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The shipping outlook for North Carolina sweet potatoes has improved substantially in recent weeks, while steady movement continues from California grapes.
Heavy rain from Hurricane Matthew in October dropped torrential rains and flooding on North Carolina sweet potato fields with more than half of the crop still in the ground, concerns for high that volume shipments might be drastically affected. However, the covington variety — the state’s major variety — proved to hold up well to excess water. The crop is now virtually harvested and growers are claiming North Carolina sweet potatoes will be available year-round as usual.
In 2015, North Carolina shipped about 16.48 million 40-pound cartons of sweet potatoes. November is the top shipping month with over 12 percent of the total crop being moved. This compares with 8 percent in October and 9 percent in December.
Now instead of a 40 or 50 percent loss of sweet potatoes from the hurricane, estimates are now in the 10 to 15 percent range for North Carolina sweet potatoes in the state. Overall the crop is expected to be about the same if not a little more than last season. Helping offset losses is an increase in acreage from last year.
Eastern North Carolina is shipping about 300 truck loads of sweet potatoes a week.
North Carolina sweet potatoes from the Benson area – grossing about $1000 to Atlanta; $1300 to Philadelphia and Chicago; $1950 to Miami; and $2300 to Boston (with spot rates possibly increasing).
California Grape Shipments
With more California table grapes remaining to be shipped than a year ago, loading opportunities should be good through the holidays.
California grape inventories through October were 14 percent above the same time a year ago. Total supplies of California grapes were 11.94 million boxes on Oct. 31st, up from 10.48 million boxes a year ago, but down from 12.3 million boxes two years ago.
California’s July grape crop was estimated at a near-record 117.06 million boxes, up from 109.6 million boxes in 2015.
Grape shipments from California’s Kern District were running at about 2.4 million (19-pound) boxes per week in early November, while shipments from the state’s San Joaquin Valley were reported at 450,000 boxes per week.
Kern District grape shipments – grossing about $4100 to Chicago; $5900 to Baltimore.
PORT HUENEME, CA. — Over 100,000 tons of additional fresh fruits and vegetables should be arriving at the Port of Hueneme annually as SeaLand has designated the facility as a new port call.
SeaLand, the Intra-Americas regional ocean carrier for the Maersk Group, based in Miramar, FL, launched a new service at the port in September.
Although the ocean carrier will transport a wide range of cargo, fresh fruit will make up the majority of its payload coming to the Port of Hueneme, said Tim Child, SeaLand’s chief operations officer.
Bananas, avocados, pineapples, limes, dried fruit and nuts are some of the items the carrier will bring in as part of the company’s West Coast Central America (WCCA) service, which will offer weekly runs between Southern California, Mexico, Central America and the west coast of South America.
As for exports, SeaLand will be handling apples, table grapes and stone fruit on a seasonal basis.
Shipping is the most fuel-efficient method of transporting goods and provides an alternative for produce that typically is trucked from Mexico, Child said.
It also could improve distribution of goods coming to or from California’s Central Valley, he said.
Steve Barnard, president and CEO of Mission Produce Inc., an Oxnard-based avocado grower-shipper, was on hand for the welcoming event.
“This new service into Oxnard is going to be be huge, at least for the local community and Mission in particular,” he said. “We bring in several thousand loads a year from Mexico and South America,” he said.
Until now, the company’s product from Mexico has been delivered by truck.
“This is going to save time and energy,” he said. “The carbon footprint is going to be significantly reduced.”
The Port of Hueneme, known as “the port that farmers built,” is surrounded by the Oxnard growing area, specializes in refrigerated cargo and is well-suited to the volume of fresh fruit bound for the U.S. Southwest from Latin America, said Ariel Frias, SeaLand’s head of marketing.
It’s about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and will serve as “an alternative gateway” to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The port offers an efficient infrastructure for fresh produce that includes faster inspections and nearby cold storage facilities, he said.
The port already handles 650,600 tons of bananas and 113,400 tons of other fruit annually.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Attention food fanatics and chefs extraordinaire! During the month of November enter your favorite Idaho® potato recipe for a chance to win a $1,500 cash prize, a myriad of kitchen appliances from Kenmore® and a 15 lb. bag of fresh Idaho® potatoes. In addition to the prizes awarded for first, second and third place, a $500 “Social Spud” prize will be given to the recipe receiving the most “likes” on the contest page, encouraging contestants to share their recipe entry on their social media channels.
“This contest is a smart way for three well-known reputable brands to get folks across the country excited about baking and cooking with Idaho® potatoes during the holiday season,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “We believe this could be the biggest recipe contest in the IPC’s history in terms of number of entries received and total reach to consumers and the media. And that means more great recipes for us to try and share with family and friends!”
