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Red potato shipments from the Red River Valley have taken a hit for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, California pomegranate shipments are picking up.
Roughly one-third, or 7,000 to 7,800 acres of the Red River Valley potatoes for the fresh market have been lost to excessive rain, and hail damage in northeast North Dakota. Seed and chipping potatoes in the area have suffered damage also and are not included in that talley.
Bruce Huffaker of North American Potato Market News estimates as many as 13,000 acres total (fresh, seed and chipping combined) have been lost in North Dakota and 1,500 in neighboring northwest Minnesota. Counties hardest hit in North Dakota are Pembina and Walsh and in Minnesota, Kittson and Polk.
However, potato fields south of Grand Forks and outside the Red River Valley appear to be in great shape. There are also fields north of Grand Forks that have escaped major damage.
The fresh potato shipments are well underway in the Long Prairie and Big Lake areas of Minnesota. Some of those potatoes are being washed and packed by Red River Valley wash plants, because the harvest in the valley is still several weeks away. Supplies should be adequate at the start of the Red River Valley shipping season but several plants will wrap up earlier than normal in the spring.
Pomegranate Shipments
California grower-shippers are having good shipments of pomegranates that began in mid-August. However, 80 percent or more of the crop is in the wonderful variety which starts around October 1.
Volume loadings will be down this seas as there is some movement toward other crops. Some growers are swapping out pomegranates for nut varieties viewed as being more profitable.
Slayman Marketing of Bakersfield, CA focuses on early varieties and began shipping in early August. Last year started earlier, around July 20. Simonian Fruit Co. of Fowler, CA is expecting similar shipments to a year ago. Simonian should wrap up harvesting the first half of November.
The largest shipper of the wonderful variety is Los Angeles-based Pom Wonderful, which accounts for about 70 percent of California pomegranate shipments.
Organic produce sales topped $1 billion in the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest United Fresh Produce Association FreshFacts report.
Tracking sales data from January through March, the report found that organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter totaled $1.1 billion, up 15% from year-ago levels. Sales gains were boosted by an increase in the number of retailers offering organic produce, according to the release.
The growth in organic produce sales and other data from the report were featured in the workshop “Who’s Buying Your Produce?” at the United Fresh 2016 convention in Chicago, according to a news release.
The FreshFacts report reveals that fresh produce accounts for 34 percent of total fresh sales in supermarkets, second only to meat. Total first-quarter sales of fresh produce were up 5 percent from year-ago levels, and volume was up 1 percent, according to the report.
The United Fresh workshop, to be led by Jen Campuzano and Matt Lally from Nielsen Perishables Group, will address shopping behaviors by generation, income and ethnicity, according to the release. The workshop presenters will also provide recommendations on market strategies for produce suppliers and retailers, according to the release.
The FreshFacts report, produced in partnership with the Nielsen Perishables Group and sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce, is available online and can be downloaded with no charge for United Fresh members and $50 for non-members, according to the release.
Beyond its examination of organic sales and trends for the top ten fruits and vegetables, the first quarter FreshFacts report explores consumer perceptions of local produce and generational demand, according to the release.
Even refrigerated carriers have their challenges hauling fresh produce, but it is an awesome mountain for rail entities, which is why there have been so many failures over the years.
Now we hear Railex LLC is ending service to the Southeast. although it claims it will be back one day.
The rail logistics transporter, based in Riverhead, NY, ceased operations in Jacksonville, Fla. August 13th with its refrigerated perishables..
Rumors of the closing had been circulating since July. The company apparently felt it was in its best interest to reassess the Southeast receiving location and close the Jacksonville location. Railex was unable to properly structure its operations at the Jacksonville facility that was too small. The company was operating with a short-term lease.
Railex is working with the Union Pacific and CSX railroads to find a service plan allowing timely deliveries to Southeastern customers through a different location. Railex is hoping to negotiate a service agreement within the coming months.
The Jacksonville location was intended to be a temporary solution to satisfy customers that had long demanded Southeastern service.
“For various reasons beyond our control, Railex could not run the traditional unit-type train service into Jacksonville,” Paul Esposito, executive vice president of corporate affairs said. “The transit times were two days longer than what we had planned and what our customers expected. Now, two years later, during the peak summer season, with transit variabilities as well as the decline in truck rates, we find it difficult to sustain any significant volume into the area.”
The carrier transported apples, carrots, onions, potatoes and wine to receivers via 64-foot refrigerated railcars.
Railex ships from Delano, CA, and Wallula, WA., and unloads and distributes at a Rotterdam, N.Y., refrigerated warehouse near Schenectady, N.Y.
The company opened the Jacksonville location in June 2014.
Rail companies have a history of basing their rates to a significant degree, on truck rates.
Apple shippers in upstate New York will be more comfortable with a forecast once they get through August. Meanwhile, an early forecast doesn’t predict any good times for Florida citrus shipments.
New York apple shippers are reluctant to put on estimate on their crop this season. After all, farmers get spooked easily, don’t want to jinx the crop, and are all too aware of what Mother Nature may have planned. Once we get into September they’ll start loosening up a bit.
