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At parties and other events surrounding the Super Bowl February 3 an estimated 79 million pounds of avocados are expected to be served.  This is enough avocados to fill a football field end zone to end zone 30 feet deep, according to a news release from the Irvine, Calif.-based Hass Avocado Board.

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Their is a growing desire for convenience and variety with potatoes (and many other produce items), according to recent consumer trend studies.

For example, more consumer are purchasing microwaveable bags, specialty mini potatoes, and packaging refreshes.  A number of produce companies are increasing their offerings of products that fit these categories, including using microwave technology to offer consumers a way to bring baby potatoes to the table in just a few minutes.

Potatoes sold in supermarkets that are not in bags or sold in bulk are referred to as value-added potatoes and are offered in everything from single, double, or three-spuds to a wrap, or have been enhanced in some other fashion.  One company offers steamer potatoes in sauce,  for example.  Any value added product also costs more.  It also is associated with speed of preparation and convenience.

Another produce company is offering C-size potatoes in a microwavable tray.  Consumers also can sprinkle on spices,  toss it with olive oil or butter, and it’s ready to be taken to the table and served in the tray.

Some folks like having this quick dish as a side, or even an after-school snack. Paired with a salad, it can even make a satisfying main dish for a meatless meal.

One new line of specialty potato products  includes red and gold fingerlings and “B” and “C” sizes available in 24-ounce fresh poly mesh bags.  It also includes a 12-ounce microwave plastic bag offering that will cook in only a few minutes.

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There’s been heat followed by freeze in California, heat in Florida and pretty mild stuff going on in South Texas.  Yet amazingly, citrus hauls have not been as adversley affected as one might think by the weather.

California navel orange loadings may be the most consistent produce item coming out of that state.  Mandarin freeze damage will not be known for a couple of weeks, but the speciality citrus item is minor compared tothe volume with navels.

It has been warmer than Floridia citrus shippers like, but there are still oranges and grapefruit available with good quality and adequate volume.

At the same time Texas  has overall good citrus and not enough adverse weather to mention.

Five nights of freezing in mid January had everyone concerned in California, but it appears navels will mostly be in good shape, although lemons shipments are expected to be moderately affected.  Mandarin losses could be substantial.

Overall, about three-quarters of California’s winter citrus crop was yet to be harvested when the cold hit in mid January.

In Florida, it has been one of the warmer fall and winter shipping season on record.   As a result the coloring of  Honey tangerines is behind schedule, which may extend shipments through February.

Otherwise, the shipping outlook for Valencia oranges is good, and should continue into the summer months.

In mid January, the USDA revised its Florida citrus shipping estimated for the  2012-13 season.  It is projected to be down another  3 percent , but still remains at an impressive 142 million boxes.  Most of the decline was with Valencias, which dropped 3 million boxes to 76 million.

The USDA predictes about 18 million boxes of grapefruit will be shipped from Florida.

Florida citrus – grossing about $3100 to Boston.

Texas citrus – about $2800 to Chicago.

California citrus, about $6100 to New York.

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Trade wars, tariffs, anti-dumping measures – all can lead to higher prices for consumers.  It also can affect loading opportunities at ports and border crossings for truckers.

USA tomato producers, particularly in Florida are pressuring the U.S. Department of Commerce to consider suspending an anti-dumpting probe under which the Mexican tomato industry has been operating since 1966.

USA and the Mexican governments have been trying renegotiate the agreement.

A primary problem here is Mexico can produce tomatoes cheaper than in the USA, plus in the situation where Florida is concerned, Mexico generally provides better tasting tomatoes.  Florida grows and ships what is called a mature green tomato, even though it generally has turned red by the time it reaches your local produce department.  Mexico on the other hand grows and ships a vine ripe tomato, which usually has much better taste and eating quality.