To be eligible, all entries must be received by 11:59 PM MST, November 30, 2016 and include the following:
- Use fresh, frozen or dehydrated Idaho® potatoes
- Include complete recipe ingredient list and directions
- Submit a high quality recipe photo
- Provide a brief recipe description
Prizes include:
- First Place: $1,500 cash and a full suite of Kenmore® small kitchen appliances
- Second Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Third Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Social Spud: $500 cash for the recipe with the most votes
Recipes will be reviewed and tested by representatives from the IPC and judged on their combination of creativity, taste, ease of preparation, and, of course, use of Idaho® potatoes. Winners will be notified by December 10, 2016. The winning recipe will be featured on the IPC’s website and social media channels.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation, and rich volcanic soil give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, which differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
There should be good loading opportunities for produce truckers hauling apples during the 2016-17 shipping season.
National Apple Shipments
Fresh apples in storage as of November 1 totaled 134.8 million bushel (42-pound) cartons, up 14 percent from last season’s levels and 13 percent greater than the five-year average.
The first storage report from the U.S. Apple Association, shows total apple inventories were 179.1 million cartons, up 11 percent from a year ago and from the five-year average.
Northeast Apple Shipments
November 1 total fresh holdings were 8.1 million cartons in the Northeast U.S., down from 11.4 million cartons a year ago and 10.5 million two years ago. New York state’s fresh holdings were pegged at 5.82 million cartons, or more than 70 percent of remaining fresh supply.
Midwest Apple Shipments
In the Midwest, the storage report showed 7.7 million cartons of fresh apples on hand, up from 6.9 million cartons in 2015 and 6.7 million cartons in 2014. Within the Midwest region, the storage report showed Michigan accounted for 7.54 million cartons, or 98 percent of the Midwest fresh supply.
Northwest Apple Shipments
Northwest U.S. fresh apple holdings on were 117.6 million cartons, up from 98.4 million cartons a year ago but off from 127 million cartons in 2014.
For the Northwest region, Washington’s apple inventories were 116.3 million cartons, or 99 percent of remaining fresh apples in the Northwest states.
Variety breakdown
The leading U.S. fresh varieties on hand Nov. 1 were red delicious (39 million cartons), gala (25.9 million), fuji (14.7 million), granny smith (13.7 million), golden delicious (8.1 million), Honeycrisp (7 million cartons) and cripps pink/Pink Lady (5.5 million cartons).
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association on Nov. 9 raised its estimate of the Washington fresh apple crop to 137.4 million cartons, up 3.4% from the August estimate of 132.9 million 40-pound cartons.
The Washington apple harvest is still ongoing for some varieties, but based on volumes harvested so far observers are expecting an increase to 137.4 million boxes. An estimated total may be revised in December. However, observers still see a high-quality crop with good storage potential, with plenty of loading opportunities for produce haulers.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $5300 to Atlanta.
Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Appearance. No matter how many times we’ve been told not to judge a book by its cover, waiting to pass judgement on something until after we get past its outside has never been an easy task for people to accomplish. Whether it’s what we’re reading or who we’re meeting, people have a tendency to set expectations based on surface assessment. But does the same hold true for what we eat? According to a recent Harris Poll, about eight in ten Americans (81%) confirm that appearance (i.e., not blemished or misshapen in any way) is at least somewhat important to them when shopping for fresh produce (i.e., fruits and vegetables), with 43% saying it is very or extremely important.
When listed alongside other fresh produce descriptors, appearance proved to be more important than provenance (i.e., locally grown or sourced), the retailer’s food waste practices, and organic. However, the price and seasonality are more likely to be important to a purchaser than appearance.
“Whether ‘ugly’ or not, produce is on the rise, up 5% in U.S. dollar sales in the latest 52 weeks ending July 30, 2016,” said Jen Campuzano, Director Fresh Perishables at Nielsen. “Choosing healthier and more natural products has become a priority for households across the country. For some, this means transparency in labeling, opting for foods with basic ingredient lists or embracing fruits and vegetables, blemishes and all.”
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,025 U.S. adults aged 18+ and surveyed online between August 10 and 12, 2016.
Ugly produce
Despite the weight Americans place on appearance, more than three in five adults (62%) say they would be at least somewhat comfortable eating “ugly produce,” that is, fruit or vegetables that may be misshapen but otherwise taste the same. Moreover, three quarters of adults (76%) would expect to pay less for “ugly produce,” while a fifth (20%) could see paying the same as usual.
Despite professed comfort with eating ugly produce, fewer than three in ten Americans (28%) recall buying “ugly produce” in the past year, compared to 51% who are sure they did not and 21% who are not sure either way. And of those who bought “ugly produce,” six in ten (61%) did so for the price discount.