Still they remember what history has taught them that a lot can change between April and August, even from July to August. Into 2015 crop all hell broke loose between July and August. The USDA’s July 2015 forecast was 26.2 million 42-pound units, or cartons. Its July 2016 final estimate of the 2015 crop just came out at 32.4 million. That’s a significant increase to market, sell and ship without a lot of notice. But even that year was just short of 2009’s record crop of 32.6 million.
Florida Citrus Shipments
Florida citrus shippers face a tumultuous year if a projected 26 percent decline in Florida’s new orange crop for the 2016-17 season pans out.
One recent prediction has Florida orange growers producing only 60.5 million boxes of oranges in the new season, which begins in October, down from 81.5 million boxes in 2015-16.
If that estimate holds, it will be the smalles Florida orange crop in 53 years since 54.9 million boxes harvested in the 1963-64 season. The next lowest crop was 57.79 million orange boxes in 1949-50.
Florida growers continue to lose the battle against the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening. Additionally, the fungal disease called “postbloom fruit drop” hit the late-season Valencia orange crop hard during the spring.
Greening results in a tree producing fewer, smaller fruit, meaning fewer boxes are picked. Infected trees also show a diminished capacity to hold onto mature fruit before harvesting, known as “pre-harvest drop.”
Florida citrus officials consider greening as the primary factor behind the 66 percent drop in the state’s orange harvest from 242 million boxes in the 2003-04 season, the last non-hurricane season before the disease’s 2005 discovery in the state.
The USDA will release its first official crop estimate October 12.
McDonald’s is talking up a milestone in providing children increased access to fruit through sliced apples served in Happy Meals.
Since 2004, the Oak Brook, Ill.-based foodservice operator reports serving more than two billion packages of sliced apples in Happy Meals, according to a news release.
In 2012, McDonald’s began serving the sliced apples as the default side item instead of french fries.
McDonald’s needed suppliers to develop the capacity to offer the product at restaurants nationwide. The success at McDonald’s led to fresh-cut apple availability at retail, schools and other quick-service restaurants, according to the release. McDonald’s has 14,000 locations in the U.S.
“As the first restaurant to offer fresh-cut apple packages as a side choice for children in April 2004, McDonald’s helped transform the children’s meal nutrition landscape by being the first to successfully create a market for convenient and easy, fresh-cut apple packs,” McDonald’s officials said in the release. “Today, all children in the U.S. under the age of 12 have only ever known a Happy Meal that included the option of apple slices.”
“This milestone is a marker of McDonald’s continuing to play an important role in every community and our ongoing efforts to help increase access to fruit and other nutritious food for children,” Steve Kerley, vice president and general manager of McDonald’s in the Philadelphia region, said in the release. “The decision to serve real apple slices with Happy Meals more than a decade ago helped make it easier for parents to ensure that their children are getting wholesome options.”
McDonald’s is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries.
Founded in the United States in 1940, the company began as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald. In 1948, they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles. Businessman Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.
While many California vegetable shipments have been rather lack luster this year, shipments have soared for mandarins, and table grapes may break a record.
California mandarins produced in the San Joaquin Valley during 2015 have been valued at $197.6 million, a 171 percent increase from the $72.8 million the previous year, according to the The Fresno County Farm Bureau.
Mostly marketed as clementines with branded labels, from 2014 to 2015, the region’s production of mandarins increased from 121,000 tons to 166,000 tons, a 37.2 percent increase. The national mandarin market, which is dominated by Sun Pacific and Wonderful Citrus, Delano, CA , Wonderful packs the fruit under the Halos label that it introduced in late 2013.
The value of mandarins sold nationally at retail jumped 23 percent two years ago and increased 15 percent from the 2014-15 season to 2015-16. The Fresno County data come from the region’s growers, 60 to 70 percent of whom return the crop report requested by the county.
While some mandarin shippers operate out of Fresno County, they have much larger produce from Kern County.
Given that the Fresno County data doesn’t include much product from Sun Pacific and Wonderful, the two dominant players in the market, it makes sense that the national numbers — relying heavily on the Cuties brand and Halos brand sales — don’t match the regional numbers.
California Grape Shipments
California grapes are in the ballpark of an all-time high for shipments, and over 60 percent of the crop will ship after September 1st.
The 2016 grape crop is estimated at nearly 117.1 million 19-bound box equivalents. This is down a bit from the spring estimate of 117.4 million, but that number would still surpass the record harvest of 116.3 million in 2013.
Last year’s crop of 109.3 million boxes rode favorable markets to its highest ever gross value at $1.83 billion.
Fall grapes will include autumn kings, scarlet royals, autumn royals and red globes. Among the many trademark varieties are Holiday and Milano from Columbine Vineyards; AutumnCrisp by Sun World International; Green Emerald from Sunlight International Sales; and Sweet Celebration from Jasmine, Pandol Bros. and other shippers.
San Joaquin Valley mandarins and grapes – grossing about $5000 to Atlanta.
Mango imports are up significantly this season. Plus, we take a final look at Northwest cherry shipments.
Brazil Mango Imports
The U.S., the National Mango Board (NMB) has released its latest update from Mexico and Brazil as of August 6, 2016 and reports volume arriving into the U.S. is up nearly one million boxes from last year.
