Author Archive
From Wisconsin to Michigan and Nebraska; and for good measure we’ve thrown in Colorado; for a look at produce loads.
Wisconsin Produce Shipments
Central Wisconsin potato shipments have leveled off to about 500 truckloads per week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $1000 to Chicago.
About the only other produced items being shipped from the Badger state are cranberries from such as areas as Tunnel City and Toma, or Babcock. There’s also some cabbage coming out of Southeastern Wisconsin.
Nebraska Potato Shipments
Nebraska potato shipments are averaging about 200 truckloads weekly. The Cornhusker state has two primary potato shipping areas. One is at O’Neill in the Northeastern part of the state, while the other is at Imperial, in the Southwestern are of the state.
Nebraska potatoes grossing about $2125 to Dallas.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan potato shipments remain light, but continue to gradually increase.
Michigan also has increasing volume with apples, and onions, although all these items are modest in comparison to the leading states of Washington (apples) and Idaho (potatoes and onions). There are about 300 truckloads of apples being shipped weekly, while potatoes are less than half of this volume.
Michigan apples – grossing about $1000 to Chicago, while onions are grossing about 20 percent less.
Colorado Potato Shipments
The San Luis Valley will become more volume as the harvest has pretty much been completed. Volume is gradually increasing and currently averaging over 600 truckloads per week.
Colorado potatoes shipments – grossing about $2300 to Houston,.
The end a three-year U.S. pilot program allowing Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways expires tomorrow and the U.S. Department of Transportation must decide what it is going to do.
The DOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are required by U.S. law to collect a statistically valid sample before the agency decides whether to permanently open up the U.S. market. More than 5,000 truck and driver inspections are being reviewed by the FMCSA.
The pilot program was launched by the federal government in 2011, at which time Mexico removed retaliatory tariffs it had placed on certain U.S. fruits, vegetables and nuts shipped to Mexico. The tariffs, imposed in 2009 and lifted in October 2011, ranged from 10 to 45 percent, on items including apples, grapes, pears, lettuce and other U.S. agricultural commodities exported to Mexico.
Those retaliatory tariffs could be re-imposed by Mexico if the U.S. fails to live up to its North American Free Trade Agreement obligations to provide full access to Mexican carriers. So American roads could be opened up permanently to Mexican trucking companies, denied access, or a decision could be delayed.
The trucking industry is divided on the issue, with large fleets tending to support the move, while owner operators, small fleets and the Teamsters tending to opposed the idea, based primarily on safety issues and concerns over rate slashing by Mexican truckers. The produce industry generally supports Mexican trucker access for fear of the tariffs previously mentioned.
By Produce for Better Health Foundation
Hockessin, Del. – Produce for Better Health conducts an annual survey of moms with children 10 years of age and under to assess fruit and vegetable consumption, barriers to increased consumption, and awareness of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand. Key findings over time indicate that moms continue to strongly believe in the benefits of fruits and vegetables and continue to be concerned that their families are not consuming enough of them. The 2008-2009 recession had a significant negative impact on moms’ attitude and behavior regarding fruits and vegetables. In addition, while the Internet remains the top preferred source of information regarding fruits and vegetables, family members were becoming more influential, while other sources were becoming less so.
Providing moms with practical information to increase their family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially while on a budget, will help them follow through with their intentions. PBH’s consumer website, MoreMatters.org, developed specifically with moms in mind, continues to be a growing, reliable source of information for this audience. Insight gleaned from the annual surveys, outlined in PBH’s PBH’s Moms’ Attitudes and Beliefs Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption, 2007-2014 report, assist PBH in our continued effort to reach moms.
To make it easy to identify relevant findings, PBH developed an infograph visually highlighting key results of the 2014 annual mom survey. PBH donors and supporters are able and encouraged to reproduce and utilize the infograph as needed. PBH is pleased to recognize the sponsors of the 2007-2014 research report: Bayer CropScience, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Monsanto, and Produce Marketing Association.
About Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) fruit and vegetable education foundation. Since 1991, PBH works to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. PBH achieves success through industry and government collaboration, first with the 5 A Day program and now with the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is the nation’s largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative. To learn more, visit www.PBHFoundation.org and www.FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Follow Fruits & Veggies—More Matters on Facebook or Twitter.
