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Costa Rica pineapple exports to the U.S. and domestic Florida grapefruit shipments are facing their own problems, but for different reasons.
Adverse weather conditions and unfavorable exchange rates contributed to the decline in Costa Rican pineapple exports the first half of 2015 compared with the previous year. The drop was 15 percent less in volumes of the tropical fruit shipped between January and June, amounting to 933,800 tons.
In June there was severe fl0ooding in Costa Rica and estimated pineapple losses could reach 20 million boxes, with nearly 45,000 acres of fields damaged. Exchange rates have also hit exports over the past year, with the Costa Rican colón rising against the euro and, to a lesser extent, against the US dollar since August 2014.
The U.S. is easily the biggest export market for Costa Rica. However, those exports to American plunged by 19 percent over the period, totalling 473,000 tons.
Florida Grapefruit Shipments
Florida had a hot and relatively wet summer resulting in poorer quality grapefruit as the minimum maturity standards for brix and acid levels were lacking early in the season. This delayed harvest by about two to three weeks.
The Florida grapefruit harvest recently started and shipments are expected to remain strong through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. After the holidays, demand declines. In general, US grapefruit consumption is going down. Older people tend to like grapefruit, but because of changing demographics, the industry is losing the older customer base. Younger people do not prefer the taste of this citrus variety. Consumption is also suffering from bad publicity during the past five years as the fruit is believed to interact with certain medications.
Florida grapefruit shipments – grossing about $2100 to Chicago.
The California pistachio harvest is going full bore and the state accounts for 99 percent of pistachio shipments in the U.S. This year is an off-year for pistachio trees, and may be off even more than usual for this type of year.
A mild California winter failed to provide enough chilling hours, adversely affecting pollination. However, the California drought also is hurting.
California’s lack of water is also impacting yields because the trees form a shell first and during a later stage, the nut fills the shell during a critical time. As a result many trees are only producing shells and the share of blanks has increased significantly. At this point it is difficult to predict total shipments, but the hare of blanks in some orchards are as high as 70 percent.
Between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015 California exported 61 percent of its pistachio production. China is the number one market for the US, followed by the European Union. Iran is the US’ main competitor in pistachio production, and the U.S. is at a disadvantage in China because of Iran’s proximity to China.
The New York state apple harvest is in full swing and New York apple shipments should pick up once the harvest is completed in a few weeks.
The Empire state is expecting normal apple shipments and volume this season from the state’s 700 growers.
The Hudson Valley is the largest volume provider in the state. However there also are shipments originating near the western shores of Lake Champlain in the Champlain Valley. Further west in New York, the primary shipping areas for apples are Utica, Ithica, Syracuse and Rochester.
New York is the nation’s second largest apple shipper and is forecast to have 26.2 million cartons this year, or about 13 apples for each of the state’s 19.75 million residents, if those apples stayed in state. However, the state’s apples are shipped from New England to Florida.
The 2015 crop is expected to be slightly smaller than the state’s average over the past five years of 30 million cartons, but produce truckers won’t notice the difference. New York has new apple plantings resulting in new apple varieties such as Honeycrisp – alongside their old New York state standards such as McIntosh and Empire. The new varieties like RubyFrost® and SnapDragon® can only be grown by select New York state growers.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
N
orth Carolina sweet potato shipments all of a sudden are not looking nearly as good this season, while fall vegetables soon will transition from Georgia to Florida.
While North Carolina may have dodged the proverbial weather bullet that clobbered South Carolina, the Tar Heel state still got hit pretty good. From a produce trucking standpoint, the biggest change will be with opportunities for hauling North Carolina sweet potatoes. The state’s leading produce item had fields hit with rains for two weeks. Then they have to wait for fields to dry to continue harvesting. Meanwhile, farmers are fighting the clock when the first hard freeze will end diggings. Bottom line – No specifics yet, but undoubtedly there’s going to be substantial losses in North Carolina sweet potato shipments for the 2015-16 season. This means reduced yields and quality problems….There’s currently a mixture of the old and new crop being shipped, averaging only about 200 truck loads per week. We’ll provide more info as it becomes available.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
Blessed with sandy soil in much of Georgia, it helps absorb excessive rains that occurred recently with Hurricane Joaquin. Items such as cucumbers and squash are being shipped in light volume, but will be declining as we approach November. There are a number of Florida vegetable shipments that will start increasing with Georgia’s decline. Still, we’re talking pick ups in terms of pallets, not truck loads.