Mango volume shipping the first week of August is about 2.6 million boxes. During the same week last year, volume was around 1.7 million boxes. These numbers brought the total mango volume to over 80,5 million boxes arriving mostly at U.S. ports.
The Brazilian mango shipping season runs from July through November, with a projected 8 million boxes forecast.
As of August 6, volume shipped from Brazil was 322,298 boxes for a total of 372,530 thus far this season. This volume is up an approximate 84,242 boxes from last year at the same time.
Mexico Mango Imports
Additionally, the Mexican mango shipping season, which began in January and will run through October, is expected to provide the U.S. with about 66.5 million boxes of mangos.
At this point last year, volume from Mexico was composed of a total of over 64 millions boxes. This number is slightly lower this year, with a total of 63.1 million cartons.
Though the overall volume is lower as of right now, weekly imports are on the rise. During the week of August 6 last year, volume arrived from Mexico was approximately 1.7 million. This year, that number has significantly increased with volume arriving from Mexico on the same week at around 2.6 million boxes.
Cherry Shipments
Northwest cherry growers shipped nearly 21 million pounds of fruit this year. Some are describing the crop as “vintage” and the “best eating” fruit in many years.
Due to the larger sized cherries, forecasters changed their estimates upwards. On June 1, this year’s crop was estimated at 19.6 million boxes, but by August 4th, the last estimate of the season, it had risen to 20. 8 million boxes, thanks not only to bigger sizes but to less drop on some varieties.
Article by: Keri Glassman, MS – RD – CDN,
Our (Andy Boy) Nutrition Expert, Keri Glassman, is one of America’s foremost registered dietitians. She brings with her a wealth of nutritional knowledge, as well as an appreciation for foods that people love.
If you’re one of the 70% of Americans who fail to meet the minimum U.S. Dietary Guidelines for daily vegetable intake…You. Are. Missing. Out. Yup, you really need to get them in Stat.
My go-to fave is broccoli rabe. It’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and also packs in minerals like calcium, folate, and iron, just to name a few.
Another bonus? Broccoli rabe is filled with water and fiber, which aid in digestion and can also keep you feeling fuller for longer, supporting healthy weight loss.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “broccoli rabe really rocks”, then yes, you are 100% correct.
Here is a cheat sheet on why and how broccoli rabe should play a starring role in your diet:
- Reduce your disease risk. Broccoli rabe offers a powerful dose of fiber, vitamins and minerals including antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been shown to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and may help reduce the risk of cancer. Experts believe that the carotenoids in broccoli rabe act as antioxidants, slowing the damage that free radicals cause our bodies, before they can do harm.
- Pump up the vitamin volume! 1 cup of broccoli rabe has more than 112% of your daily recommendation of vitamin K (strong bones!) and about 20% your recommendation of vitamin A (20/20 vision anyone?).
- Fill up til you’re full. Broccoli rabe has a high water volume, which helps you stay hydrated. One study showed subjects’ metabolic rate increased 30 percent within 10 minutes after drinking 17 ounces of water. Broccoli rabe also have a high fiber content, which not only leaves you feeling satisfied and full for longer, but also helps keep things moving in the GI tract.
- Amp your weight loss. All veggies offer multiple nutrients for very few calories, aiding in weight loss efforts. When it comes to broccoli rabe, the more the merrier!
- Boost your brain. One study found that women who ate the most leafy greens, like broccoli rabe, and cruciferous vegetables had brains that were 1 to 2 years “younger” in performance than those who ate fewer. Bringin’ back the youth!
- Promote skin health. The phytochemicals and antioxidants found in green veggies like broccoli rabe can help protect your skin against UV damage by countering free radicals in your body to lessen the deterioration of skin’s vital components like collagen and elastin. Say hello to greens and say hello to gorgeous skin!
- Calcium without the dairy. Calcium is an absolutely vital nutrient for keeping your bones healthy and strong. Whether dairy isn’t an option for you, or if you’re just looking for some variety, broccoli rabe will give you a tasty calcium boost that you need.
- Protect your eye health. Carrots tend to get most of the credit when talking about eye health, but broccoli rabe and other leafy greens contain lutein, which help block certain light rays from damaging your eyes.
- Work in some protein! Now, it’s no surprise that leafy greens aren’t as protein-rich as meat, tofu, or other meat substitutes, but with more than 1 gram per cup of broccoli rabe, you can give yourself a little protein boost from an unexpected source.
- Branch out! Greens go way beyond spinach and kale. Why? Well, aside from the taste (holy yum!), broccoli rabe fights cancer (over 50% of your daily vitamins A & C in just 3.5 oz.), combats heart disease (it contains strong anti-inflammatory nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease) and helps you to detox (contains sulfur which helps detoxify the liver).
A few Do’s and Don’ts to take your green eats to the next level:
- DO shoot to eat 1 serving of leafy greens (e.g. 1 cup broccoli rabe) at every meal.
- DO choose nutrient dense dark, leafy greens such as broccoli rabe over less nutritious options
- DON’T drench or fry your greens in dressings or oils. What a shame it would be to lose all of the natural nutritional power, right?