PBH is also a member and co-chair with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), consisting of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry working to collaboratively and synergistically achieve increased nationwide access and demand for all forms of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. To learn more, visit www.NFVA.org.
by United Fresh Produce Association
WASHINGTON, DC – United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel issued this statement in response to a national poll of parents’ opinions of school lunch standards released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Heart Association.
Parents nationwide want their children to have healthier meals and snacks at school, according to the poll. An overwhelming 91 percent of parents support requiring schools to include a serving of fruits and vegetables with every meal and more than 72 percent of parents support national nutrition standards for school meals and snacks sold in schools.
This new national poll underscores the strong support by parents for the new healthier school meal standards that require more fresh fruits and vegetables. Their voice joins public health authorities, the National PTA, teachers and others in their steadfast support for healthier school foods.
The childhood obesity crisis is real – with early onset of diabetes and the enormous burden of healthcare costs on society. Moms and dads know the challenge of helping our kids’ make healthier choices – but we don’t opt out of trying. We put our kids’ health first and Congress must continue to do the same. There can be no going back to water down the modest requirement that children take at least one-half cup of fruit or vegetable at breakfast and lunch. Instead, we should be looking for ways to reach our public health goal of half the plate being fruits and vegetables, not just half a cup.
The national poll was commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Heart Association and was conducted by Hart Research Associates and Ferguson Research between June 19 and 28, 2014 among registered voters who are parents of public school children.
Founded in 1904, the United Fresh Produce Association brings together companies across every segment of the fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh-cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations. We empower industry leaders to shape sound government policy. We deliver the resources and expertise companies need to succeed in managing complex business and technical issues. We provide the training and development individuals need to advance their careers in produce. And, through these endeavors, we unite our industry with a common purpose – to build long-term value for our members and grow produce consumption. For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org or call 202-303-3400.
By Organics Unlimited
SAN DIEGO – Organics Unlimited is launching GROW organic bananas on the east coast, it was announced today by company president Mayra Velazquez de Leon. All distribution will be handled by Four Season Produce in Lancaster County, Pa. who receives and ripens the bananas for markets in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern parts of the country.
“We want to be involved in supporting the communities in our banana growing regions,” said Four Seasons General Manager Jason Hollinger. “Our company is a major supporter of Fair Trade, but we realize that there are different ways to support the workers and their families. We’ve added GROW to give our customers another option for buying good, quality organic bananas that also have a way to give back to others.”
Started in 2005, the GROW program has now provided over $1 million of support for programs in Mexico and Ecuador that promote education, dental, vision care and safe water. “We’re excited with the growth we’ve seen in the program and to have the GROW organic bananas available in the east,” said Mayra Velazquez de Leon, president of Organics Unlimited. “In the past few years, we’ve seen a major increase in interest from our customers, which has allowed us to expand funding to additional programs and promising young people.”
From 2012 to 2013, GROW support increased by almost 150 percent. This year, GROW has raised over $200,000 in funds to help continue efforts in social responsibility. All funds come from the purchase of GROW bananas in the US. Each box of fruit has a surcharge of $.60 that goes directly to the fund. Proceeds from the funds go to Children International in Ecuador and Project Amigo in Mexico to help build opportunities for workers, their families and communities.
GROW retailers also benefit from the merchandising support available through the Organics Unlimited website. While materials are available year round, the celebration of GROW Month in September provides a special consumer focus that expands shoppers awareness of the added benefits of buying the GROW label. Of interest to consumers this year will be an increased selection of personalized stories about the impact that GROW has made on their lives.
About Organics Unlimited
Organics Unlimited is a San Diego-based distributor of organic tropical fruit from Mexico and South America, providing its traditional label as well as the GROW label. The company is USDA certified organic for the U.S. and Canada through Organic Certifiers. For more information on Organics Unlimited and GROW visit OrganicsUnlimited.com, GrowBananas.org, or call 619.710.0658. Check out the latest blog post from Organics Unlimited at OrganicOdes.com or find Organics Unlimited on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
About Four Seasons Produce
Four Seasons Produce, Inc. is a full-service wholesaler supplying organic, local and conventional fresh produce to organic markets, food co-ops, independent retailers, chain stores, juice bars and other produce buyers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. For more information, visit FSProduce.com or call 800-422-8384.
