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Among the most perishable produce items refrigerated haulers transport are berries. But a produce trucker’s risk of a claims or rejected load at destination is certainly reduced thanks to TransFresh Crop., the widely recognized leader of in-transit, pallet modified atmosphere service.
The Salinas, CA based company, now approaching its 50th year of operation, offers fully automated pallet service systems which tailor the specific atmosphere mixture for each pallet unit. Benefactors of TransFresh’s Tectrol® Service Network range from shippers, to truckers, receivers, and ultimately the consumer. It is a process whereby pallets of berries are sealed with bags and infused with CO2 (carbon dioxide), a process that extends shelf life of the fruit.
Rich Macleod of TransFresh says the Tectrol process continues to dominate the market share in the produce industry, but says there will always be competition.
“If you want the modified atmosphere or the CO2 blanket for your berries at retail, it has got to be sealed and it has got to be at the right (CO2) level,” he states.
TransFresh has a group of technicians conducting inspections at retail operations upon delivery of some loads.
“We are pretty unique in this area. The driver shouldn’t be too surprised to see a technician standing at the back of his trailer taking readings of the atmosphere,” Macleod says.
Feedback from produce truckers is appreciated by the technicians and those drivers appreciate what is being done, once the process is explained to them, he notes.
Still, there are challenges. For example, there may be turnover at retail and a new produce buyer may be looking to cut costs, or a new strawberry salesman may be wanting to increase profit margins. However, Macleod says if part of that decision involves not using the controlled atmosphere bags on the pallet, that retailer is not going to get the pay back he expects.
If you haul California strawberries, perhaps you have noticed some consolidations with some companies and down sizing of operations by others. Strawberry growers have been faced with increasing production costs and there has been a trend to focus more on growing raspberries, blueberries, etc.
At the same time, Macleod believes a few of the larger berry shippers who have successful marketing programs, appear to be doing quite well. — Bill Martin
(This is Part I in a III-Part series based on an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp, Salinas, CA. He has been with the company 40 years and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
When it comes to eating vegetables, Americans aren’t doing much better than your average school kid. Only 4 percent meet their daily required consumption of veggies, according to the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance.
The 2015 Report Card by the Alliance has given kids a grade D with vegetable consumption, while the marketing of vegetables has received an F.
But even with the growing popularity of vegetable-forward restaurants and veggie-inspired meals, there is still a lack of vegetables consumed at home. The 2015 Report Card says that the problem is getting worse. The average consumption of vegetables, which excludes fried potatoes, declined by 6 percent during the past five years.
The report offers a reason why this is the case:
“Dinner looks different these days. The growing popularity of convenience items and one-dish meals, such as pizza and sandwiches, has pushed the vegetable side dish off the plate.” the report reads.
When it comes to preparing home meals, the article suggests that parents may not be as strict on making sure their kids have enough vegetables. Elizabeth Pivonka, registered dietitian and president and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, explains that parents don’t want to be line cooks and make tailored meals for everyone at home.
“It used to be: This is what we’re eating, so eat it,” Pivonka says.
One third of parents (35 percent) view getting their kids to eat vegetables as a battle, just behind getting them to clean their room and to stop bickering.
Produce shipments will be starting soon involving Michigan asparagus, Vidalia onions, and grapes from Mexico.
Michigan asparagus shipments will get underway within the next week or so. While the Great Lakes State’s asparagus has traditionally been more of a local crop, Chicago has historically been a big market. Now, loadings are destined to markets in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee and even to Georgia. Another change is the crop used to go mainly to processors, but now keeps shifting more to fresh. For the first time last year Michigan shipped 12 million pounds of “grass” for fresh markets, compared to 10 million pounds for processing. This year fresh shipments are projected to increase by another five to 10 percent.
Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $3000 to Dallas.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Concerning more produce shipments, while the Georgia Department of Agriculture has set April 25th as the official date Vidalia onions can be packed and shipped, in truth, every year the sweet onion is shipped prior to this date. The catch is it cannot be legally shipped under the Vidalia name prior to the official starting date. Shipping prior to official date increases the chances of the onions being “hot” and doesn’t help the image of the brand. Much of that is because early onion pungency levels are too high, making them taste hot instead of sweet.
Vidalia onions can only be grown in parts of a 20-county area in the southeastern part of Georgia. Last season, farmers harvested 268 million pounds of Vidalia onions from 11,200 acres. Value of production for last year’s crop exceeded $120 million.
Southern Georgia produce shipments – greens, carrots – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
Mexican Grape Shipments
As most Mexican vegetables crossing the U.S. border at Nogales wind down this time of year, an exception is grapes. The harvest in Mexico begins the first week of May. Mexican grape shipments soon follow, with volume increasing as Memorial Day approaches. Peak Mexican grape shipments will occur during June, then quickly wind down in early July. Estimates are sketchy right now, but early indications are that a good, but not record crop will be available for hauling.
Mexican melons, mangoes, veggies through Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
The 2016 California strawberry market, evidenced by decreased acreage, an early fast pace and predicted volume resilience, bodes well for growers, shippers and retailers – especially those who protect their investment by choosing Tectrol during berry in-transit, according to Rich Macleod, director, TransFresh Corporation.
The California Strawberry Commission Acreage Survey for 2016 reports that total acreage is down due to increased pressures from production costs and regulators but that despite the downward shift, volume is predicted to be resilient and consumer demand strong.
“Now more than ever, growers, shippers and retailers must protect the quality of their berry products so that every pallet, tray and clamshell achieves the greatest return on investment possible,” said Macleod. The Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging System is scientifically proven to significantly decrease decay during transit and on-shelf, delivering a strong level of protection beyond industry low temperature management to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh berry products.
Macleod pointed to a peer-reviewed joint research study from the University of Florida and University of California / Davis that compared cross-country shipments of California strawberries. Researchers found that strawberries transported using the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system in which CO2 levels were consistently held demonstrated a significant reduction in decay and better quality on arrival and on-shelf compared to other methods.
“The advantage of decreased incidents of decay and decay severity has a direct correlation to revenue potential,” said Macleod. “The financial implications are stunning
when you consider the hundreds of thousands of strawberry pallets shipped during the season.” The TransFresh website, www.TransFresh.com, includes a calculator function that allows visitors to view the financial benefits they could realize when using Tectrol.
Throughout the postharvest shipping process, TransFresh also provides full-service technical and quality assurance support and productivity management through the Tectrol Service Network.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol pallet and storage systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About the University of Florida and University of California/Davis Research Study
The study, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality during Transport, published in Hort Technology, August 2012, evaluated the efficacy of multiple different proprietary plastic pallet cover systems to maintain strawberry fruit quality during commercial shipment. The TransFresh Tectrol Modified Atmosphere system was one of those assessed. Non-covered pallets served as the control for the study. During the comparison, the different covers were placed over palletized California-harvested strawberries packed in vented plastic clamshells and cooled according to industry standards.
CO2 was injected into the sealed Tectrol pallet bag system according to TransFresh specifications. Pallet cover systems other than Tectrol remained open at the base and without the injection of pressurized CO2 prior to shipment. Six separate shipments of palletized fruit were transported to distribution centers in either Florida or Georgia, with transit times ranging from slightly over two to almost five days. After arrival, berry clamshell samples from each treatment were retrieved and evaluated for arrival quality. Samples were then held for an added two days at 68º F. to mimic post arrival distribution, after which, quality attributes were again assessed. Researchers concluded that “transporting fruit in the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system, in which CO2 concentrations were elevated at 11 to 16 percent, was most effective as it also significantly reduced decay development during subsequent simulated retail display.
From Santa Mara, CA vegetables, to Mexican imports and a USDA update on melon availablity, here are some shipping opportunities for produce haulers.