- DON’T worry about consuming too many greens. More is better, as long as you’re controlling the added fat, such as olive oil. Which, by the way, is delicious with a bunch of broccoli rabe and a few red pepper flakes.
Check out Keri’s recipe for Broccoli Rabe Chips.
Here’s some updates on tomato shipments from Southern California, as well as avocado shipments, which continue to show impressive growth in volume.
California vine-ripe round tomatoes and romas are now in peak volume from Southern California. This season, veteram tomato grower Harry Singh, Jr. and his family—along with exclusive marketer Oppy—celebrate 75 years of producing vine-ripes in Oceanside, CA. .
Priya Singh, general manager, is a third generation grower at the company that became known as West Coast Tomato Growers (WCTG), owners of the Oceanside Pole and Cal-Tom brands, in 2012. Oppy is shipping Oceanside Pole and Cal-Tom vine ripened rounds and romas produced by the Singh family into November.
Southern California tomatoes – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
Avocado Shipments
2016 is off to a good start for avocado shipments, both domestic and for imports. The coming fall shipping season is looking to be even better. From January through May, more than 1 billion pounds of avocados were shipped in the U.S. That is up from 883 million pounds for the same period a year ago.
In all, volume rose 16 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, but for fall, volume grew 21 percent — from 575 million pounds for September through December 2014 to 696 million pounds for the fall of 2015.
The increase was driven by an increase in imports from Mexico, which had its biggest year ever. Mexico was by far the largest source of avocados in 2015, shipping 1.7 billion pounds to the U.S. California was next, with 262 million pounds, followed by Peru with 100 million and Chile with 20 million pounds. Other countries shipped almost 4 million pounds.
Avocado shipments are increasing as consumption by American consumers continues to grow at a very fast pace. Avocado shipments seem to be breaking records nearly every year.
Total volume in the U.S. for 2015 was 2.14 billion pounds, an increase of 15 percent over the 1.85 billion pounds in 2014.
Some California avocado shipments should continue through August. Then the fall crop from Mexico starts ramping up.
RENO, NV – Progistix®, a technology company based out of Nevada, is excited to launch Freightflow®, the next generation of a cloud-based transportation management system (TMS), at Fresh Summit in Orlando, FL. Designed specifically for the produce industry, Freightflow gives users complete visibility to their transportation planning, execution and settlement needs without costly technology investments.
Freightflow is the result of a shared vision between two logistics and produce veterans, Butch Peri and Bud Floyd. After spending decades in industries rooted in repetitive tasks and incompatible business systems, their goal was simple: to develop the next generation of an easy-to-use TMS solution that levels the playing field and allows small and medium businesses to compete in today’s complex transportation industry.
Turning vision into reality, Peri and Floyd assembled a team of software experts to develop an affordable, scalable system built using the newest cloud-based technology. Freightflow’s overarching platform integrates ERP business software with transportation tools to provide complete supply chain visibility from a single platform.
* Load Management— Centralized dashboard to prioritize, book, track and trace and post shipments to external load boards
* Customer Billing— Connectivity to key produce industry ERP business systems to manage billing, invoices and claims
* Document Storage— Convenient document storage allows users to quickly and easily retrieve and review documents associated with each load
* Analytics— Robust, easy-to-use reporting and analytics to make informed decisions
“Freightflow combines critical business components and key capabilities into a unified, easy-to-use platform that ensures reliability, security and scalability,” remarked Kyle Jaster, chief technology officer at Freightflow. “We believe the tools and data we’re offering can help any business succeed— without any start up investments.”
According to Jaster, a recent partnership with Truckstop.com will provide customers direct access to carrier contact and policy information, certificates of insurance, limits and expiration dates, along with DOT safety ratings and authority data on more than 200,000 carriers. “Combining the power of Freightflow with Truckstop.com will make it even easier to add qualified carriers to your preferred providers.”
Freightflow experts will be on hand at Fresh Summit to provide demos and discuss the benefits of this cloud-based solution to those interested in managing their complex, dynamic logistics and trade operation. For an appointment, contact Bud Floyd at 1-845-TMS-2345 or bud@freightflow.co.
Questions about this release can be directed Bud Floyd or Kyle Jaster at info@freightflow.co or 1-845-TMS-2345.
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Freightflow is a cloud-based order-to-settlement transportation management system designed to transform how freight moves around the world by creating efficiencies and eliminating costs in the transportation industry. From a single platform, Freightflow provides companies the ability to manage the entire transportation lifecycle including: rating, routing, tendering, tracking, tracing and settlement for shippers, carriers and logistics companies. Freightflow co-founders include industry veterans Butch Peri and Bud Floyd. As President/CEO of Peri & Sons, Peri led the growth of the world’s largest grower/shipper of fresh-market onion operations over 30 years. Floyd spent over 14 years as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for C.H. Robinson, a Fortune 300 transportation and logistics company. Freightflow is a product of Progistix Worldwide. ©2016.
Red potato shipments from the Red River Valley have taken a hit for the upcoming season. Meanwhile, California pomegranate shipments are picking up.