The nation’s two largest apple shipping states, Washington and New York, are gearing up with excellent, if not record breaking apple loads this season.
Washington Apple Shipments
There’s little doubt Washington state will break all records for apple shipments during the 2014-15 season. An estimated 140 million cartons of fruit will be shipped, with the majority being by truck. This volume will easily break the record loadings of the 2012-13 crop, which totaled 128 million cartons. This will be 22 percent more than the 115 million cartons shipped during the 2013-14 season.
The new records reflect higher density plantings in orchards over the past 10 years. The old orchards had about 300 apple trees per acre. In recent years 1,000 to 1,500 trees are being planted per acre. Red Delicious still remains the top variety to be shipped, estimated at 38 million cartons this season. This is followed by the Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. About 72 percent of Washington apples are shipped for the fresh market, with the balance for processing.
Washington apples from the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys – grossing about $8200 to New York City.
New York Apple Shipments
Truck loadings for apples during the 2014-15 season will be less than last season, but more than the average shipments for the past five years. The state expects to ship over 30 million bushels this season.
New York apple shipments should rank second to Washington state in total volume this season. The state moved into volume in September, and loadings will be heaviest from now through the first quarter of 2015.
The leading varieties volume are: McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Crispin and Golden Delicious.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2200 to Atlanta.
The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota already has a serious truck shortage , and the season hasn’t even really got going. Here’s an update on potato shipments out the valley.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Not even one-third of the potato shippers in North Dakota and Minnesota are loading potatoes yet, but the few who are tell of difficulties finding trucks. For example, last Friday, Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks was 7 trucks short of what was needed to fill orders from customers. APG hasn’t really got into volume shipments yet and has opened up only one of it three plants. Other valley shippers are reporting similar problems.
Last season the Red River Valley shipped about 4 million hundredweight (cwt.) of mostly red potatoes and totals this season (2014-15) should be similar, if not a little more. Once the harvest is completed within the next week or two, a better idea of the exact numbers should become available.
The Red River Valley’s red potato acreage is expected to be up one or two percent this year. In 2013, the valley produced 23,000 acres of red potatoes. North Dakota produces a total of about 90,000 acres of potatoes. Beyond red potatoes, these are mostly russets that are virtually dedicated to the processing market. In addition to red potato shipments, there are yellow potatoes, which will represent about 8 percent of the fresh shipments.
Overall, it is expected there will be about 4.2 million and 4.5 million cwt shipped for the fresh market; over 90 percent would be reds, the remainder yellows.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $2800 to Dallas.
After two consecutive years of lower-than-normal sweet potato shipments, North Carolina appears to back on track this season.
Weather factors cut into acreage and ultimately shipments, but the Tarheel state is forecast to have 66,000 acres for the 2014-15 season. Of these total plantings, it is predicted 65,000 of those acres will be harvested, equal to almost half of the nation’s crop.
For the 2013-14 season there were only 54,000 acres of sweet potatoes planted.
The short crop last year resulted in some growers halting shipments in late August after running out of supplies of stored sweet potatoes, before they could harvest and cure their 2014-15 crop. Curing takes five to 10 days, and then they are stored at 55-60 degrees for up to a year.
On September 14 about 27 percent of the sweet potato crop in North Carolina had been harvested. Plantings hit a high for the 2011-12 season in the United States with 134,000 acres planted. Of that total 65,000 acres were in the Tarheel state.
Acreage planted dropped for the 2012-13 season to 130,500 acres nationwide, with 63,000 acres planted in North Carolina.
Among the major sweet potato shipping areas in North Carolina, are such rural towns as Chabourn, Faison, Sims, Snow Hill and Wilson.
North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2250 to Miami.
Mississippi sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1100 to Atlanta.
Louisiana sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Cold Train Express Intermodal Service suspended service this summer due to rail congestion, while two new refrigerated rail services were just getting started.
McKay TransCold based in Minneapolis began last June offering a refrigerated, dedicated boxcar unit train known as Transcold Express, which runs each week between Selma, CA and Wilmington, IL. Meanwhile, Tiger Cool Express LLC, Overland Park, KS launched intermodal services from multiple locations in southern California to destinations in the Midwest and East Coast in February. In a press release Cold Train reported that on-time deliveries for shipments on BNSF’s Northern Corridor fell from more than 90% in November to less than 5% in April due to surging more oil and coal shipments.