By The American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif. — Eating pistachio nuts does not contribute to weight gain or an increased body mass index – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – when included in a balanced diet, according to a scientific review of several clinical studies. This is among the many findings described in a review article published in the British Journal of Nutrition titled, “Nutrition attributes and health effects of pistachio nuts.” The article analyzes the results of more than 100 research studies and clinical trials regarding nut consumption and health, highlighting the potential health benefits of pistachios, which are a source of plant-based protein, vitamins and minerals and also a good source of fiber.
Pistachios and Weight Management
Reviewers analyzed randomized controlled trials that looked at pistachios’ effect on body weight and found that diets that include pistachios have not been linked to weight gain. In fact, one study found a decrease in body mass index, and another noted a significant decrease in waist circumference for those who ate pistachios.
An important component of weight management is satiety, the feeling of fullness after eating, and evidence shows that all nuts help promote satiety, suppress hunger and inhibit eating.
Heart Disease
Researchers also looked at five studies that examined the effects of pistachios on heart disease. Many of the studies found that diets that include pistachios tend to be linked to significantly lowered cholesterol and blood pressure levels, even for those who are at high risk of diabetes.
Nutrition
Researchers found that a one-ounce serving of pistachios (about 49 nuts) provides 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein and 11 percent of the RDA of fiber for adults. With three grams of fiber per serving, pistachios rank among the top two nuts in fiber content. The authors note that fiber intake is linked to decreased weight gain and helps lower the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.
Pistachios vs Other Nuts
- Vitamin Content: Pistachios contain Vitamin K and the B vitamins, including thiamin (B1), pyridoxine (B6), and folic acid (B9).
- Mineral Content: Pistachios contain a number of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and manganese, which are thought to play a role in blood pressure control, bone health management, and the prevention of several chronic diseases.
- Antioxidant Support: Numerous studies suggest that pistachios contain phytochemicals that may act as antioxidants in the body.
- Role in Eye Health: Pistachios contain approximately 13 times more lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids) than the next highest nut. High amounts of these carotenoids are found in the retina of the eye and are known to benefit eye health, which may help prevent vision loss associated with aging.
by Columbia Marketing International (CMI)
Recently released crop estimates for the 2015 Washington state apple shipments predict a decline of 10.5% from the record harvest in 2014. According to some industry experts, the predicted decline in the overall crop is a reflection of significant changes occurring at the orchard level.
The report released last week estimates significant production increases in Honeycrisp and sharp declines in Red and Golden Delicious—two apples that have been icons of Northwest apple growers for more than 50 years.
The late summer crop estimate is issued each season by the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. This year’s report reveals a total apple shipments estimate of 125,210 million cartons compared to a 140 million box crop last year, a decline of over 10%. The report predicts in the coming year that production of Honeycrisp will leap by 33%, Red Delicious will drop by 26.2% with Goldens declining by 24.5%. Gala is predicted to decline by 3.5%, Fuji will drop 5.8% with Granny Smith production unchanged.
According to Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI, the industry report reflects significant changes growers have made over the last few years in response to market conditions and shifting consumer demand. “Market prices for apples send very clear signals to our growers on what varieties they should expand and which apple trees should be removed,” said Lutz. Lutz says that it is not uncommon to see a decline in total production in the year immediately following a bumper crop like the Washington industry experienced in 2014.
Lutz added that production trends at CMI are consistent with the statewide estimate. “Our growers are reporting they expect production declines in Reds and Goldens to be larger than the state average,” he said. “We will have significant increases in Honeycrisp, particularly from newly planted orchards with high-colored fruit, so we’re really excited to bring these apples to our customers.”
“The hidden news in the 2015 crop report is that newer variety apples continue to make up for the erosion in production of the legacy varieties,” said Lutz. “CMI growers have made huge investments so that we have plenty of high-colored Honeycrisp on the way. To maximize the success of this variety, we’re introducing our new Happy Bee™ Honeycrisp pouch bag program, which will drive retail excitement this Fall. We’ll also have significant increases in production of our popular branded apples like Ambrosia™, KIKU® and Kanzi®.”