Roughly one-third, or 7,000 to 7,800 acres of the Red River Valley potatoes for the fresh market have been lost to excessive rain, and hail damage in northeast North Dakota. Seed and chipping potatoes in the area have suffered damage also and are not included in that talley.
Bruce Huffaker of North American Potato Market News estimates as many as 13,000 acres total (fresh, seed and chipping combined) have been lost in North Dakota and 1,500 in neighboring northwest Minnesota. Counties hardest hit in North Dakota are Pembina and Walsh and in Minnesota, Kittson and Polk.
However, potato fields south of Grand Forks and outside the Red River Valley appear to be in great shape. There are also fields north of Grand Forks that have escaped major damage.
The fresh potato shipments are well underway in the Long Prairie and Big Lake areas of Minnesota. Some of those potatoes are being washed and packed by Red River Valley wash plants, because the harvest in the valley is still several weeks away. Supplies should be adequate at the start of the Red River Valley shipping season but several plants will wrap up earlier than normal in the spring.
Pomegranate Shipments
California grower-shippers are having good shipments of pomegranates that began in mid-August. However, 80 percent or more of the crop is in the wonderful variety which starts around October 1.
Volume loadings will be down this seas as there is some movement toward other crops. Some growers are swapping out pomegranates for nut varieties viewed as being more profitable.
Slayman Marketing of Bakersfield, CA focuses on early varieties and began shipping in early August. Last year started earlier, around July 20. Simonian Fruit Co. of Fowler, CA is expecting similar shipments to a year ago. Simonian should wrap up harvesting the first half of November.
The largest shipper of the wonderful variety is Los Angeles-based Pom Wonderful, which accounts for about 70 percent of California pomegranate shipments.
Organic produce sales topped $1 billion in the first quarter of 2016, according to the latest United Fresh Produce Association FreshFacts report.Tracking sales data from January through March, the report found that organic fresh produce sales in the first quarter totaled $1.1 billion, up 15% from year-ago levels. Sales gains were boosted by an increase in the number of retailers offering organic produce, according to the release.
The growth in organic produce sales and other data from the report were featured in the workshop “Who’s Buying Your Produce?” at the United Fresh 2016 convention in Chicago, according to a news release.
The FreshFacts report reveals that fresh produce accounts for 34 percent of total fresh sales in supermarkets, second only to meat. Total first-quarter sales of fresh produce were up 5 percent from year-ago levels, and volume was up 1 percent, according to the report.
The United Fresh workshop, to be led by Jen Campuzano and Matt Lally from Nielsen Perishables Group, will address shopping behaviors by generation, income and ethnicity, according to the release. The workshop presenters will also provide recommendations on market strategies for produce suppliers and retailers, according to the release.
The FreshFacts report, produced in partnership with the Nielsen Perishables Group and sponsored by Del Monte Fresh Produce, is available online and can be downloaded with no charge for United Fresh members and $50 for non-members, according to the release.
Beyond its examination of organic sales and trends for the top ten fruits and vegetables, the first quarter FreshFacts report explores consumer perceptions of local produce and generational demand, according to the release.
Even refrigerated carriers have their challenges hauling fresh produce, but it is an awesome mountain for rail entities, which is why there have been so many failures over the years.
Now we hear Railex LLC is ending service to the Southeast. although it claims it will be back one day.
The rail logistics transporter, based in Riverhead, NY, ceased operations in Jacksonville, Fla. August 13th with its refrigerated perishables..
Rumors of the closing had been circulating since July. The company apparently felt it was in its best interest to reassess the Southeast receiving location and close the Jacksonville location. Railex was unable to properly structure its operations at the Jacksonville facility that was too small. The company was operating with a short-term lease.
Railex is working with the Union Pacific and CSX railroads to find a service plan allowing timely deliveries to Southeastern customers through a different location. Railex is hoping to negotiate a service agreement within the coming months.
The Jacksonville location was intended to be a temporary solution to satisfy customers that had long demanded Southeastern service.
“For various reasons beyond our control, Railex could not run the traditional unit-type train service into Jacksonville,” Paul Esposito, executive vice president of corporate affairs said. “The transit times were two days longer than what we had planned and what our customers expected. Now, two years later, during the peak summer season, with transit variabilities as well as the decline in truck rates, we find it difficult to sustain any significant volume into the area.”
The carrier transported apples, carrots, onions, potatoes and wine to receivers via 64-foot refrigerated railcars.
Railex ships from Delano, CA, and Wallula, WA., and unloads and distributes at a Rotterdam, N.Y., refrigerated warehouse near Schenectady, N.Y.
The company opened the Jacksonville location in June 2014.
Rail companies have a history of basing their rates to a significant degree, on truck rates.
Apple shippers in upstate New York will be more comfortable with a forecast once they get through August. Meanwhile, an early forecast doesn’t predict any good times for Florida citrus shipments.
New York apple shippers are reluctant to put on estimate on their crop this season. After all, farmers get spooked easily, don’t want to jinx the crop, and are all too aware of what Mother Nature may have planned. Once we get into September they’ll start loosening up a bit.