Meanwhile, the problems on BNSF’s northern lines reportedly has had little effect on the southern BNSF and Union Pacific rail routes.
Tiger Cool Express, reported rail shipments of oil from North Dakota on BNSF’s Northern Corridor have increased from 20,000 tank cars three years ago to more than 400,000 this year. And unlike major southern rail routes in the U.S., that northern route doesn’t have two different tracks.
Produce is viewed by some in the rail industry as the last long-haul, $100 billion market that intermodal has yet to penetrate. Still, over 95 percent of fresh produce is delivered by truck in the U.S.. Rail officials are counting on trucks supplies tightening, with the driver shortage continue to worsen.
The United States just may be the most tolerant nation that has ever existed. As such we deserve quality leadership. Our leaders should be working together to get our fiscal house in order.
People do not have a right to what other people have earned. Our leaders should be instilling the values and work ethics that the founding patriots of this nation built their lives and this nation upon. We have become a nation of welfare handout beggars and moochers. The United States needs a revival. A revival lead by someone who can smile, understand, and respect dissenting views.
We need the warm smile and soft wit of Ronald Regan or John Kennedy. We need a person that can work with all sides of the issues to come to unique solutions. The kind of solutions that Americans are noted for. We need a person that stresses the individuality of the states and of our people. Someone who understands that efficient government should not be a centralized bloated bemoth, but that by moving government closer to the people, you get a better government and better solutions.
We should all be thinking about our country and our place in the future of the world as we approach this election season. It is time we voted with our heads and not our hearts. That is, unless some absolutely hot babe runs for office. …Then all bets are off!
From Wisconsin to Michigan and Nebraska; and for good measure we’ve thrown in Colorado; for a look at produce loads.
Wisconsin Produce Shipments
Central Wisconsin potato shipments have leveled off to about 500 truckloads per week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $1000 to Chicago.
About the only other produced items being shipped from the Badger state are cranberries from such as areas as Tunnel City and Toma, or Babcock. There’s also some cabbage coming out of Southeastern Wisconsin.
Nebraska Potato Shipments
Nebraska potato shipments are averaging about 200 truckloads weekly. The Cornhusker state has two primary potato shipping areas. One is at O’Neill in the Northeastern part of the state, while the other is at Imperial, in the Southwestern are of the state.
Nebraska potatoes grossing about $2125 to Dallas.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan potato shipments remain light, but continue to gradually increase.
Michigan also has increasing volume with apples, and onions, although all these items are modest in comparison to the leading states of Washington (apples) and Idaho (potatoes and onions). There are about 300 truckloads of apples being shipped weekly, while potatoes are less than half of this volume.
Michigan apples – grossing about $1000 to Chicago, while onions are grossing about 20 percent less.
Colorado Potato Shipments
The San Luis Valley will become more volume as the harvest has pretty much been completed. Volume is gradually increasing and currently averaging over 600 truckloads per week.
Colorado potatoes shipments – grossing about $2300 to Houston,.
The end a three-year U.S. pilot program allowing Mexican trucks full access to U.S. highways expires tomorrow and the U.S. Department of Transportation must decide what it is going to do.
The DOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration are required by U.S. law to collect a statistically valid sample before the agency decides whether to permanently open up the U.S. market. More than 5,000 truck and driver inspections are being reviewed by the FMCSA.
The pilot program was launched by the federal government in 2011, at which time Mexico removed retaliatory tariffs it had placed on certain U.S. fruits, vegetables and nuts shipped to Mexico. The tariffs, imposed in 2009 and lifted in October 2011, ranged from 10 to 45 percent, on items including apples, grapes, pears, lettuce and other U.S. agricultural commodities exported to Mexico.
Those retaliatory tariffs could be re-imposed by Mexico if the U.S. fails to live up to its North American Free Trade Agreement obligations to provide full access to Mexican carriers. So American roads could be opened up permanently to Mexican trucking companies, denied access, or a decision could be delayed.