Vegetable shippers in California’s Santa Maria district see stable shipments this spring, even though the region didn’t get as thorough a winter soaking from El Niño as forecasts suggested. The California drought persists. Santa Maria started loading mixed leaf lettuce in early March, nearly two weeks earlier than usual. Salinas started at the end of the month.
Broccoli and cauliflower shipments are underway in Santa Maria, while celery has in light volume, but should be increasing this week. Santa Maria produce shipments also now include strawberries, celery, romaine, romaine hearts, Tuscan kale, red kale, green kale, cilantro and parsley.
Santa Maria vegetable shipments – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Mexican Produce Imports
At Nogales, border crossing include Mexican vine-ripes, romas, grapes and cherries, which continue through April. With the finish of tomatoes, the new Mexican table grape season launches with crossings at Nogales and McAllen, Tx. Vine ripe tomato shipments from Baja California also begin crossing near San Diego.
Carrot shipments from the Bakersfield, CA area have shifted to the Imperial Valley.
Mexican vegetable shipments through Nogales – grossing about $2000 to Dallas.
Melon Shipments
The USDA’ Market News Service reported as of April 5th the “difference in pounds from average” as follows: Mexico/5.3 million pounds, up 11 percent; Honduras/1.8 million pounds, up 105 percent; Costa Rica/780,000 pounds, up 166 percent; Nicaragua/-468,000 pounds, down 100 percent; Florida/-680,000 pounds, down 100 percent; and Guatemala/-1.25 million pounds, down 21 percent.
Florida watermelon shipments are increasing, along with numerous vegetables.
South Florida watermelon shipments, vegetables – grossing about $1000 to Atlanta.
American consumers do not need to be concerned about pesticide residues on conventional and organic produce according to an annual report from the USDA.
Over 99 percent of fresh and processed food available to consumers tested below allowable pesticide residue levels, as detailed in the 24th Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Report released recently by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
Only 36 percent of the products sampled through the PDP had residues above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established tolerances.
PDP researchers tested a total of 10,619 samples of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables (8,582 samples). To ensure that the samples were representative of the U.S., researchers collected data in a variety of states throughout different times of the year. The findings support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, recently released by USDA and the U.S. Department of Health, which encourage consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables.
A 2012 report from CLA demonstrates that crop protection has made healthy food more financially accessible to the American consumer, providing a 47.92 percent savings in overall grocery bills for a family of four in the U.S.1 In addition, increased agricultural production, due to advanced pesticides, has created an additional 1,040,661 jobs generating more than $33 billion in wages, all while decreasing the need for tillage operations, thereby reducing fossil fuel use by 558 million gallons per year.
The PDP was established in 1991 for the purpose of collecting data on pesticide residues found in food. A complete version of the 2014 Annual Summary is available at www.ams.usda.gov/pdp.
California cherry shipments are just around the corner and will be followed within weeks by loadings out of the Pacific Northwest.
Shipments of California cherries should start around April 22nd from the Stockton area, with volume ramping up by end of April. Heaviest volume is expected during the first three weeks of May.
Usually, California’s peak shipments occur leading up to Memorial Day (May 30th), but this year with an earlier maturing crop, good volume is expected leading up to Mother’s Day (May 8th). This means there probably will be more cherries shipped from California this year in April than ever before, thanks in part to a couple of new early maturing cherry varieties.
Huron district head lettuce in the Central San Joaquin Valley – grossing about $4600 to Atlanta.
Washington cherry shipments are expected to be a week later than last year, around the week of June 6th. This will result in a relatively small shipping the gap between California and Washington. The gap will help both California and Washington, once they start their season. British Columbia cherry shipments are also expected to start a week later than usual, around June 20th.
Due to extra plantings coming into production this year in both Washington and Canada, initial expectations were around 30 million boxes, but this amount is expected to be lower in the wake of a recent frost. Even still, a 30% increase in tonnage is expected for Canada this year.