Still they remember what history has taught them that a lot can change between April and August, even from July to August. Into 2015 crop all hell broke loose between July and August. The USDA’s July 2015 forecast was 26.2 million 42-pound units, or cartons. Its July 2016 final estimate of the 2015 crop just came out at 32.4 million. That’s a significant increase to market, sell and ship without a lot of notice. But even that year was just short of 2009’s record crop of 32.6 million.
Florida Citrus Shipments
Florida citrus shippers face a tumultuous year if a projected 26 percent decline in Florida’s new orange crop for the 2016-17 season pans out.
One recent prediction has Florida orange growers producing only 60.5 million boxes of oranges in the new season, which begins in October, down from 81.5 million boxes in 2015-16.
If that estimate holds, it will be the smalles Florida orange crop in 53 years since 54.9 million boxes harvested in the 1963-64 season. The next lowest crop was 57.79 million orange boxes in 1949-50.
Florida growers continue to lose the battle against the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening. Additionally, the fungal disease called “postbloom fruit drop” hit the late-season Valencia orange crop hard during the spring.
Greening results in a tree producing fewer, smaller fruit, meaning fewer boxes are picked. Infected trees also show a diminished capacity to hold onto mature fruit before harvesting, known as “pre-harvest drop.”
Florida citrus officials consider greening as the primary factor behind the 66 percent drop in the state’s orange harvest from 242 million boxes in the 2003-04 season, the last non-hurricane season before the disease’s 2005 discovery in the state.
The USDA will release its first official crop estimate October 12.
McDonald’s is talking up a milestone in providing children increased access to fruit through sliced apples served in Happy Meals.
Since 2004, the Oak Brook, Ill.-based foodservice operator reports serving more than two billion packages of sliced apples in Happy Meals, according to a news release.
In 2012, McDonald’s began serving the sliced apples as the default side item instead of french fries.
McDonald’s needed suppliers to develop the capacity to offer the product at restaurants nationwide. The success at McDonald’s led to fresh-cut apple availability at retail, schools and other quick-service restaurants, according to the release. McDonald’s has 14,000 locations in the U.S.
“As the first restaurant to offer fresh-cut apple packages as a side choice for children in April 2004, McDonald’s helped transform the children’s meal nutrition landscape by being the first to successfully create a market for convenient and easy, fresh-cut apple packs,” McDonald’s officials said in the release. “Today, all children in the U.S. under the age of 12 have only ever known a Happy Meal that included the option of apple slices.”
“This milestone is a marker of McDonald’s continuing to play an important role in every community and our ongoing efforts to help increase access to fruit and other nutritious food for children,” Steve Kerley, vice president and general manager of McDonald’s in the Philadelphia region, said in the release. “The decision to serve real apple slices with Happy Meals more than a decade ago helped make it easier for parents to ensure that their children are getting wholesome options.”
McDonald’s is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries.
Founded in the United States in 1940, the company began as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald. In 1948, they reorganized their business as a hamburger stand using production line principles. Businessman Ray Kroc joined the company as a franchise agent in 1955. He subsequently purchased the chain from the McDonald brothers and oversaw its worldwide growth.
While many California vegetable shipments have been rather lack luster this year, shipments have soared for mandarins, and table grapes may break a record.
California mandarins produced in the San Joaquin Valley during 2015 have been valued at $197.6 million, a 171 percent increase from the $72.8 million the previous year, according to the The Fresno County Farm Bureau.
Mostly marketed as clementines with branded labels, from 2014 to 2015, the region’s production of mandarins increased from 121,000 tons to 166,000 tons, a 37.2 percent increase. The national mandarin market, which is dominated by Sun Pacific and Wonderful Citrus, Delano, CA , Wonderful packs the fruit under the Halos label that it introduced in late 2013.
The value of mandarins sold nationally at retail jumped 23 percent two years ago and increased 15 percent from the 2014-15 season to 2015-16. The Fresno County data come from the region’s growers, 60 to 70 percent of whom return the crop report requested by the county.
While some mandarin shippers operate out of Fresno County, they have much larger produce from Kern County.
Given that the Fresno County data doesn’t include much product from Sun Pacific and Wonderful, the two dominant players in the market, it makes sense that the national numbers — relying heavily on the Cuties brand and Halos brand sales — don’t match the regional numbers.
California Grape Shipments
California grapes are in the ballpark of an all-time high for shipments, and over 60 percent of the crop will ship after September 1st.
The 2016 grape crop is estimated at nearly 117.1 million 19-bound box equivalents. This is down a bit from the spring estimate of 117.4 million, but that number would still surpass the record harvest of 116.3 million in 2013.
Last year’s crop of 109.3 million boxes rode favorable markets to its highest ever gross value at $1.83 billion.
Fall grapes will include autumn kings, scarlet royals, autumn royals and red globes. Among the many trademark varieties are Holiday and Milano from Columbine Vineyards; AutumnCrisp by Sun World International; Green Emerald from Sunlight International Sales; and Sweet Celebration from Jasmine, Pandol Bros. and other shippers.
San Joaquin Valley mandarins and grapes – grossing about $5000 to Atlanta.
Mango imports are up significantly this season. Plus, we take a final look at Northwest cherry shipments.