Lutz says organic apple and pear production also appear to be a bright spot in the coming year. “CMI leads the organic apple and pear category with our #1 Daisy Girl brand. Our growers estimate that in the coming year our production of our Daisy Girl Organic apples and pears will jump by about 10%.” He added, “That’s great news because organics have been the hottest growth driver in the category.”
###
Columbia Marketing International (CMI) is one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers and packers of premium quality cherries, apples, pears and organics. Based out of Wenatchee, WA, CMI delivers outstanding fruit across the U.S.A. and exports to over 60 countries worldwide.
California strawberry shipments are on a normal track, while Washington state cranberry shipments may be in big trouble. Shipments of California strawberries through late September were up slightly over last season.
About 173.8 million crates of fruit had shipped year-to-date through Sept. 26, up from 172.7 million crates last year at the same time, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission’s weekly Pink Sheet newsletter. Shipments were down in the Oxnard growing region but up in the Santa Maria and Watsonville/Salinas regions, with Watsonville/Salinas leading the way with 86.1 million crates. Volumes shipping the week ending Sept. 26 were higher than expected, according to the report. About 3.46 million trays shipped, up from a projected total of 3.22 million trays.
Salinas/Watsonville strawberries – grossing about $4800 to Houston.
Washington Cranberry Shipments
Severe drought persists on Washington’s Southwest coast, complicating the region’s cranberry harvest. The lack of rain, however, threatens to extend the harvest, putting berries at risk of rot, frost and ripening into a dark color unsuited to consumer expectations, following the hottest July on record.
The growing season, May through August, was the sixth driest on record. Washington state is the nation’s third leading shipper of cranberries for the fresh market, behind Wisconsin and Massachusetts, which account together for about 90 percent of the nation’s fresh cranberries.
By Full Tilt Marketing
New York, NY— What began as a grassroots effort to celebrate the nutritional benefits of kale as a trending superfood, has grown into a worldwide movement. This year will mark the third annual National Kay Day, which is today.
In recent years, kale’s popularity has grown in both supermarkets and on restaurant menus. In fact, Whole Foods Market now buys and sells more kale than all other greens combined and other retailers have reported triple digit sales increases. This growing interest in kale has growers and manufacturers excited about the opportunity to promote not just kale, but all leafy greens.
This year’s celebration will include online and offline events, including signature events in New York City. The day will kick off with the kale army making an appearance on the Today Show plaza and hosting a kale tasting for media influencers. The day will continue with the founders celebrating a kale lunch with students at a local NYC Public Elementary School, then joining sponsor San Miguel Produce to kick off a Cooking with Kale series at Manhattan’s Food & Finance High School and end with the signature kale party.
In addition, to consumer events, National Kale Day has touched 10 countries, retailers, restaurants and schools with some of the largest school districts in the country including New York Public Schools and Los Angeles Public Schools planning to serve up kale. Dr. Ramsey remarked, “I have been a proponent of brain foods like kale in my practice for years, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing the potential to reach kids early on in their lives and teach them about healthy foods in a fun way.”
National Kale Day is a public event of grassroots volunteers established for the celebration and promotion of the health benefits and culinary versatility of kale.
Full Tilt Marketing is a consulting firm with offices in the Southeast and Midwest. The firm specializes in produce and food marketing. Working with commodity boards and grower/shippers, Full Tilt assists clients with new product development, brand management, retail promotions, online marketing, social media and marketing communications.
While Florida leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to produce trucking in the fall, there are citrus loadings and limited amounts of vegetables.
Navel and fallglo tangerine harvets started the third week of September, with decent loading opportunties coming on in late September. This week, the harvest of navels are underway.
This season, the industry should pack about 12 million cartons of red and white grapefruit, down from the 13 million it produced last season.
Citrus shipments Wrap Up
U.S. citrus shipments fell four percent in 2014-15 season.
About 9.02 million tons of citrus were produced this season. The 2014-15 total is also 49 percent lower than the record 17.8 million tons produced in 1997-98.
Florida accounted for 56 percent of all 2014-15 loadings, California 41 percent, while Texas and Arizona amounted to three percent combined.
With about 97 million boxes, Florida’s orange shipments are eight percent lower than in 2013-14. Florida grapefruit shipments amounted to 13 million boxes, down 18percent.
California’s orange volume fell one percent to 49 million boxes. Grapefruit shipments in the state also fell one percent, but lemon loadings rose nine percent, while tangerine and mandarin volume rose nine percent.