Washington’s Yakima Valley apples and pears – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
In recent weeks, there have been several news stories mentioning the high cost of vegetables and fruits in the national media. The softening Canadian dollar has in many cases driven up the cost of imported produce, and this is being reflected in grocery store prices. However, one staple vegetable that has not experienced the same jump in prices is Prince Edward Island potatoes.
“The facts are very clear, potatoes are a ‘win-win-win’ on nutrition, affordability and taste,” says Dr. Maureen Storey, President and CEO of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. “On nutrition, potatoes top other commonly consumed vegetables for delivering heart-healthy potassium. And, studies from the University of Washington show that potatoes and legumes are the most affordable, potassium-rich vegetables that are well-accepted by consumers. As far as taste goes, there’s no argument or bargaining at the dinner table when it comes to potatoes.”
Potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium and Vitamin C, while one medium sized potato is only 100 calories.
Whether someone prefers russets, whites, yellows, reds, or mini potatoes, all of these are available from Prince Edward Island potato growers at many grocery store in the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Prince Edward Island potatoes have been grown in the rich, red soil of PEI by farmers who have been growing potatoes for generations.
A
re Florida spring produce shipments finally getting back on track? It’s been a lousy year for Florida growers and shippers, not to mention produce truckers.
After an unseasonably warm fall, the region was hit by severe storms and record-breaking rains. Rainfall was 139 percent above average in November, 199 percent above average in December, and nearly 350 percent above average for the month of January. Planting, spraying and harvesting schedules were delay for many of the area’s signature crops, including sweet corn, green beans, lettuce and leafy greens, parsley, radishes and sugar cane.
While produce shipments are late for some crops because of some delays in planting, loadings should become more steady heading on into spring.
Over the next couple of months, there should be good volume with items ranging from tomatoes, to green beans, blueberries, cabbage, celery, sweet corn, melons, lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, radishes and squash. However, the strawberry season is drawing to a close.
Florida produce shipments ranks number one in the U.S. with a number of fresh fruits and vegetables including grapefruit, snap beans, squash, sugar cane, cucumbers, oranges, tomatoes and watermelons.
By mid-April, new-crop shipments of tomatoes and other items should start coming out of the Palmetto/Ruskin area of Florida.
Florida vegetables – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Shipments of both avocado and mangoes are on the rise and will continue to increase as we get further into the year.
California avocado shipments are now providing steady loadings for produce truckers from both southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. The California harvest is now exceeding 10 million pounds per week and will continue to increase through the spring. Shipments are expected to peak in late June, and remain strong throughout 2016. A significant dip in avocado shipments is not expected until after the Super Bowl, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston.
While California avocado shipments tend to be hauled to markets in the western half of the U.S., much of the avocado supply for U.S. markets is coming from Mexico, which tends to serve destinations in the eastern half of the U.S. Mexican avocado shipments also are heavy this year, with the majority of imports crossing the border at McAllen, Tx.
Huron head lettuce and San Joaquin Valley citrus – grossing about $5600 to New York City.
Mango Imports
Mexican mango shipments imported to the USA were unseasonably low during March. For the week ending on March 19, 1.2 million boxes arrived from Mexico, making it 4.8 million boxes for the season. That is down from the same week in 2015, when 1.5 million boxes arrived and 5.9 million boxes had come in for the season. However, mango imports are now on the rise and big volume supplies are crossing the border from Mexico, as well as arriving at US ports by boat from Guatemala.
Lower Rio Grande Valley citrus, Mexican mangos, tomatoes, vegetables – grossing about $2600 to Chicago.
Among the most perishable produce items refrigerated haulers transport are berries. But a produce trucker’s risk of a claims or rejected load at destination is certainly reduced thanks to TransFresh Crop., the widely recognized leader of in-transit, pallet modified atmosphere service.
The Salinas, CA based company, now approaching its 50th year of operation, offers fully automated pallet service systems which tailor the specific atmosphere mixture for each pallet unit. Benefactors of TransFresh’s Tectrol® Service Network range from shippers, to truckers, receivers, and ultimately the consumer. It is a process whereby pallets of berries are sealed with bags and infused with CO2 (carbon dioxide), a process that extends shelf life of the fruit.