Brazil Mango Imports
The U.S., the National Mango Board (NMB) has released its latest update from Mexico and Brazil as of August 6, 2016 and reports volume arriving into the U.S. is up nearly one million boxes from last year.
Mango volume shipping the first week of August is about 2.6 million boxes. During the same week last year, volume was around 1.7 million boxes. These numbers brought the total mango volume to over 80,5 million boxes arriving mostly at U.S. ports.
The Brazilian mango shipping season runs from July through November, with a projected 8 million boxes forecast.
As of August 6, volume shipped from Brazil was 322,298 boxes for a total of 372,530 thus far this season. This volume is up an approximate 84,242 boxes from last year at the same time.
Mexico Mango Imports
Additionally, the Mexican mango shipping season, which began in January and will run through October, is expected to provide the U.S. with about 66.5 million boxes of mangos.
At this point last year, volume from Mexico was composed of a total of over 64 millions boxes. This number is slightly lower this year, with a total of 63.1 million cartons.
Though the overall volume is lower as of right now, weekly imports are on the rise. During the week of August 6 last year, volume arrived from Mexico was approximately 1.7 million. This year, that number has significantly increased with volume arriving from Mexico on the same week at around 2.6 million boxes.
Cherry Shipments
Northwest cherry growers shipped nearly 21 million pounds of fruit this year. Some are describing the crop as “vintage” and the “best eating” fruit in many years.
Due to the larger sized cherries, forecasters changed their estimates upwards. On June 1, this year’s crop was estimated at 19.6 million boxes, but by August 4th, the last estimate of the season, it had risen to 20. 8 million boxes, thanks not only to bigger sizes but to less drop on some varieties.
Article by: Keri Glassman, MS – RD – CDN,
Our (Andy Boy) Nutrition Expert, Keri Glassman, is one of America’s foremost registered dietitians. She brings with her a wealth of nutritional knowledge, as well as an appreciation for foods that people love.
If you’re one of the 70% of Americans who fail to meet the minimum U.S. Dietary Guidelines for daily vegetable intake…You. Are. Missing. Out. Yup, you really need to get them in Stat.
My go-to fave is broccoli rabe. It’s loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, and also packs in minerals like calcium, folate, and iron, just to name a few.
Another bonus? Broccoli rabe is filled with water and fiber, which aid in digestion and can also keep you feeling fuller for longer, supporting healthy weight loss.
If you’re thinking to yourself, “broccoli rabe really rocks”, then yes, you are 100% correct.
Here is a cheat sheet on why and how broccoli rabe should play a starring role in your diet:
- Reduce your disease risk. Broccoli rabe offers a powerful dose of fiber, vitamins and minerals including antioxidants and phytochemicals which have been shown to lower cholesterol, prevent heart disease and may help reduce the risk of cancer. Experts believe that the carotenoids in broccoli rabe act as antioxidants, slowing the damage that free radicals cause our bodies, before they can do harm.
- Pump up the vitamin volume! 1 cup of broccoli rabe has more than 112% of your daily recommendation of vitamin K (strong bones!) and about 20% your recommendation of vitamin A (20/20 vision anyone?).
- Fill up til you’re full. Broccoli rabe has a high water volume, which helps you stay hydrated. One study showed subjects’ metabolic rate increased 30 percent within 10 minutes after drinking 17 ounces of water. Broccoli rabe also have a high fiber content, which not only leaves you feeling satisfied and full for longer, but also helps keep things moving in the GI tract.
- Amp your weight loss. All veggies offer multiple nutrients for very few calories, aiding in weight loss efforts. When it comes to broccoli rabe, the more the merrier!
- Boost your brain. One study found that women who ate the most leafy greens, like broccoli rabe, and cruciferous vegetables had brains that were 1 to 2 years “younger” in performance than those who ate fewer. Bringin’ back the youth!
- Promote skin health. The phytochemicals and antioxidants found in green veggies like broccoli rabe can help protect your skin against UV damage by countering free radicals in your body to lessen the deterioration of skin’s vital components like collagen and elastin. Say hello to greens and say hello to gorgeous skin!
- Calcium without the dairy. Calcium is an absolutely vital nutrient for keeping your bones healthy and strong. Whether dairy isn’t an option for you, or if you’re just looking for some variety, broccoli rabe will give you a tasty calcium boost that you need.
- Protect your eye health. Carrots tend to get most of the credit when talking about eye health, but broccoli rabe and other leafy greens contain lutein, which help block certain light rays from damaging your eyes.
- Work in some protein! Now, it’s no surprise that leafy greens aren’t as protein-rich as meat, tofu, or other meat substitutes, but with more than 1 gram per cup of broccoli rabe, you can give yourself a little protein boost from an unexpected source.
- Branch out! Greens go way beyond spinach and kale. Why? Well, aside from the taste (holy yum!), broccoli rabe fights cancer (over 50% of your daily vitamins A & C in just 3.5 oz.), combats heart disease (it contains strong anti-inflammatory nutrients that may reduce the risk of heart disease) and helps you to detox (contains sulfur which helps detoxify the liver).
A few Do’s and Don’ts to take your green eats to the next level:
- DO shoot to eat 1 serving of leafy greens (e.g. 1 cup broccoli rabe) at every meal.