Florida Fall Vegetable Shipments
Light Fall Florida Veggie Shipments will be staring in a few weeks, despite rains occurring nearly on a daily basis. Squash and cucumbers get underway from the Immokalee area the second week of November with bell peppers and eggplants starting only a few days later. One major shipper is Oakes Farms Inc.
Eggplant and other veggies get started in late October from the Loxahatchee area. A primary shipper this is J&J Family of Farms Inc.
.
Date shipments over the past 15 years have shown steady increases as newer palms produce more fruit each season.
California date volume should exceed 50 million pounds this season. Bearing acreage over the past five years has averaged 7,700 acres, while date production volume for that time frame averaged 47.5 million pounds.
Dates are harvested in September and October from California’s desert regions. The Coachella Valley is the main production area, though dates are also grown in the desert region of Bard Valley, which straddles the California-Arizona border, and there is limited pickings near Las Vegas.
Dates are grown on a date palm tree that typically grows about 20 feet high. It is a labor-intensive crop that requires much more care than the average tree fruit. Pickers have to be at eye-level with the date bunches seven different times in a five-month-period. From artificial pollination to harvest, in California workers are typically raised to the top of the tree in some type of mechanical device.
Dates are sold from cold storage or the freezer throughout the year as they have an extended shelf life. Demand has been increasing and creating a year-round market, but holiday sales – particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah are most popular. Lesser holidays popular with dates are Easter and Passover in the spring. There is also a very big demand during the monthlong Muslim Ramadan celebration. Ramadan is a lunar calendar holiday that moves 10-14 days earlier each year. It began in mid-June in 2015 and will have a start date of early June in 2016.
SunDate LLC, headquartered in Coachella, CA. SunDate is a partnership between the date growing operations of Anthony Vineyards and Chuchian Ranch.
Two major date shippers are Atlas Produce & Distribution Inc., in Bakersfield, CA, and Hadley Date Gardens in Thermal, CA.
Southern California citrus and vegetables – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Costa Rica pineapple exports to the U.S. and domestic Florida grapefruit shipments are facing their own problems, but for different reasons.
Adverse weather conditions and unfavorable exchange rates contributed to the decline in Costa Rican pineapple exports the first half of 2015 compared with the previous year. The drop was 15 percent less in volumes of the tropical fruit shipped between January and June, amounting to 933,800 tons.
In June there was severe fl0ooding in Costa Rica and estimated pineapple losses could reach 20 million boxes, with nearly 45,000 acres of fields damaged. Exchange rates have also hit exports over the past year, with the Costa Rican colón rising against the euro and, to a lesser extent, against the US dollar since August 2014.
The U.S. is easily the biggest export market for Costa Rica. However, those exports to American plunged by 19 percent over the period, totalling 473,000 tons.
Florida Grapefruit Shipments
Florida had a hot and relatively wet summer resulting in poorer quality grapefruit as the minimum maturity standards for brix and acid levels were lacking early in the season. This delayed harvest by about two to three weeks.
The Florida grapefruit harvest recently started and shipments are expected to remain strong through the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season. After the holidays, demand declines. In general, US grapefruit consumption is going down. Older people tend to like grapefruit, but because of changing demographics, the industry is losing the older customer base. Younger people do not prefer the taste of this citrus variety. Consumption is also suffering from bad publicity during the past five years as the fruit is believed to interact with certain medications.
Florida grapefruit shipments – grossing about $2100 to Chicago.
The California pistachio harvest is going full bore and the state accounts for 99 percent of pistachio shipments in the U.S. This year is an off-year for pistachio trees, and may be off even more than usual for this type of year.
A mild California winter failed to provide enough chilling hours, adversely affecting pollination. However, the California drought also is hurting.
California’s lack of water is also impacting yields because the trees form a shell first and during a later stage, the nut fills the shell during a critical time. As a result many trees are only producing shells and the share of blanks has increased significantly. At this point it is difficult to predict total shipments, but the hare of blanks in some orchards are as high as 70 percent.
Between September 1, 2014 and August 31, 2015 California exported 61 percent of its pistachio production. China is the number one market for the US, followed by the European Union. Iran is the US’ main competitor in pistachio production, and the U.S. is at a disadvantage in China because of Iran’s proximity to China.
The New York state apple harvest is in full swing and New York apple shipments should pick up once the harvest is completed in a few weeks.