One study by a USA tomato association based in Nogales, AZ  on  tomato pricing study shows ending the suspension agreement and imposition of punitive or restrictive tariffs most likely will cause retail tomato prices to skyrocket.   It would also mean fresh tomatoes also would not be available for the most part from December through May.

If Mexican tomatoes are forced to withdraw from the U.S. market, prices for popular varieties such as hothouse tomatoes-on-the-vine would double to nearly $5 a pound from a national average of about $2.50 a pound, and grape tomatoes would rise to nearly $5.50 a pound, according to an economic impact analysis by the Nielsen Perishables Group for the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas.  Roma prices would go up more than 200 percent, according to the study.

The Florida Tomato Commitee that represents Florida tomato famers stresses retail price increases are not the issue, rather the issue is whether or not Mexican growers are violating anti-dumping laws.  This means whether they are exporting their tomatoes to the USA at prices below their cost of production.

A national coalition representing 90 percent of domestic producers, and Florida growers don’t represent 90 percent of the domestic tomato industry has petitioned the Commerce Department asking for termiantion of the suppension agreement.  This means other tomato production area also want the suspension since Florida does not produce 90 percent of the USA’s tomatoes.

One fact to consider is the  hundreds of growers in Mexico who produce tomatoes for export to the USA would not have been able to stay in business for the last 16 years if they had been selling below their cost of production.

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Colorado spud shipments are running more than 10 percent below the previous season so far this year.

Truck load for fresh potatoes  amounted to 2,715 last December 2012, compared to 3,022 in December 2011.  A severe drought continues to plaque the San Luis Valley.   The snowpack in the San Juan Mountains in Colorado’s southwest quadrant had reported only  31 percent of normal in late 2012, although moisture since this as brought the table up to about 65 percent of normal.  Drought continues to be a major consern.

Something a bit surprising is the amount of potatoes shipped from the San Luis Valley by rail that increased to 178 loads, compared to 149 the previous year.  This is still a very minor portion of shipments.

The drought is the worst in a decade when the record dry spell occurred in 2012.

The main aquifer for the San Luis Valley aquifer has dropped by 120,000 acre feet.

There is some optimism about some ease in the drought since largest snows occur in March, April and May.

The San Luis Valley is averaging about 800 truckloads of potatoes a week.

Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1700 to Dallas.

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It’s going to be a roll of the dice if you are hoping to haul desert vegetables from Arizona’s Yuma district, or out of the desert in nearby California.  Mother Nature has played havoc with various winter vegetables as the weather was original too warm, followed by three weeks of cold weather recently.

It was way too warm in November and December, then freezing weather hit after that.  The result has been shipping gaps on virtually all vegetables.

Although vegetable loadings should become a little more consistent as we enter February, expect lighter volume overall and some probable quality issues  right on through when the desert shipments end in a couple of months or so.

Be sure and see what you are loading and make sure whose paying the freight knows the quality, condition and appearance of the veggies going into your reefer.

Needles to say it’s going to be a rough road through the end of March when vegetable shipments seasonally start shifting to the Huron district in the San Joaquin Valley of California.  After about a month or so in Huron, vegetable shipmetns will shift to the Salinas Vallley.  There’s all the Oxnard and Santa Maria areas which have light vegetables shipments year around, but increase in volume the arrival of spring.

But even the coastal areas just mentioned are having even lighter than normal shipments due to the cold – with volume down as much as 25 percent.

You might have better luck loading Southern California strawberries, which seem to have avoid serious frost damage.

Still a little more mysterious is the availability of citrus from the San Joaquin Valley.  Damage estimates are still being made, although if you load oranges look for ice markings on the outer skin.

Although it is no record, California’s navel shipments this season are predicted to hit 93 million cartons, which is still a lot of loads.  Damage to mandarins is expected to be higher than with navels.  Also produce haulers should be concerned since valencia oranges, which will be shipped after the navels are finished, could start showing damage several months from now.

Southern California citrus and berries – grossing about $4600 to Atlanta.

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