- DO choose nutrient dense dark, leafy greens such as broccoli rabe over less nutritious options
- DON’T drench or fry your greens in dressings or oils. What a shame it would be to lose all of the natural nutritional power, right?
- DON’T worry about consuming too many greens. More is better, as long as you’re controlling the added fat, such as olive oil. Which, by the way, is delicious with a bunch of broccoli rabe and a few red pepper flakes.
Check out Keri’s recipe for Broccoli Rabe Chips.
Here’s some updates on tomato shipments from Southern California, as well as avocado shipments, which continue to show impressive growth in volume.
California vine-ripe round tomatoes and romas are now in peak volume from Southern California. This season, veteram tomato grower Harry Singh, Jr. and his family—along with exclusive marketer Oppy—celebrate 75 years of producing vine-ripes in Oceanside, CA. .
Priya Singh, general manager, is a third generation grower at the company that became known as West Coast Tomato Growers (WCTG), owners of the Oceanside Pole and Cal-Tom brands, in 2012. Oppy is shipping Oceanside Pole and Cal-Tom vine ripened rounds and romas produced by the Singh family into November.
Southern California tomatoes – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
Avocado Shipments
2016 is off to a good start for avocado shipments, both domestic and for imports. The coming fall shipping season is looking to be even better. From January through May, more than 1 billion pounds of avocados were shipped in the U.S. That is up from 883 million pounds for the same period a year ago.
In all, volume rose 16 percent in 2015 compared to 2014, but for fall, volume grew 21 percent — from 575 million pounds for September through December 2014 to 696 million pounds for the fall of 2015.
The increase was driven by an increase in imports from Mexico, which had its biggest year ever. Mexico was by far the largest source of avocados in 2015, shipping 1.7 billion pounds to the U.S. California was next, with 262 million pounds, followed by Peru with 100 million and Chile with 20 million pounds. Other countries shipped almost 4 million pounds.
Avocado shipments are increasing as consumption by American consumers continues to grow at a very fast pace. Avocado shipments seem to be breaking records nearly every year.
Total volume in the U.S. for 2015 was 2.14 billion pounds, an increase of 15 percent over the 1.85 billion pounds in 2014.
Some California avocado shipments should continue through August. Then the fall crop from Mexico starts ramping up.
RENO, NV – Progistix®, a technology company based out of Nevada, is excited to launch Freightflow®, the next generation of a cloud-based transportation management system (TMS), at Fresh Summit in Orlando, FL. Designed specifically for the produce industry, Freightflow gives users complete visibility to their transportation planning, execution and settlement needs without costly technology investments.
Freightflow is the result of a shared vision between two logistics and produce veterans, Butch Peri and Bud Floyd. After spending decades in industries rooted in repetitive tasks and incompatible business systems, their goal was simple: to develop the next generation of an easy-to-use TMS solution that levels the playing field and allows small and medium businesses to compete in today’s complex transportation industry.
Turning vision into reality, Peri and Floyd assembled a team of software experts to develop an affordable, scalable system built using the newest cloud-based technology. Freightflow’s overarching platform integrates ERP business software with transportation tools to provide complete supply chain visibility from a single platform.
* Load Management— Centralized dashboard to prioritize, book, track and trace and post shipments to external load boards
* Customer Billing— Connectivity to key produce industry ERP business systems to manage billing, invoices and claims
* Document Storage— Convenient document storage allows users to quickly and easily retrieve and review documents associated with each load
* Analytics— Robust, easy-to-use reporting and analytics to make informed decisions
“Freightflow combines critical business components and key capabilities into a unified, easy-to-use platform that ensures reliability, security and scalability,” remarked Kyle Jaster, chief technology officer at Freightflow. “We believe the tools and data we’re offering can help any business succeed— without any start up investments.”
According to Jaster, a recent partnership with Truckstop.com will provide customers direct access to carrier contact and policy information, certificates of insurance, limits and expiration dates, along with DOT safety ratings and authority data on more than 200,000 carriers. “Combining the power of Freightflow with Truckstop.com will make it even easier to add qualified carriers to your preferred providers.”
Freightflow experts will be on hand at Fresh Summit to provide demos and discuss the benefits of this cloud-based solution to those interested in managing their complex, dynamic logistics and trade operation. For an appointment, contact Bud Floyd at 1-845-TMS-2345 or bud@freightflow.co.
Questions about this release can be directed Bud Floyd or Kyle Jaster at info@freightflow.co or 1-845-TMS-2345.
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Freightflow is a cloud-based order-to-settlement transportation management system designed to transform how freight moves around the world by creating efficiencies and eliminating costs in the transportation industry. From a single platform, Freightflow provides companies the ability to manage the entire transportation lifecycle including: rating, routing, tendering, tracking, tracing and settlement for shippers, carriers and logistics companies. Freightflow co-founders include industry veterans Butch Peri and Bud Floyd. As President/CEO of Peri & Sons, Peri led the growth of the world’s largest grower/shipper of fresh-market onion operations over 30 years. Floyd spent over 14 years as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for C.H. Robinson, a Fortune 300 transportation and logistics company. Freightflow is a product of Progistix Worldwide. ©2016.