Food waste
While the primary reason Americans bought “ugly produce” was price, the runner up answer from more than a fifth (22%) of purchasers was that they wanted to reduce food waste. Americans estimate that, typically, 10% of the groceries they buy are wasted, that is, spoil or go bad before they can be eaten. Over eight in ten Americans (84%) are at least somewhat concerned about the issue of food waste, primarily because they would like to be less wasteful (62%).
So how do Americans believe we can reduce household food waste? Nearly half (46%) of adults believe better storage for fresh produce is the key to waste reduction, followed closely by more than 2 in 5 (42%) who advocate buying less food, more frequently. Another 38% believe the solution is better meal planning, while 35% say it would help if smaller package sizes were available in the grocery store.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Does the real Idaho® Potato Farmer finally find his missing truck? We’ll never tell! Watch the new commercial featuring Farmer Mark and the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on national cable networks including The Food Network, CNN, Headline News, Fox News and The History and Cooking Channels that began November 11 to find out.
The commercials made their debut five years ago during the first Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour. This year marks the sixth installment of the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) wildly popular television commercials starring Farmer Mark and his on-going search for the elusive Big Idaho® Potato Truck.
“Since we launched the campaign five years ago, we’ve received thousands of calls from folks located all across the country with updates on the Truck’s whereabouts,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “One of the reasons the commercials have been so effective is because of the incredible consumer engagement component reinforced by the Truck’s nationwide tour when it was seen by tens of millions of people of all ages.”
The new commercial aired twice during the Boise State University and BYU football game on October 20 as part of the IPC sponsorship package and its long-standing support of the Broncos. The commercial will air through early April, achieving more than 550 million audience impressions. To view it now, visit the IPC’s YouTube channel.
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About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, that differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
About the Big Idaho® Potato Truck
The Big Idaho® Potato Truck just completed its fifth cross-country journey. The tour began in 2012 as a one-year campaign to celebrate the IPC’s 75th anniversary. The reaction from consumers, the industry and the media made it apparent the truck would not be retiring anytime soon. Today, it’s a solid part of pop-culture. It’s traveled more than 100,000 miles, visited 48 states, met millions of folks across the country and generated billions of media impressions. To learn more about the Truck, please visit BigIdahoPotatoTruck.com.
Mushroom shipments have been hit by high temperatures and dry conditions, resulting in lower volume and shortages across the country.
The greatest impact has been felt in southeastern Pennsylvania, where 64 percent of U.S. mushrooms are grown, according to a news release from the Avondale, PA.-based American Mushroom Institute.
The weather’s impact on the compost used to grow mushrooms has many across the industry worried. Some veteran mushroom growers who have been in the business over three decades have never been this concerned heading towrds the holiday season.
Many farms are reporting reduced yields, and some shippers have struggled to fill orders. Shortages are expected nationwide as demand for mushrooms increases with the holiday season.
Concerns are mounting that all the orders for the product can’t be met and that shipments to retailers and other customers may have to be rationed.
With demand outpacing supply, growers are doing their best to get customers the product they need, but it is expected that fulfilling orders is going to be difficult.
“You’ve just got to share the love evenly with everyone because there’s just nowhere to get extra product,” stated one grower. “It’s just not available … Any other time you could work sideways and barter and trade back and forth, but that won’t be able to happen much this season because everyone’s in the same situation.”
Quality of the mushrooms also has been affected along with quantity.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot quite up to par from what I’m seeing, When the compost is weak you can then get blotch … which causes spotting on the mushrooms that sometimes you can’t see when you harvest the mushroom but it shows up later, by the time it gets shipped to the customer, the grower stated.”
At various times 30 Pennsylvania counties have been in a drought watch, which has affected mushroom growers.
By Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Nogales – During the recently celebrated 48th Nogales Produce Convention, on Nov. 3- Nov. 5, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, (FPAA) released the 2015-16 Nogales Produce Import Report.
The report shows the significant impact that fresh produce imported via Nogales has in the overall trade of fruits and vegetable in the country. During the last season, imports reached a total of 6.3 billion lbs. which represents 17% of U.S. global imports.
The report presents a five-year comparison, and it reveals what items are highest in volume and in value.
As part of the FPAA Produce Convention program, a panel of importers discussed the report, offering possible explanations for the volume variations, discussing industry trends, and talking about information impacting the upcoming season.
These importers on the panel included: Chris Ciruli, COO, Ciruli Bros. Inc.; Fried DeSchouwer, President, Greenhouse Produce Co.; Rod Sbragia, Director of Sales and Marketing, Tricar Sales Inc.; and Mikee Suarez, Sales, MAS Melons & Grapes. Moderating the panel was Lance Jungmeyer, President of FPAA.
In summary, “Tomatoes have started a new growth phase, separating themselves from watermelons, the No. 2 item in Nogales. This is reflective of the continued growth in romas, and persisting strong demand for round reds,” said Jungmeyer.