The Empire state is expecting normal apple shipments and volume this season from the state’s 700 growers.
The Hudson Valley is the largest volume provider in the state. However there also are shipments originating near the western shores of Lake Champlain in the Champlain Valley. Further west in New York, the primary shipping areas for apples are Utica, Ithica, Syracuse and Rochester.
New York is the nation’s second largest apple shipper and is forecast to have 26.2 million cartons this year, or about 13 apples for each of the state’s 19.75 million residents, if those apples stayed in state. However, the state’s apples are shipped from New England to Florida.
The 2015 crop is expected to be slightly smaller than the state’s average over the past five years of 30 million cartons, but produce truckers won’t notice the difference. New York has new apple plantings resulting in new apple varieties such as Honeycrisp – alongside their old New York state standards such as McIntosh and Empire. The new varieties like RubyFrost® and SnapDragon® can only be grown by select New York state growers.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
N
orth Carolina sweet potato shipments all of a sudden are not looking nearly as good this season, while fall vegetables soon will transition from Georgia to Florida.
While North Carolina may have dodged the proverbial weather bullet that clobbered South Carolina, the Tar Heel state still got hit pretty good. From a produce trucking standpoint, the biggest change will be with opportunities for hauling North Carolina sweet potatoes. The state’s leading produce item had fields hit with rains for two weeks. Then they have to wait for fields to dry to continue harvesting. Meanwhile, farmers are fighting the clock when the first hard freeze will end diggings. Bottom line – No specifics yet, but undoubtedly there’s going to be substantial losses in North Carolina sweet potato shipments for the 2015-16 season. This means reduced yields and quality problems….There’s currently a mixture of the old and new crop being shipped, averaging only about 200 truck loads per week. We’ll provide more info as it becomes available.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
Blessed with sandy soil in much of Georgia, it helps absorb excessive rains that occurred recently with Hurricane Joaquin. Items such as cucumbers and squash are being shipped in light volume, but will be declining as we approach November. There are a number of Florida vegetable shipments that will start increasing with Georgia’s decline. Still, we’re talking pick ups in terms of pallets, not truck loads.
By The American Pistachio Growers
FRESNO, Calif. — Eating pistachio nuts does not contribute to weight gain or an increased body mass index – a measure of body fat based on height and weight – when included in a balanced diet, according to a scientific review of several clinical studies. This is among the many findings described in a review article published in the British Journal of Nutrition titled, “Nutrition attributes and health effects of pistachio nuts.” The article analyzes the results of more than 100 research studies and clinical trials regarding nut consumption and health, highlighting the potential health benefits of pistachios, which are a source of plant-based protein, vitamins and minerals and also a good source of fiber.
Pistachios and Weight Management
Reviewers analyzed randomized controlled trials that looked at pistachios’ effect on body weight and found that diets that include pistachios have not been linked to weight gain. In fact, one study found a decrease in body mass index, and another noted a significant decrease in waist circumference for those who ate pistachios.
An important component of weight management is satiety, the feeling of fullness after eating, and evidence shows that all nuts help promote satiety, suppress hunger and inhibit eating.
Heart Disease
Researchers also looked at five studies that examined the effects of pistachios on heart disease. Many of the studies found that diets that include pistachios tend to be linked to significantly lowered cholesterol and blood pressure levels, even for those who are at high risk of diabetes.
Nutrition
Researchers found that a one-ounce serving of pistachios (about 49 nuts) provides 10 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein and 11 percent of the RDA of fiber for adults. With three grams of fiber per serving, pistachios rank among the top two nuts in fiber content. The authors note that fiber intake is linked to decreased weight gain and helps lower the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some types of cancer.
Pistachios vs Other Nuts
- Vitamin Content: Pistachios contain Vitamin K and the B vitamins, including thiamin (B1), pyridoxine (B6), and folic acid (B9).
- Mineral Content: Pistachios contain a number of minerals, including potassium, magnesium, calcium, copper, and manganese, which are thought to play a role in blood pressure control, bone health management, and the prevention of several chronic diseases.
- Antioxidant Support: Numerous studies suggest that pistachios contain phytochemicals that may act as antioxidants in the body.