The trucking industry is divided on the issue, with large fleets tending to support the move, while owner operators, small fleets and the Teamsters tending to opposed the idea, based primarily on safety issues and concerns over rate slashing by Mexican truckers. The produce industry generally supports Mexican trucker access for fear of the tariffs previously mentioned.
By Produce for Better Health Foundation
Hockessin, Del. – Produce for Better Health conducts an annual survey of moms with children 10 years of age and under to assess fruit and vegetable consumption, barriers to increased consumption, and awareness of the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters brand. Key findings over time indicate that moms continue to strongly believe in the benefits of fruits and vegetables and continue to be concerned that their families are not consuming enough of them. The 2008-2009 recession had a significant negative impact on moms’ attitude and behavior regarding fruits and vegetables. In addition, while the Internet remains the top preferred source of information regarding fruits and vegetables, family members were becoming more influential, while other sources were becoming less so.
Providing moms with practical information to increase their family’s consumption of fruits and vegetables, especially while on a budget, will help them follow through with their intentions. PBH’s consumer website, MoreMatters.org, developed specifically with moms in mind, continues to be a growing, reliable source of information for this audience. Insight gleaned from the annual surveys, outlined in PBH’s PBH’s Moms’ Attitudes and Beliefs Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption, 2007-2014 report, assist PBH in our continued effort to reach moms.
To make it easy to identify relevant findings, PBH developed an infograph visually highlighting key results of the 2014 annual mom survey. PBH donors and supporters are able and encouraged to reproduce and utilize the infograph as needed. PBH is pleased to recognize the sponsors of the 2007-2014 research report: Bayer CropScience, Del Monte Fresh Produce, Monsanto, and Produce Marketing Association.
About Produce for Better Health Foundation
Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) fruit and vegetable education foundation. Since 1991, PBH works to motivate people to eat more fruits and vegetables to improve public health. PBH achieves success through industry and government collaboration, first with the 5 A Day program and now with the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters public health initiative. Fruits & Veggies—More Matters is the nation’s largest public-private, fruit and vegetable nutrition education initiative. To learn more, visit www.PBHFoundation.org and www.FruitsandVeggiesMoreMatters.org. Follow Fruits & Veggies—More Matters on Facebook or Twitter.
PBH is also a member and co-chair with Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) of the National Fruit & Vegetable Alliance (NFVA), consisting of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and industry working to collaboratively and synergistically achieve increased nationwide access and demand for all forms of fruits and vegetables for improved public health. To learn more, visit www.NFVA.org.
by United Fresh Produce Association
WASHINGTON, DC – United Fresh President & CEO Tom Stenzel issued this statement in response to a national poll of parents’ opinions of school lunch standards released today by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Heart Association.
Parents nationwide want their children to have healthier meals and snacks at school, according to the poll. An overwhelming 91 percent of parents support requiring schools to include a serving of fruits and vegetables with every meal and more than 72 percent of parents support national nutrition standards for school meals and snacks sold in schools.
This new national poll underscores the strong support by parents for the new healthier school meal standards that require more fresh fruits and vegetables. Their voice joins public health authorities, the National PTA, teachers and others in their steadfast support for healthier school foods.
The childhood obesity crisis is real – with early onset of diabetes and the enormous burden of healthcare costs on society. Moms and dads know the challenge of helping our kids’ make healthier choices – but we don’t opt out of trying. We put our kids’ health first and Congress must continue to do the same. There can be no going back to water down the modest requirement that children take at least one-half cup of fruit or vegetable at breakfast and lunch. Instead, we should be looking for ways to reach our public health goal of half the plate being fruits and vegetables, not just half a cup.
The national poll was commissioned by The Pew Charitable Trusts, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the American Heart Association and was conducted by Hart Research Associates and Ferguson Research between June 19 and 28, 2014 among registered voters who are parents of public school children.
Founded in 1904, the United Fresh Produce Association brings together companies across every segment of the fresh produce supply chain, including growers, shippers, fresh-cut processors, wholesalers, distributors, retailers, foodservice operators, industry suppliers and allied associations. We empower industry leaders to shape sound government policy. We deliver the resources and expertise companies need to succeed in managing complex business and technical issues. We provide the training and development individuals need to advance their careers in produce. And, through these endeavors, we unite our industry with a common purpose – to build long-term value for our members and grow produce consumption. For more information, visit www.unitedfresh.org or call 202-303-3400.