Rich Macleod of TransFresh says the Tectrol process continues to dominate the market share in the produce industry, but says there will always be competition.
“If you want the modified atmosphere or the CO2 blanket for your berries at retail, it has got to be sealed and it has got to be at the right (CO2) level,” he states.
TransFresh has a group of technicians conducting inspections at retail operations upon delivery of some loads.
“We are pretty unique in this area. The driver shouldn’t be too surprised to see a technician standing at the back of his trailer taking readings of the atmosphere,” Macleod says.
Feedback from produce truckers is appreciated by the technicians and those drivers appreciate what is being done, once the process is explained to them, he notes.
Still, there are challenges. For example, there may be turnover at retail and a new produce buyer may be looking to cut costs, or a new strawberry salesman may be wanting to increase profit margins. However, Macleod says if part of that decision involves not using the controlled atmosphere bags on the pallet, that retailer is not going to get the pay back he expects.
If you haul California strawberries, perhaps you have noticed some consolidations with some companies and down sizing of operations by others. Strawberry growers have been faced with increasing production costs and there has been a trend to focus more on growing raspberries, blueberries, etc.
At the same time, Macleod believes a few of the larger berry shippers who have successful marketing programs, appear to be doing quite well. — Bill Martin
(This is Part I in a III-Part series based on an interview with Rich Macleod, vice president, pallet division North America for TransFresh Corp, Salinas, CA. He has been with the company 40 years and has a masters degree in post harvest science from the University of California, Davis.)
When it comes to eating vegetables, Americans aren’t doing much better than your average school kid. Only 4 percent meet their daily required consumption of veggies, according to the National Fruit and Vegetable Alliance.
The 2015 Report Card by the Alliance has given kids a grade D with vegetable consumption, while the marketing of vegetables has received an F.
But even with the growing popularity of vegetable-forward restaurants and veggie-inspired meals, there is still a lack of vegetables consumed at home. The 2015 Report Card says that the problem is getting worse. The average consumption of vegetables, which excludes fried potatoes, declined by 6 percent during the past five years.
The report offers a reason why this is the case:
“Dinner looks different these days. The growing popularity of convenience items and one-dish meals, such as pizza and sandwiches, has pushed the vegetable side dish off the plate.” the report reads.
When it comes to preparing home meals, the article suggests that parents may not be as strict on making sure their kids have enough vegetables. Elizabeth Pivonka, registered dietitian and president and CEO of the Produce for Better Health Foundation, explains that parents don’t want to be line cooks and make tailored meals for everyone at home.
“It used to be: This is what we’re eating, so eat it,” Pivonka says.
One third of parents (35 percent) view getting their kids to eat vegetables as a battle, just behind getting them to clean their room and to stop bickering.
Produce shipments will be starting soon involving Michigan asparagus, Vidalia onions, and grapes from Mexico.
Michigan asparagus shipments will get underway within the next week or so. While the Great Lakes State’s asparagus has traditionally been more of a local crop, Chicago has historically been a big market. Now, loadings are destined to markets in Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee and even to Georgia. Another change is the crop used to go mainly to processors, but now keeps shifting more to fresh. For the first time last year Michigan shipped 12 million pounds of “grass” for fresh markets, compared to 10 million pounds for processing. This year fresh shipments are projected to increase by another five to 10 percent.
Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $3000 to Dallas.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Concerning more produce shipments, while the Georgia Department of Agriculture has set April 25th as the official date Vidalia onions can be packed and shipped, in truth, every year the sweet onion is shipped prior to this date. The catch is it cannot be legally shipped under the Vidalia name prior to the official starting date. Shipping prior to official date increases the chances of the onions being “hot” and doesn’t help the image of the brand. Much of that is because early onion pungency levels are too high, making them taste hot instead of sweet.