- Role in Eye Health: Pistachios contain approximately 13 times more lutein and zeaxanthin (carotenoids) than the next highest nut. High amounts of these carotenoids are found in the retina of the eye and are known to benefit eye health, which may help prevent vision loss associated with aging.
by Columbia Marketing International (CMI)
Recently released crop estimates for the 2015 Washington state apple shipments predict a decline of 10.5% from the record harvest in 2014. According to some industry experts, the predicted decline in the overall crop is a reflection of significant changes occurring at the orchard level.
The report released last week estimates significant production increases in Honeycrisp and sharp declines in Red and Golden Delicious—two apples that have been icons of Northwest apple growers for more than 50 years.
The late summer crop estimate is issued each season by the Washington State Tree Fruit Association. This year’s report reveals a total apple shipments estimate of 125,210 million cartons compared to a 140 million box crop last year, a decline of over 10%. The report predicts in the coming year that production of Honeycrisp will leap by 33%, Red Delicious will drop by 26.2% with Goldens declining by 24.5%. Gala is predicted to decline by 3.5%, Fuji will drop 5.8% with Granny Smith production unchanged.
According to Steve Lutz, Vice President of Marketing at CMI, the industry report reflects significant changes growers have made over the last few years in response to market conditions and shifting consumer demand. “Market prices for apples send very clear signals to our growers on what varieties they should expand and which apple trees should be removed,” said Lutz. Lutz says that it is not uncommon to see a decline in total production in the year immediately following a bumper crop like the Washington industry experienced in 2014.
Lutz added that production trends at CMI are consistent with the statewide estimate. “Our growers are reporting they expect production declines in Reds and Goldens to be larger than the state average,” he said. “We will have significant increases in Honeycrisp, particularly from newly planted orchards with high-colored fruit, so we’re really excited to bring these apples to our customers.”
“The hidden news in the 2015 crop report is that newer variety apples continue to make up for the erosion in production of the legacy varieties,” said Lutz. “CMI growers have made huge investments so that we have plenty of high-colored Honeycrisp on the way. To maximize the success of this variety, we’re introducing our new Happy Bee™ Honeycrisp pouch bag program, which will drive retail excitement this Fall. We’ll also have significant increases in production of our popular branded apples like Ambrosia™, KIKU® and Kanzi®.”
Lutz says organic apple and pear production also appear to be a bright spot in the coming year. “CMI leads the organic apple and pear category with our #1 Daisy Girl brand. Our growers estimate that in the coming year our production of our Daisy Girl Organic apples and pears will jump by about 10%.” He added, “That’s great news because organics have been the hottest growth driver in the category.”
###
Columbia Marketing International (CMI) is one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers and packers of premium quality cherries, apples, pears and organics. Based out of Wenatchee, WA, CMI delivers outstanding fruit across the U.S.A. and exports to over 60 countries worldwide.
California strawberry shipments are on a normal track, while Washington state cranberry shipments may be in big trouble. Shipments of California strawberries through late September were up slightly over last season.
About 173.8 million crates of fruit had shipped year-to-date through Sept. 26, up from 172.7 million crates last year at the same time, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission’s weekly Pink Sheet newsletter. Shipments were down in the Oxnard growing region but up in the Santa Maria and Watsonville/Salinas regions, with Watsonville/Salinas leading the way with 86.1 million crates. Volumes shipping the week ending Sept. 26 were higher than expected, according to the report. About 3.46 million trays shipped, up from a projected total of 3.22 million trays.
Salinas/Watsonville strawberries – grossing about $4800 to Houston.
Washington Cranberry Shipments
Severe drought persists on Washington’s Southwest coast, complicating the region’s cranberry harvest. The lack of rain, however, threatens to extend the harvest, putting berries at risk of rot, frost and ripening into a dark color unsuited to consumer expectations, following the hottest July on record.
The growing season, May through August, was the sixth driest on record. Washington state is the nation’s third leading shipper of cranberries for the fresh market, behind Wisconsin and Massachusetts, which account together for about 90 percent of the nation’s fresh cranberries.
By Full Tilt Marketing
New York, NY— What began as a grassroots effort to celebrate the nutritional benefits of kale as a trending superfood, has grown into a worldwide movement. This year will mark the third annual National Kay Day, which is today.
In recent years, kale’s popularity has grown in both supermarkets and on restaurant menus. In fact, Whole Foods Market now buys and sells more kale than all other greens combined and other retailers have reported triple digit sales increases. This growing interest in kale has growers and manufacturers excited about the opportunity to promote not just kale, but all leafy greens.