The panel said to expect more growth in grapes, as companies add varietals that perform well in the early part of the season.
“A few years ago we had only three or four white, or green, varieties of grapes with any volume in Mexico. Now, we see 10 or more varietals being grown, with interesting and new flavor profiles,” said panelist Mikee Suarez of MAS Melons and Grapes. “These grapes also fill a great gap at the beginning of the Mexican grape season, when Chilean white grapes are leaving the market.”
The panel noted how the Nogales produce deal can no longer be characterized as having a January through April peak in volume.
In fact, the statistics bear out that there is an even stronger second peak in the season in late April through June. Both grapes and watermelons contribute to the second peak.
The following graph shows the evolution and changes in the peaks in the last five seasons:
While a lack of water and labor in western U.S. states is shifting volume to Mexico, there also is a clear trend of improvements in logistics and infrastructure at the Southwest border that should enable greater product flows through Nogales.
For instance, the new Unified Cargo Inspection Program in Nogales is bringing Mexican Customs officers to the U.S. side of the border to conduct inspections. Companies with the proper security clearances can take advantage of this program to reduce their crossing times from 4-6 hours during peak season to less than an hour.
Light volume with Mexican melons, vegetables through Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
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As Turbana becomes Fyffes North America, it brings the resources of the biggest banana supplier in Europe to this side of the Atlantic.
North American buyers could stock the Fyffes brand before, but now it takes over for the Turbana brand in the market unless buyers request the Turbana label.
Ireland-based Fyffes owns 50% of the former Turbana company in addition to an increasing number of holdings in North America.
The change will be officially announced at PMA Fresh Summit, but Jack Howell, senior vice president of sales for Fyffes NA, said customers are being informed now, and the Fyffes label will begin shipping on bananas in the U.S. and Canada.
Fyffes is the largest banana shipper in Europe with 46 million cases. It extends its global sourcing infrastructure the No. 4 banana shipper in North America with 10 million cases per year.
Its main banana sources for this market are Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, but it owns farms and has grower agreements with 12 countries in Central and South America.
Fyffes is also a significant player in North America in pineapples, off-shore melons and mushrooms.
In April, Fyffes acquired Leamington, Ontario-based Highline Produce Ltd., the largest mushroom producer in Canada, which was followed this month by the acquisition of All Seasons Mushrooms, Langley, British Columbia.
However, those businesses are owned by Fyffes PLC in Dublin and are not part of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fyffes NA.
“With over 100 years in the industry, we are experts in supply chain, sourcing the highest quality fruit, and helping retailers profitably grow their banana business,” Howell said.
Fyffes was founded in 1888, and in 1929 became the first name brand in bananas.
Red River Valley red potato shipments could be off 30 to 40 percent this season due to excessive rains, while Prince Edward Island is looking a normal volume.
During the 2015-16 shipping season, 25 percent of all red potatoes shipments in the U.S. originated from the Red River Valley eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota.
The remaining 75 percent were spread out among 11 other shipping regions. The state of Florida ranked second with roughly 12 percent, while the Big Lake region of Minnesota came in third with a nine percent.
Due to weather factors delaying the Red River Valley harvest this fall, there wasn’t the urgency to ship red potatoes from the new crop out of Central Minnesota (Big Lake). This latter area typically starts shipping a month or so ahead of the Red River Valley and works to complete its season before the valley starts. Big Lake also does not storage potatoes like is done in the valley.
When the Valley started shipping in October, red potato shipping regions around the country such as Wisconsin, Colorado, Idaho and the Skagit Valley in Washington, had light volume as well.
While loadings of red potatoes has been a little different so far this season, one thing potato haulers can pretty much count on every year – a flood of Idaho russets courtesy of over producing growers. For example a bale of Idaho russets can be delivered for around $4.00. Folks, that’s cheap!
A recent issue of the North American Potato Market News points out last year’s national red shipments exceeded 2011-12 shipments by 1.7 million cwt, or 14 percent.
Prince Edward Island Potato Shipments
Prince Edward Island is the leading province in Canada with potato shipments and expects to have about 25 million cwt (hundred weight). The potatoes are grown on 89,000 acres, which has remained steady for the past four or five years.
PEI accounts for about 25 percent of Canada’s potato shipments. About 30 percent of the crop is shipped to the fresh market, 60 percent for processing and 10 percent for seed.
The shipping outlook for North Carolina sweet potatoes has improved substantially in recent weeks, while steady movement continues from California grapes.
Heavy rain from Hurricane Matthew in October dropped torrential rains and flooding on North Carolina sweet potato fields with more than half of the crop still in the ground, concerns for high that volume shipments might be drastically affected. However, the covington variety — the state’s major variety — proved to hold up well to excess water. The crop is now virtually harvested and growers are claiming North Carolina sweet potatoes will be available year-round as usual.