Vidalia onions can only be grown in parts of a 20-county area in the southeastern part of Georgia. Last season, farmers harvested 268 million pounds of Vidalia onions from 11,200 acres. Value of production for last year’s crop exceeded $120 million.
Southern Georgia produce shipments – greens, carrots – grossing about $2200 to New York City.
Mexican Grape Shipments
As most Mexican vegetables crossing the U.S. border at Nogales wind down this time of year, an exception is grapes. The harvest in Mexico begins the first week of May. Mexican grape shipments soon follow, with volume increasing as Memorial Day approaches. Peak Mexican grape shipments will occur during June, then quickly wind down in early July. Estimates are sketchy right now, but early indications are that a good, but not record crop will be available for hauling.
Mexican melons, mangoes, veggies through Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
The 2016 California strawberry market, evidenced by decreased acreage, an early fast pace and predicted volume resilience, bodes well for growers, shippers and retailers – especially those who protect their investment by choosing Tectrol during berry in-transit, according to Rich Macleod, director, TransFresh Corporation.
The California Strawberry Commission Acreage Survey for 2016 reports that total acreage is down due to increased pressures from production costs and regulators but that despite the downward shift, volume is predicted to be resilient and consumer demand strong.
“Now more than ever, growers, shippers and retailers must protect the quality of their berry products so that every pallet, tray and clamshell achieves the greatest return on investment possible,” said Macleod. The Tectrol Modified Atmosphere Packaging System is scientifically proven to significantly decrease decay during transit and on-shelf, delivering a strong level of protection beyond industry low temperature management to help ensure the quality and marketability of fresh berry products.
Macleod pointed to a peer-reviewed joint research study from the University of Florida and University of California / Davis that compared cross-country shipments of California strawberries. Researchers found that strawberries transported using the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system in which CO2 levels were consistently held demonstrated a significant reduction in decay and better quality on arrival and on-shelf compared to other methods.
“The advantage of decreased incidents of decay and decay severity has a direct correlation to revenue potential,” said Macleod. “The financial implications are stunning
when you consider the hundreds of thousands of strawberry pallets shipped during the season.” The TransFresh website, www.TransFresh.com, includes a calculator function that allows visitors to view the financial benefits they could realize when using Tectrol.
Throughout the postharvest shipping process, TransFresh also provides full-service technical and quality assurance support and productivity management through the Tectrol Service Network.
About TransFresh®
TransFresh is a pioneering and established global entity with nearly 50 years of experience in perishables transport. Tectrol® is the trademarked brand name for the TransFresh® family of proprietary modified and controlled atmosphere systems and processes developed and owned by TransFresh. The Tectrol Service Network™ services, markets and supports the Tectrol pallet and storage systems operations and technologies. Since inception, TransFresh’s innovations in packaging, equipment and sealing processes have established Tectrol as the industry standard. For more information, please visit www.transfresh.com.
About the University of Florida and University of California/Davis Research Study
The study, Comparison of Pallet Cover Systems to Maintain Strawberry Fruit Quality during Transport, published in Hort Technology, August 2012, evaluated the efficacy of multiple different proprietary plastic pallet cover systems to maintain strawberry fruit quality during commercial shipment. The TransFresh Tectrol Modified Atmosphere system was one of those assessed. Non-covered pallets served as the control for the study. During the comparison, the different covers were placed over palletized California-harvested strawberries packed in vented plastic clamshells and cooled according to industry standards.
CO2 was injected into the sealed Tectrol pallet bag system according to TransFresh specifications. Pallet cover systems other than Tectrol remained open at the base and without the injection of pressurized CO2 prior to shipment. Six separate shipments of palletized fruit were transported to distribution centers in either Florida or Georgia, with transit times ranging from slightly over two to almost five days. After arrival, berry clamshell samples from each treatment were retrieved and evaluated for arrival quality. Samples were then held for an added two days at 68º F. to mimic post arrival distribution, after which, quality attributes were again assessed. Researchers concluded that “transporting fruit in the sealed Tectrol pallet cover system, in which CO2 concentrations were elevated at 11 to 16 percent, was most effective as it also significantly reduced decay development during subsequent simulated retail display.
