grapes from the San Joaquin Valley. The company is looking to increase it grape volume by as much as 50 percent over the next few seasons.
California has steady loadings with grapes now and is averaging around 1700 truckloads per week. The vast majority of the fruit is still being shipped from the southern half of the valley, but this will gradually shift to greater tonnage coming out of more northern parts of the valley as we approach fall.
During the past decade more than two dozen grape varieties – red, green and black, have been introduced. This is leading to fruit with larger berries, more crunch and sweeter taste.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
By Stemilt Growers
WENATCHEE, Wash. – As the grower/marketer with the rights to University of Minnesota’s newest apple brand, Rave™, Stemilt Growers is set to harvest the apple’s first commercial crop and introduce this special early season apple to consumers in select regions come late August.
Rave™ is the brand name for the apple cultivar MN55, which is a cross between Honeycrisp and an unreleased variety called MonArk. It was first developed through natural cross-pollination 20 years ago by David Bedford as part of the apple breeding program at the University of Minnesota. Bedford is also the breeder behind the popular Honeycrisp and its successor, SweeTango® apples.
Last fall, the University of Minnesota chose Rave™ as the brand name for the apple and then Stemilt got to work on designing a logo, PLU sticker, and packaging ahead of the apple’s introductory year. The company played off people’s common use of the word rave to praise things they like and messaging “the apple you’ll rave about.” Stemilt used fun, bold colors in order to attract shoppers to the brand, and will use #RaveApples to promote social buzz around Rave™ this season and beyond.
The parentage of the apple gives Rave™ the ability to fracture when bitten, just like Honeycrisp. Rave™ has its own special flavor that’s best described as “outrageously juicy with a refreshing snappy zing.” It will also have the unique position of harvesting and going to market before any other apple variety in Washington State, due to its ability to color and ripen during the summer heat.
“Rave™ not only allows retailers to get a jumpstart on apple season each year, but do so with an apple that is stunning to look at, and incredible to eat,” said Brianna Shales, Stemilt communications manager.
While volume will be limited this season, volumes are predicted to grow quickly following this introductory year as new acreage comes into production, Stemilt will be sharing Rave™ with media and social media influencers this season. The company will look to build knowledge and excitement of Rave™ through a kick-off event, on its blog, The Stem, and via its social channels with #RaveApples.
Once it hits produce shelves, Rave™ will be another chapter in Stemilt’s story of bringing innovative products to market. The company successfully introduced its signature apple Piñata!® to the marketplace back in 2009, introduced Skylar Rae® brand cherries in 2016, and also supplies the West Coast with the popular SweeTango® apple.
“The apple category is changing quickly with so many options available to consumers today. That means that each new apple must have attributes that will make it stand out. Rave™ is an apple with star power, and we are excited to start sharing it this season,” said Shales.
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About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the leading shipper of sweet cherries and one of the nation’s largest suppliers of organic tree fruits.
A USDA crop production report predicts U.S. apple shipments will be down 7 percent compared to last season.
The apple crop (both fresh and processed uses) should total 248.6 million 42-pound cartons, off from the 268.4 million cartons in the 2016 season. year ago.
On the up side, apple shipments from the Eastern state will increase. However, a significant decline in apple volume is predicted for the Central U.S. states, while a moderate decrease is seen in Western growing regions.
The Western states, led by Washington, are projected to total 170.4 million cartons, down 9 percent from a year ago, according to the estimates. The Washington apple harvest is running a few weeks later than 2016, according to the USDA, with good quality but slightly smaller fruit expected compared with the 2016 crop.
Washington state apple shipments are pegged at 159.5 million cartons, off 9 percent from the 2016 crop of 174.3 million cartons. The state is expected tol account for 64 percent of total U.S. apple shipments in 2017, down from 65 percnt in 2016.
In Eastern U.S. states, apple loadings are forecast at 55.7 million cartons, up 8 percent from 2016. New York, accounting for half of Eastern apple shipments, has a crop of 28.5 million cartons, up slightly from 28.1 million cartons a year ago. Growers and shippers there reported localized hail damage and noted rainfall and cool temperatures could affect fruit size, according to the report.
Apple shipments in the Central U.S. is forecast at 22.5 million cartons, down 27 percent from a year ago. A freeze in early May hurt Michigan crop prospects, according to the USDA. Michigan’s crop is projected at 19 million cartons, down more than 30 percent from 2016 output of nearly 28 million cartons.
In its Agricultural Prices report, the USDA said the average grower price for apples in June was 36.3 cents per pounds, down from 38 cents per pound in June last year.
The U.S. Apple Association will release its annual crop production estimate during the Apple Crop Outlook & Marketing Conference Aug. 24-25 in Chicago
The ports of Manatee and Oakland are having record-setting years, with much of that success coming from produce imports.
Port of Manatee
The Port of Manatee’s container volume already has handled as volume in 10 has it has totaled in a record setting 12-month year..
The Florida-based port has moved 32,907 20-foot-equivalent (TEU) container units since October 1st, surpassing the full-year record of 30,431 TEUs, which was set in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2010.
A news release from Port Manatee points out the record-setting container volume represents a 47 percent increase over the first 10 months of the preceding fiscal year.
The increase is primarily attributed to Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. switching from breakbulk shipping to containers for imports of Central American pineapple and bananas, as well as to the success of World Direct’s weekly shipping service which transports refrigerated produce from Mexico.
“We are excited to have already set a new container record for Port Manatee and are further encouraged this favorable trend is anticipated to be sustained for a long time,” Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee’s executive director, said in the release.
The port’s tonnage also increased in the first 10 months of its fiscal year, topping last fiscal year’s numbers by 17 percent.
Port of Oakland
A record for import cargo in July has been set by The Port of Oakland.
The port handled 84,835 loaded 20-foot import containers in July, which tops the previous record of 84,023 containers set in March 2015.
A press release from the California port shows import volume through the first seven months of the year was also up 3.7 percent over the same time last year.
Looking ahead, Port of Oakland leaders believey they foresee a five-year period of record cargo volume beginning in 2018.
That prediction comes from the recently released Strategic Maritime Roadmap. The roadmap forecasts a record volume of 2.4 million cargo containers in 2018.
The roadmap also predicts greater volumes arriving on larger ships driven by Northern California’s robust freight market along with new distribution and freight transfer centers. The document predicts ships will be 35 percent larger within 15 years.
“We’re serving a thriving area and developing new services for our customers,” Oakland’s maritime director John Driscoll said. “The combination should be positive for everyone who relies on the port for their business or their job.”