In 2015, North Carolina shipped about 16.48 million 40-pound cartons of sweet potatoes. November is the top shipping month with over 12 percent of the total crop being moved. This compares with 8 percent in October and 9 percent in December.
Now instead of a 40 or 50 percent loss of sweet potatoes from the hurricane, estimates are now in the 10 to 15 percent range for North Carolina sweet potatoes in the state. Overall the crop is expected to be about the same if not a little more than last season. Helping offset losses is an increase in acreage from last year.
Eastern North Carolina is shipping about 300 truck loads of sweet potatoes a week.
North Carolina sweet potatoes from the Benson area – grossing about $1000 to Atlanta; $1300 to Philadelphia and Chicago; $1950 to Miami; and $2300 to Boston (with spot rates possibly increasing).
California Grape Shipments
With more California table grapes remaining to be shipped than a year ago, loading opportunities should be good through the holidays.
California grape inventories through October were 14 percent above the same time a year ago. Total supplies of California grapes were 11.94 million boxes on Oct. 31st, up from 10.48 million boxes a year ago, but down from 12.3 million boxes two years ago.
California’s July grape crop was estimated at a near-record 117.06 million boxes, up from 109.6 million boxes in 2015.
Grape shipments from California’s Kern District were running at about 2.4 million (19-pound) boxes per week in early November, while shipments from the state’s San Joaquin Valley were reported at 450,000 boxes per week.
Kern District grape shipments – grossing about $4100 to Chicago; $5900 to Baltimore.
PORT HUENEME, CA. — Over 100,000 tons of additional fresh fruits and vegetables should be arriving at the Port of Hueneme annually as SeaLand has designated the facility as a new port call.
SeaLand, the Intra-Americas regional ocean carrier for the Maersk Group, based in Miramar, FL, launched a new service at the port in September.
Although the ocean carrier will transport a wide range of cargo, fresh fruit will make up the majority of its payload coming to the Port of Hueneme, said Tim Child, SeaLand’s chief operations officer.
Bananas, avocados, pineapples, limes, dried fruit and nuts are some of the items the carrier will bring in as part of the company’s West Coast Central America (WCCA) service, which will offer weekly runs between Southern California, Mexico, Central America and the west coast of South America.
As for exports, SeaLand will be handling apples, table grapes and stone fruit on a seasonal basis.
Shipping is the most fuel-efficient method of transporting goods and provides an alternative for produce that typically is trucked from Mexico, Child said.
It also could improve distribution of goods coming to or from California’s Central Valley, he said.
Steve Barnard, president and CEO of Mission Produce Inc., an Oxnard-based avocado grower-shipper, was on hand for the welcoming event.
“This new service into Oxnard is going to be be huge, at least for the local community and Mission in particular,” he said. “We bring in several thousand loads a year from Mexico and South America,” he said.
Until now, the company’s product from Mexico has been delivered by truck.
“This is going to save time and energy,” he said. “The carbon footprint is going to be significantly reduced.”
The Port of Hueneme, known as “the port that farmers built,” is surrounded by the Oxnard growing area, specializes in refrigerated cargo and is well-suited to the volume of fresh fruit bound for the U.S. Southwest from Latin America, said Ariel Frias, SeaLand’s head of marketing.
It’s about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles and will serve as “an alternative gateway” to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
The port offers an efficient infrastructure for fresh produce that includes faster inspections and nearby cold storage facilities, he said.
The port already handles 650,600 tons of bananas and 113,400 tons of other fruit annually.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Attention food fanatics and chefs extraordinaire! During the month of November enter your favorite Idaho® potato recipe for a chance to win a $1,500 cash prize, a myriad of kitchen appliances from Kenmore® and a 15 lb. bag of fresh Idaho® potatoes. In addition to the prizes awarded for first, second and third place, a $500 “Social Spud” prize will be given to the recipe receiving the most “likes” on the contest page, encouraging contestants to share their recipe entry on their social media channels.
“This contest is a smart way for three well-known reputable brands to get folks across the country excited about baking and cooking with Idaho® potatoes during the holiday season,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, Idaho Potato Commission (IPC). “We believe this could be the biggest recipe contest in the IPC’s history in terms of number of entries received and total reach to consumers and the media. And that means more great recipes for us to try and share with family and friends!”