By Organics Unlimited
SAN DIEGO – Organics Unlimited is launching GROW organic bananas on the east coast, it was announced today by company president Mayra Velazquez de Leon. All distribution will be handled by Four Season Produce in Lancaster County, Pa. who receives and ripens the bananas for markets in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern parts of the country.
“We want to be involved in supporting the communities in our banana growing regions,” said Four Seasons General Manager Jason Hollinger. “Our company is a major supporter of Fair Trade, but we realize that there are different ways to support the workers and their families. We’ve added GROW to give our customers another option for buying good, quality organic bananas that also have a way to give back to others.”
Started in 2005, the GROW program has now provided over $1 million of support for programs in Mexico and Ecuador that promote education, dental, vision care and safe water. “We’re excited with the growth we’ve seen in the program and to have the GROW organic bananas available in the east,” said Mayra Velazquez de Leon, president of Organics Unlimited. “In the past few years, we’ve seen a major increase in interest from our customers, which has allowed us to expand funding to additional programs and promising young people.”
From 2012 to 2013, GROW support increased by almost 150 percent. This year, GROW has raised over $200,000 in funds to help continue efforts in social responsibility. All funds come from the purchase of GROW bananas in the US. Each box of fruit has a surcharge of $.60 that goes directly to the fund. Proceeds from the funds go to Children International in Ecuador and Project Amigo in Mexico to help build opportunities for workers, their families and communities.
GROW retailers also benefit from the merchandising support available through the Organics Unlimited website. While materials are available year round, the celebration of GROW Month in September provides a special consumer focus that expands shoppers awareness of the added benefits of buying the GROW label. Of interest to consumers this year will be an increased selection of personalized stories about the impact that GROW has made on their lives.
About Organics Unlimited
Organics Unlimited is a San Diego-based distributor of organic tropical fruit from Mexico and South America, providing its traditional label as well as the GROW label. The company is USDA certified organic for the U.S. and Canada through Organic Certifiers. For more information on Organics Unlimited and GROW visit OrganicsUnlimited.com, GrowBananas.org, or call 619.710.0658. Check out the latest blog post from Organics Unlimited at OrganicOdes.com or find Organics Unlimited on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.
About Four Seasons Produce
Four Seasons Produce, Inc. is a full-service wholesaler supplying organic, local and conventional fresh produce to organic markets, food co-ops, independent retailers, chain stores, juice bars and other produce buyers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. For more information, visit FSProduce.com or call 800-422-8384.
The nation’s two largest apple shipping states, Washington and New York, are gearing up with excellent, if not record breaking apple loads this season.
Washington Apple Shipments
There’s little doubt Washington state will break all records for apple shipments during the 2014-15 season. An estimated 140 million cartons of fruit will be shipped, with the majority being by truck. This volume will easily break the record loadings of the 2012-13 crop, which totaled 128 million cartons. This will be 22 percent more than the 115 million cartons shipped during the 2013-14 season.
The new records reflect higher density plantings in orchards over the past 10 years. The old orchards had about 300 apple trees per acre. In recent years 1,000 to 1,500 trees are being planted per acre. Red Delicious still remains the top variety to be shipped, estimated at 38 million cartons this season. This is followed by the Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. About 72 percent of Washington apples are shipped for the fresh market, with the balance for processing.
Washington apples from the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys – grossing about $8200 to New York City.
New York Apple Shipments
Truck loadings for apples during the 2014-15 season will be less than last season, but more than the average shipments for the past five years. The state expects to ship over 30 million bushels this season.
New York apple shipments should rank second to Washington state in total volume this season. The state moved into volume in September, and loadings will be heaviest from now through the first quarter of 2015.
The leading varieties volume are: McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Crispin and Golden Delicious.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2200 to Atlanta.
The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota already has a serious truck shortage , and the season hasn’t even really got going. Here’s an update on potato shipments out the valley.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Not even one-third of the potato shippers in North Dakota and Minnesota are loading potatoes yet, but the few who are tell of difficulties finding trucks. For example, last Friday, Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks was 7 trucks short of what was needed to fill orders from customers. APG hasn’t really got into volume shipments yet and has opened up only one of it three plants. Other valley shippers are reporting similar problems.