From Santa Mara, CA vegetables, to Mexican imports and a USDA update on melon availablity, here are some shipping opportunities for produce haulers.
Vegetable shippers in California’s Santa Maria district see stable shipments this spring, even though the region didn’t get as thorough a winter soaking from El Niño as forecasts suggested. The California drought persists. Santa Maria started loading mixed leaf lettuce in early March, nearly two weeks earlier than usual. Salinas started at the end of the month.
Broccoli and cauliflower shipments are underway in Santa Maria, while celery has in light volume, but should be increasing this week. Santa Maria produce shipments also now include strawberries, celery, romaine, romaine hearts, Tuscan kale, red kale, green kale, cilantro and parsley.
Santa Maria vegetable shipments – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Mexican Produce Imports
At Nogales, border crossing include Mexican vine-ripes, romas, grapes and cherries, which continue through April. With the finish of tomatoes, the new Mexican table grape season launches with crossings at Nogales and McAllen, Tx. Vine ripe tomato shipments from Baja California also begin crossing near San Diego.
Carrot shipments from the Bakersfield, CA area have shifted to the Imperial Valley.
Mexican vegetable shipments through Nogales – grossing about $2000 to Dallas.
Melon Shipments
The USDA’ Market News Service reported as of April 5th the “difference in pounds from average” as follows: Mexico/5.3 million pounds, up 11 percent; Honduras/1.8 million pounds, up 105 percent; Costa Rica/780,000 pounds, up 166 percent; Nicaragua/-468,000 pounds, down 100 percent; Florida/-680,000 pounds, down 100 percent; and Guatemala/-1.25 million pounds, down 21 percent.
Florida watermelon shipments are increasing, along with numerous vegetables.
South Florida watermelon shipments, vegetables – grossing about $1000 to Atlanta.
American consumers do not need to be concerned about pesticide residues on conventional and organic produce according to an annual report from the USDA.
Over 99 percent of fresh and processed food available to consumers tested below allowable pesticide residue levels, as detailed in the 24th Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Annual Report released recently by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS).
Only 36 percent of the products sampled through the PDP had residues above the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established tolerances.
PDP researchers tested a total of 10,619 samples of fresh and processed fruit and vegetables (8,582 samples). To ensure that the samples were representative of the U.S., researchers collected data in a variety of states throughout different times of the year. The findings support the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020, recently released by USDA and the U.S. Department of Health, which encourage consumers to eat more fruits and vegetables.
A 2012 report from CLA demonstrates that crop protection has made healthy food more financially accessible to the American consumer, providing a 47.92 percent savings in overall grocery bills for a family of four in the U.S.1 In addition, increased agricultural production, due to advanced pesticides, has created an additional 1,040,661 jobs generating more than $33 billion in wages, all while decreasing the need for tillage operations, thereby reducing fossil fuel use by 558 million gallons per year.
The PDP was established in 1991 for the purpose of collecting data on pesticide residues found in food. A complete version of the 2014 Annual Summary is available at www.ams.usda.gov/pdp.
California cherry shipments are just around the corner and will be followed within weeks by loadings out of the Pacific Northwest.
Shipments of California cherries should start around April 22nd from the Stockton area, with volume ramping up by end of April. Heaviest volume is expected during the first three weeks of May.
Usually, California’s peak shipments occur leading up to Memorial Day (May 30th), but this year with an earlier maturing crop, good volume is expected leading up to Mother’s Day (May 8th). This means there probably will be more cherries shipped from California this year in April than ever before, thanks in part to a couple of new early maturing cherry varieties.
Huron district head lettuce in the Central San Joaquin Valley – grossing about $4600 to Atlanta.
Washington cherry shipments are expected to be a week later than last year, around the week of June 6th. This will result in a relatively small shipping the gap between California and Washington. The gap will help both California and Washington, once they start their season. British Columbia cherry shipments are also expected to start a week later than usual, around June 20th.