To be eligible, all entries must be received by 11:59 PM MST, November 30, 2016 and include the following:
- Use fresh, frozen or dehydrated Idaho® potatoes
- Include complete recipe ingredient list and directions
- Submit a high quality recipe photo
- Provide a brief recipe description
Prizes include:
- First Place: $1,500 cash and a full suite of Kenmore® small kitchen appliances
- Second Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Third Place: Kenmore® small kitchen appliance and a 15 lb. bag of Idaho® potatoes
- Social Spud: $500 cash for the recipe with the most votes
Recipes will be reviewed and tested by representatives from the IPC and judged on their combination of creativity, taste, ease of preparation, and, of course, use of Idaho® potatoes. Winners will be notified by December 10, 2016. The winning recipe will be featured on the IPC’s website and social media channels.
About The Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation, and rich volcanic soil give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, which differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
There should be good loading opportunities for produce truckers hauling apples during the 2016-17 shipping season.National Apple Shipments
Fresh apples in storage as of November 1 totaled 134.8 million bushel (42-pound) cartons, up 14 percent from last season’s levels and 13 percent greater than the five-year average.
The first storage report from the U.S. Apple Association, shows total apple inventories were 179.1 million cartons, up 11 percent from a year ago and from the five-year average.
Northeast Apple Shipments
November 1 total fresh holdings were 8.1 million cartons in the Northeast U.S., down from 11.4 million cartons a year ago and 10.5 million two years ago. New York state’s fresh holdings were pegged at 5.82 million cartons, or more than 70 percent of remaining fresh supply.
Midwest Apple Shipments
In the Midwest, the storage report showed 7.7 million cartons of fresh apples on hand, up from 6.9 million cartons in 2015 and 6.7 million cartons in 2014. Within the Midwest region, the storage report showed Michigan accounted for 7.54 million cartons, or 98 percent of the Midwest fresh supply.
Northwest Apple Shipments
Northwest U.S. fresh apple holdings on were 117.6 million cartons, up from 98.4 million cartons a year ago but off from 127 million cartons in 2014.
For the Northwest region, Washington’s apple inventories were 116.3 million cartons, or 99 percent of remaining fresh apples in the Northwest states.
Variety breakdown
The leading U.S. fresh varieties on hand Nov. 1 were red delicious (39 million cartons), gala (25.9 million), fuji (14.7 million), granny smith (13.7 million), golden delicious (8.1 million), Honeycrisp (7 million cartons) and cripps pink/Pink Lady (5.5 million cartons).
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association on Nov. 9 raised its estimate of the Washington fresh apple crop to 137.4 million cartons, up 3.4% from the August estimate of 132.9 million 40-pound cartons.
The Washington apple harvest is still ongoing for some varieties, but based on volumes harvested so far observers are expecting an increase to 137.4 million boxes. An estimated total may be revised in December. However, observers still see a high-quality crop with good storage potential, with plenty of loading opportunities for produce haulers.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $5300 to Atlanta.
Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
NEW YORK, N.Y. – Appearance. No matter how many times we’ve been told not to judge a book by its cover, waiting to pass judgement on something until after we get past its outside has never been an easy task for people to accomplish. Whether it’s what we’re reading or who we’re meeting, people have a tendency to set expectations based on surface assessment. But does the same hold true for what we eat? According to a recent Harris Poll, about eight in ten Americans (81%) confirm that appearance (i.e., not blemished or misshapen in any way) is at least somewhat important to them when shopping for fresh produce (i.e., fruits and vegetables), with 43% saying it is very or extremely important.
When listed alongside other fresh produce descriptors, appearance proved to be more important than provenance (i.e., locally grown or sourced), the retailer’s food waste practices, and organic. However, the price and seasonality are more likely to be important to a purchaser than appearance.
“Whether ‘ugly’ or not, produce is on the rise, up 5% in U.S. dollar sales in the latest 52 weeks ending July 30, 2016,” said Jen Campuzano, Director Fresh Perishables at Nielsen. “Choosing healthier and more natural products has become a priority for households across the country. For some, this means transparency in labeling, opting for foods with basic ingredient lists or embracing fruits and vegetables, blemishes and all.”
These are some of the results of The Harris Poll® of 2,025 U.S. adults aged 18+ and surveyed online between August 10 and 12, 2016.
Ugly produce
Despite the weight Americans place on appearance, more than three in five adults (62%) say they would be at least somewhat comfortable eating “ugly produce,” that is, fruit or vegetables that may be misshapen but otherwise taste the same. Moreover, three quarters of adults (76%) would expect to pay less for “ugly produce,” while a fifth (20%) could see paying the same as usual.
Despite professed comfort with eating ugly produce, fewer than three in ten Americans (28%) recall buying “ugly produce” in the past year, compared to 51% who are sure they did not and 21% who are not sure either way. And of those who bought “ugly produce,” six in ten (61%) did so for the price discount.