Last season the Red River Valley shipped about 4 million hundredweight (cwt.) of mostly red potatoes and totals this season (2014-15) should be similar, if not a little more. Once the harvest is completed within the next week or two, a better idea of the exact numbers should become available.
The Red River Valley’s red potato acreage is expected to be up one or two percent this year. In 2013, the valley produced 23,000 acres of red potatoes. North Dakota produces a total of about 90,000 acres of potatoes. Beyond red potatoes, these are mostly russets that are virtually dedicated to the processing market. In addition to red potato shipments, there are yellow potatoes, which will represent about 8 percent of the fresh shipments.
Overall, it is expected there will be about 4.2 million and 4.5 million cwt shipped for the fresh market; over 90 percent would be reds, the remainder yellows.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $2800 to Dallas.
After two consecutive years of lower-than-normal sweet potato shipments, North Carolina appears to back on track this season.
Weather factors cut into acreage and ultimately shipments, but the Tarheel state is forecast to have 66,000 acres for the 2014-15 season. Of these total plantings, it is predicted 65,000 of those acres will be harvested, equal to almost half of the nation’s crop.
For the 2013-14 season there were only 54,000 acres of sweet potatoes planted.
The short crop last year resulted in some growers halting shipments in late August after running out of supplies of stored sweet potatoes, before they could harvest and cure their 2014-15 crop. Curing takes five to 10 days, and then they are stored at 55-60 degrees for up to a year.
On September 14 about 27 percent of the sweet potato crop in North Carolina had been harvested. Plantings hit a high for the 2011-12 season in the United States with 134,000 acres planted. Of that total 65,000 acres were in the Tarheel state.
Acreage planted dropped for the 2012-13 season to 130,500 acres nationwide, with 63,000 acres planted in North Carolina.
Among the major sweet potato shipping areas in North Carolina, are such rural towns as Chabourn, Faison, Sims, Snow Hill and Wilson.
North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2250 to Miami.
Mississippi sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1100 to Atlanta.
Louisiana sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Cold Train Express Intermodal Service suspended service this summer due to rail congestion, while two new refrigerated rail services were just getting started.
McKay TransCold based in Minneapolis began last June offering a refrigerated, dedicated boxcar unit train known as Transcold Express, which runs each week between Selma, CA and Wilmington, IL. Meanwhile, Tiger Cool Express LLC, Overland Park, KS launched intermodal services from multiple locations in southern California to destinations in the Midwest and East Coast in February. In a press release Cold Train reported that on-time deliveries for shipments on BNSF’s Northern Corridor fell from more than 90% in November to less than 5% in April due to surging more oil and coal shipments.
Meanwhile, the problems on BNSF’s northern lines reportedly has had little effect on the southern BNSF and Union Pacific rail routes.
Tiger Cool Express, reported rail shipments of oil from North Dakota on BNSF’s Northern Corridor have increased from 20,000 tank cars three years ago to more than 400,000 this year. And unlike major southern rail routes in the U.S., that northern route doesn’t have two different tracks.
Produce is viewed by some in the rail industry as the last long-haul, $100 billion market that intermodal has yet to penetrate. Still, over 95 percent of fresh produce is delivered by truck in the U.S.. Rail officials are counting on trucks supplies tightening, with the driver shortage continue to worsen.
The United States just may be the most tolerant nation that has ever existed. As such we deserve quality leadership. Our leaders should be working together to get our fiscal house in order.
People do not have a right to what other people have earned. Our leaders should be instilling the values and work ethics that the founding patriots of this nation built their lives and this nation upon. We have become a nation of welfare handout beggars and moochers. The United States needs a revival. A revival lead by someone who can smile, understand, and respect dissenting views.
We need the warm smile and soft wit of Ronald Regan or John Kennedy. We need a person that can work with all sides of the issues to come to unique solutions. The kind of solutions that Americans are noted for. We need a person that stresses the individuality of the states and of our people. Someone who understands that efficient government should not be a centralized bloated bemoth, but that by moving government closer to the people, you get a better government and better solutions.
We should all be thinking about our country and our place in the future of the world as we approach this election season. It is time we voted with our heads and not our hearts. That is, unless some absolutely hot babe runs for office. …Then all bets are off!