Due to extra plantings coming into production this year in both Washington and Canada, initial expectations were around 30 million boxes, but this amount is expected to be lower in the wake of a recent frost. Even still, a 30% increase in tonnage is expected for Canada this year.
Washington’s Yakima Valley apples and pears – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
In recent weeks, there have been several news stories mentioning the high cost of vegetables and fruits in the national media. The softening Canadian dollar has in many cases driven up the cost of imported produce, and this is being reflected in grocery store prices. However, one staple vegetable that has not experienced the same jump in prices is Prince Edward Island potatoes.
“The facts are very clear, potatoes are a ‘win-win-win’ on nutrition, affordability and taste,” says Dr. Maureen Storey, President and CEO of the Alliance for Potato Research and Education. “On nutrition, potatoes top other commonly consumed vegetables for delivering heart-healthy potassium. And, studies from the University of Washington show that potatoes and legumes are the most affordable, potassium-rich vegetables that are well-accepted by consumers. As far as taste goes, there’s no argument or bargaining at the dinner table when it comes to potatoes.”
Potatoes are packed with vitamins and minerals, particularly potassium and Vitamin C, while one medium sized potato is only 100 calories.
Whether someone prefers russets, whites, yellows, reds, or mini potatoes, all of these are available from Prince Edward Island potato growers at many grocery store in the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Prince Edward Island potatoes have been grown in the rich, red soil of PEI by farmers who have been growing potatoes for generations.
Are Florida spring produce shipments finally getting back on track? It’s been a lousy year for Florida growers and shippers, not to mention produce truckers.
After an unseasonably warm fall, the region was hit by severe storms and record-breaking rains. Rainfall was 139 percent above average in November, 199 percent above average in December, and nearly 350 percent above average for the month of January. Planting, spraying and harvesting schedules were delay for many of the area’s signature crops, including sweet corn, green beans, lettuce and leafy greens, parsley, radishes and sugar cane.
While produce shipments are late for some crops because of some delays in planting, loadings should become more steady heading on into spring.
Over the next couple of months, there should be good volume with items ranging from tomatoes, to green beans, blueberries, cabbage, celery, sweet corn, melons, lettuce, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, radishes and squash. However, the strawberry season is drawing to a close.
Florida produce shipments ranks number one in the U.S. with a number of fresh fruits and vegetables including grapefruit, snap beans, squash, sugar cane, cucumbers, oranges, tomatoes and watermelons.
By mid-April, new-crop shipments of tomatoes and other items should start coming out of the Palmetto/Ruskin area of Florida.
Florida vegetables – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Shipments of both avocado and mangoes are on the rise and will continue to increase as we get further into the year.
California avocado shipments are now providing steady loadings for produce truckers from both southern California and the San Joaquin Valley. The California harvest is now exceeding 10 million pounds per week and will continue to increase through the spring. Shipments are expected to peak in late June, and remain strong throughout 2016. A significant dip in avocado shipments is not expected until after the Super Bowl, Feb. 5, 2017, in Houston.
While California avocado shipments tend to be hauled to markets in the western half of the U.S., much of the avocado supply for U.S. markets is coming from Mexico, which tends to serve destinations in the eastern half of the U.S. Mexican avocado shipments also are heavy this year, with the majority of imports crossing the border at McAllen, Tx.
Huron head lettuce and San Joaquin Valley citrus – grossing about $5600 to New York City.
Mango Imports
Mexican mango shipments imported to the USA were unseasonably low during March. For the week ending on March 19, 1.2 million boxes arrived from Mexico, making it 4.8 million boxes for the season. That is down from the same week in 2015, when 1.5 million boxes arrived and 5.9 million boxes had come in for the season. However, mango imports are now on the rise and big volume supplies are crossing the border from Mexico, as well as arriving at US ports by boat from Guatemala.
Lower Rio Grande Valley citrus, Mexican mangos, tomatoes, vegetables – grossing about $2600 to Chicago.