Food waste
While the primary reason Americans bought “ugly produce” was price, the runner up answer from more than a fifth (22%) of purchasers was that they wanted to reduce food waste. Americans estimate that, typically, 10% of the groceries they buy are wasted, that is, spoil or go bad before they can be eaten. Over eight in ten Americans (84%) are at least somewhat concerned about the issue of food waste, primarily because they would like to be less wasteful (62%).
So how do Americans believe we can reduce household food waste? Nearly half (46%) of adults believe better storage for fresh produce is the key to waste reduction, followed closely by more than 2 in 5 (42%) who advocate buying less food, more frequently. Another 38% believe the solution is better meal planning, while 35% say it would help if smaller package sizes were available in the grocery store.
by Idaho Potato Commission
EAGLE, ID — Does the real Idaho® Potato Farmer finally find his missing truck? We’ll never tell! Watch the new commercial featuring Farmer Mark and the Big Idaho® Potato Truck on national cable networks including The Food Network, CNN, Headline News, Fox News and The History and Cooking Channels that began November 11 to find out.
The commercials made their debut five years ago during the first Big Idaho® Potato Truck Tour. This year marks the sixth installment of the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC) wildly popular television commercials starring Farmer Mark and his on-going search for the elusive Big Idaho® Potato Truck.
“Since we launched the campaign five years ago, we’ve received thousands of calls from folks located all across the country with updates on the Truck’s whereabouts,” explained Frank Muir, President and CEO, IPC. “One of the reasons the commercials have been so effective is because of the incredible consumer engagement component reinforced by the Truck’s nationwide tour when it was seen by tens of millions of people of all ages.”
The new commercial aired twice during the Boise State University and BYU football game on October 20 as part of the IPC sponsorship package and its long-standing support of the Broncos. The commercial will air through early April, achieving more than 550 million audience impressions. To view it now, visit the IPC’s YouTube channel.
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About the Idaho Potato Commission
Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho™” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers they are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho® potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho® potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance, that differentiates Idaho® potatoes from potatoes grown in other states.
About the Big Idaho® Potato Truck
The Big Idaho® Potato Truck just completed its fifth cross-country journey. The tour began in 2012 as a one-year campaign to celebrate the IPC’s 75th anniversary. The reaction from consumers, the industry and the media made it apparent the truck would not be retiring anytime soon. Today, it’s a solid part of pop-culture. It’s traveled more than 100,000 miles, visited 48 states, met millions of folks across the country and generated billions of media impressions. To learn more about the Truck, please visit BigIdahoPotatoTruck.com.
Mushroom shipments have been hit by high temperatures and dry conditions, resulting in lower volume and shortages across the country.
The greatest impact has been felt in southeastern Pennsylvania, where 64 percent of U.S. mushrooms are grown, according to a news release from the Avondale, PA.-based American Mushroom Institute.
The weather’s impact on the compost used to grow mushrooms has many across the industry worried. Some veteran mushroom growers who have been in the business over three decades have never been this concerned heading towrds the holiday season.
Many farms are reporting reduced yields, and some shippers have struggled to fill orders. Shortages are expected nationwide as demand for mushrooms increases with the holiday season.
Concerns are mounting that all the orders for the product can’t be met and that shipments to retailers and other customers may have to be rationed.
With demand outpacing supply, growers are doing their best to get customers the product they need, but it is expected that fulfilling orders is going to be difficult.
“You’ve just got to share the love evenly with everyone because there’s just nowhere to get extra product,” stated one grower. “It’s just not available … Any other time you could work sideways and barter and trade back and forth, but that won’t be able to happen much this season because everyone’s in the same situation.”
Quality of the mushrooms also has been affected along with quantity.
“There hasn’t been a whole lot quite up to par from what I’m seeing, When the compost is weak you can then get blotch … which causes spotting on the mushrooms that sometimes you can’t see when you harvest the mushroom but it shows up later, by the time it gets shipped to the customer, the grower stated.”
At various times 30 Pennsylvania counties have been in a drought watch, which has affected mushroom growers.
By Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
Nogales – During the recently celebrated 48th Nogales Produce Convention, on Nov. 3- Nov. 5, the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas, (FPAA) released the 2015-16 Nogales Produce Import Report.
The report shows the significant impact that fresh produce imported via Nogales has in the overall trade of fruits and vegetable in the country. During the last season, imports reached a total of 6.3 billion lbs. which represents 17% of U.S. global imports.
The report presents a five-year comparison, and it reveals what items are highest in volume and in value.
As part of the FPAA Produce Convention program, a panel of importers discussed the report, offering possible explanations for the volume variations, discussing industry trends, and talking about information impacting the upcoming season.
These importers on the panel included: Chris Ciruli, COO, Ciruli Bros. Inc.; Fried DeSchouwer, President, Greenhouse Produce Co.; Rod Sbragia, Director of Sales and Marketing, Tricar Sales Inc.; and Mikee Suarez, Sales, MAS Melons & Grapes. Moderating the panel was Lance Jungmeyer, President of FPAA.