This year’s celebration will include online and offline events, including signature events in New York City. The day will kick off with the kale army making an appearance on the Today Show plaza and hosting a kale tasting for media influencers. The day will continue with the founders celebrating a kale lunch with students at a local NYC Public Elementary School, then joining sponsor San Miguel Produce to kick off a Cooking with Kale series at Manhattan’s Food & Finance High School and end with the signature kale party.
In addition, to consumer events, National Kale Day has touched 10 countries, retailers, restaurants and schools with some of the largest school districts in the country including New York Public Schools and Los Angeles Public Schools planning to serve up kale. Dr. Ramsey remarked, “I have been a proponent of brain foods like kale in my practice for years, and there is nothing more exciting than seeing the potential to reach kids early on in their lives and teach them about healthy foods in a fun way.”
National Kale Day is a public event of grassroots volunteers established for the celebration and promotion of the health benefits and culinary versatility of kale.
Full Tilt Marketing is a consulting firm with offices in the Southeast and Midwest. The firm specializes in produce and food marketing. Working with commodity boards and grower/shippers, Full Tilt assists clients with new product development, brand management, retail promotions, online marketing, social media and marketing communications.
While Florida leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to produce trucking in the fall, there are citrus loadings and limited amounts of vegetables.
Navel and fallglo tangerine harvets started the third week of September, with decent loading opportunties coming on in late September. This week, the harvest of navels are underway.
This season, the industry should pack about 12 million cartons of red and white grapefruit, down from the 13 million it produced last season.
Citrus shipments Wrap Up
U.S. citrus shipments fell four percent in 2014-15 season.
About 9.02 million tons of citrus were produced this season. The 2014-15 total is also 49 percent lower than the record 17.8 million tons produced in 1997-98.
Florida accounted for 56 percent of all 2014-15 loadings, California 41 percent, while Texas and Arizona amounted to three percent combined.
With about 97 million boxes, Florida’s orange shipments are eight percent lower than in 2013-14. Florida grapefruit shipments amounted to 13 million boxes, down 18percent.
California’s orange volume fell one percent to 49 million boxes. Grapefruit shipments in the state also fell one percent, but lemon loadings rose nine percent, while tangerine and mandarin volume rose nine percent.
Florida Fall Vegetable Shipments
Light Fall Florida Veggie Shipments will be staring in a few weeks, despite rains occurring nearly on a daily basis. Squash and cucumbers get underway from the Immokalee area the second week of November with bell peppers and eggplants starting only a few days later. One major shipper is Oakes Farms Inc.
Eggplant and other veggies get started in late October from the Loxahatchee area. A primary shipper this is J&J Family of Farms Inc.
.
Date shipments over the past 15 years have shown steady increases as newer palms produce more fruit each season.
California date volume should exceed 50 million pounds this season. Bearing acreage over the past five years has averaged 7,700 acres, while date production volume for that time frame averaged 47.5 million pounds.
Dates are harvested in September and October from California’s desert regions. The Coachella Valley is the main production area, though dates are also grown in the desert region of Bard Valley, which straddles the California-Arizona border, and there is limited pickings near Las Vegas.
Dates are grown on a date palm tree that typically grows about 20 feet high. It is a labor-intensive crop that requires much more care than the average tree fruit. Pickers have to be at eye-level with the date bunches seven different times in a five-month-period. From artificial pollination to harvest, in California workers are typically raised to the top of the tree in some type of mechanical device.
Dates are sold from cold storage or the freezer throughout the year as they have an extended shelf life. Demand has been increasing and creating a year-round market, but holiday sales – particularly Thanksgiving, Christmas and Hanukkah are most popular. Lesser holidays popular with dates are Easter and Passover in the spring. There is also a very big demand during the monthlong Muslim Ramadan celebration. Ramadan is a lunar calendar holiday that moves 10-14 days earlier each year. It began in mid-June in 2015 and will have a start date of early June in 2016.
SunDate LLC, headquartered in Coachella, CA. SunDate is a partnership between the date growing operations of Anthony Vineyards and Chuchian Ranch.
Two major date shippers are Atlas Produce & Distribution Inc., in Bakersfield, CA, and Hadley Date Gardens in Thermal, CA.
Southern California citrus and vegetables – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.