In summary, “Tomatoes have started a new growth phase, separating themselves from watermelons, the No. 2 item in Nogales. This is reflective of the continued growth in romas, and persisting strong demand for round reds,” said Jungmeyer.
The panel said to expect more growth in grapes, as companies add varietals that perform well in the early part of the season.
“A few years ago we had only three or four white, or green, varieties of grapes with any volume in Mexico. Now, we see 10 or more varietals being grown, with interesting and new flavor profiles,” said panelist Mikee Suarez of MAS Melons and Grapes. “These grapes also fill a great gap at the beginning of the Mexican grape season, when Chilean white grapes are leaving the market.”
The panel noted how the Nogales produce deal can no longer be characterized as having a January through April peak in volume.
In fact, the statistics bear out that there is an even stronger second peak in the season in late April through June. Both grapes and watermelons contribute to the second peak.
The following graph shows the evolution and changes in the peaks in the last five seasons:
While a lack of water and labor in western U.S. states is shifting volume to Mexico, there also is a clear trend of improvements in logistics and infrastructure at the Southwest border that should enable greater product flows through Nogales.
For instance, the new Unified Cargo Inspection Program in Nogales is bringing Mexican Customs officers to the U.S. side of the border to conduct inspections. Companies with the proper security clearances can take advantage of this program to reduce their crossing times from 4-6 hours during peak season to less than an hour.
Light volume with Mexican melons, vegetables through Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
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As Turbana becomes Fyffes North America, it brings the resources of the biggest banana supplier in Europe to this side of the Atlantic.
North American buyers could stock the Fyffes brand before, but now it takes over for the Turbana brand in the market unless buyers request the Turbana label.
Ireland-based Fyffes owns 50% of the former Turbana company in addition to an increasing number of holdings in North America.
The change will be officially announced at PMA Fresh Summit, but Jack Howell, senior vice president of sales for Fyffes NA, said customers are being informed now, and the Fyffes label will begin shipping on bananas in the U.S. and Canada.
Fyffes is the largest banana shipper in Europe with 46 million cases. It extends its global sourcing infrastructure the No. 4 banana shipper in North America with 10 million cases per year.
Its main banana sources for this market are Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala, but it owns farms and has grower agreements with 12 countries in Central and South America.
Fyffes is also a significant player in North America in pineapples, off-shore melons and mushrooms.
In April, Fyffes acquired Leamington, Ontario-based Highline Produce Ltd., the largest mushroom producer in Canada, which was followed this month by the acquisition of All Seasons Mushrooms, Langley, British Columbia.
However, those businesses are owned by Fyffes PLC in Dublin and are not part of Coral Gables, Fla.-based Fyffes NA.
“With over 100 years in the industry, we are experts in supply chain, sourcing the highest quality fruit, and helping retailers profitably grow their banana business,” Howell said.
Fyffes was founded in 1888, and in 1929 became the first name brand in bananas.
Red River Valley red potato shipments could be off 30 to 40 percent this season due to excessive rains, while Prince Edward Island is looking a normal volume.
During the 2015-16 shipping season, 25 percent of all red potatoes shipments in the U.S. originated from the Red River Valley eastern North Dakota and western Minnesota.
The remaining 75 percent were spread out among 11 other shipping regions. The state of Florida ranked second with roughly 12 percent, while the Big Lake region of Minnesota came in third with a nine percent.
Due to weather factors delaying the Red River Valley harvest this fall, there wasn’t the urgency to ship red potatoes from the new crop out of Central Minnesota (Big Lake). This latter area typically starts shipping a month or so ahead of the Red River Valley and works to complete its season before the valley starts. Big Lake also does not storage potatoes like is done in the valley.
When the Valley started shipping in October, red potato shipping regions around the country such as Wisconsin, Colorado, Idaho and the Skagit Valley in Washington, had light volume as well.
While loadings of red potatoes has been a little different so far this season, one thing potato haulers can pretty much count on every year – a flood of Idaho russets courtesy of over producing growers. For example a bale of Idaho russets can be delivered for around $4.00. Folks, that’s cheap!
A recent issue of the North American Potato Market News points out last year’s national red shipments exceeded 2011-12 shipments by 1.7 million cwt, or 14 percent.
Prince Edward Island Potato Shipments
Prince Edward Island is the leading province in Canada with potato shipments and expects to have about 25 million cwt (hundred weight). The potatoes are grown on 89,000 acres, which has remained steady for the past four or five years.
PEI accounts for about 25 percent of Canada’s potato shipments. About 30 percent of the crop is shipped to the fresh market, 60 percent for processing and 10 percent for seed.