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Mexican and USA officials will be able to screen shipments of fresh produce before they reach the U.S. border at Otay Mesa, CA near San Diego under plans for a customs inspection station in Tijuana. Such a facility also would benefit truckers hauling fresh produce being imported from Mexico.
The inspection facility could handle 200 trucks per day. There has been little publicity on the project near Otay Mesa and some observes feel it may prove a valuable concept for other ports, such at Nogales, AZ, which is a much bigger port of entry for fruits and vegetables.
There is known estimated date when the facility will open. The program at the Otay Mesa station will focus on high-volume agricultural commodities with the goal of more efficient border movement. The pilot program is scheduled to last six months and may be extended.
The facility, which is only a few hundred yards south of the U.S. border at Otay Mesa, is already built, and has been described as having a class-A facility with plenty of doors and a lot of floor space. It also It features a secure road to the U.S. border.
by Dole Food Company, Inc.
MONTEREY, CA — A unique, year-long partnership between DOLE® Salads and EatingWell Magazine seeks to inspire Americans to eat more salads, fruits and vegetables in 2013 — and ultimately live happier, healthier lives.This partnership represents the first time the world’s largest provider of fresh fruits and vegetables has teamed up with a major media brand. The year-long alliance between Dole and EatingWell print and online properties includes a host of initiatives designed to demonstrate just how easy and delicious a balanced diet rich in leafy greens and fresh produce can be.Elements include delectable new recipes and serving suggestions from the kitchens of Dole and EatingWell, educational outreach, a spring blogger and media summit and a consumer sweepstakes that will reward one lucky salad fan with a $25,000 customized health and wellness prize package.”Eating well is the foundation for living well — and we’re out to give Americans the recipes, serving suggestions and inspiration they need to make 2013 their healthiest and happiest year yet,” said Chris Mayhew, VP of marketing for Dole Fresh Vegetables. “More than just providing resources, our goal is to work with the experts at EatingWell to offer very tangible ways for families to eat more wholesome, nutritious meals that are flavorful and satisfying. Ultimately, both brands have come together to redefine what healthy eating looks — and tastes — like.”
The partnership is part of Dole’s larger mission of increasing America’s nutritional wellness and reducing a number of negative health trends through greater consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This long-term goal is also what attracted EatingWell to Dole.
“One of our goals is to help Americans learn to love healthier foods through delicious, healthy recipes,” says Lisa Gosselin, editorial director for EatingWell. “Right now, only one in three Americans is getting the servings of fruits and vegetables he or she needs to stay healthy. We’re excited to work with Dole to share some easy, amazing recipes and new ways to enjoy fresh produce.”
Recipes that Go Beyond the Bowl
As part of the collaboration, chefs, nutrition and test kitchen experts at the EatingWell headquarters in Vermont have worked with Dole to provide consumers with salad and vegetable-based recipes, serving, pairing and meal-planning suggestions that highlight salads, fruits and vegetables, and are suitable for Americans at every stage of their lives.
Examples range from inspired new takes on salad classics — like Chopped Tandoori Chicken Salad, Taco Salad and Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries — to beyond-the-bowl creations such as Green Pizza, Inside-Out Lasagna, Good Green Tea Smoothie and Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino.
Other new salads seek to introduce Americans to new ingredients becoming mainstream like quinoa (Quinoa Salad with Dried Apricots & Baby Spinach), lentils (Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage & Apple), tarragon (Tomato, Tuna & Tarragon Salad) and tempeh (Grilled Tempeh Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing).
The recipe collaboration kicks off this month with a focus on winter pears — Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad and Pear-Hazelnut Dressing — and includes a full calendar of seasonal ideas suitable for parties and entertaining.
For all downloadable recipes and serving suggestions, go to www.dole.com/salads. New Dole/EatingWell recipes will be added to Dole’s existing online recipe database throughout the year.
Live Well Love Life Sweepstakes
A highlight of the initiative is an opportunity for consumers to join Dole and the EatingWell experts for eight weeks of recipes, tips and encouragement to inspire a healthier, happier you — and qualify to win a $25,000 customized health and wellness prize package.
Consumers who answer one of many salad-related questions on the DOLE Salads website — such as “How will eating salads help you feel better and more vibrant about life this year?” — are automatically entered into the Live Well Love Life Sweepstakes to become eligible for the grand prize plus EatingWell magazine subscriptions, cookbooks and DOLE Salads. No purchase is required to enter.
The grand prize includes a five-day trip to Vermont to visit the EatingWell test kitchen and enjoy private cooking lessons with an EatingWell chef, meal-planning with an EatingWell dietician, personal fitness training with a local instructor, and more. For complete details on the sweepstakes and all other elements of the partnership, go to www.dole.com/salads.
About EatingWell
Launched in 2002, EatingWell (whose motto is “Where Good Taste Meets Good Health”) is the multi-platform publisher of healthy recipes, nutrition advice, cooking tips and research-based articles about food and its origins. The brand has rapidly diversified from producing its award-winning flagship EatingWell Magazine (which now reaches more than 11 million readers) to multiple formats, including a content-rich website www.eatingwell.com which reaches more than 5 million unique visitors a month, and its vibrant custom publishing and licensing programs bring its unique content and recipes to partners worldwide. EatingWell is published 6 times a year by Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP).
About DOLE® Salads
DOLE Salads is one of the world’s largest lines of packaged salads, with 47 unique salad blends and all-natural salad kits. The line is supported by a comprehensive online library of salad and salad-based recipes, as well as various consumer-friendly tools like the on-pack DOLE® Salad Guide, Taste and Texture scales, and “Pairs well with” feature, as well as the Dole Salad Circle online community of salad lovers. For details, go to www.salads.dole.com or the DOLE Salads Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DOLESaladGuide.
About Dole Food Company, Inc.
Dole, with 2011 net revenues of $7.2 billion, is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, and is the leading producer of organic bananas. Dole markets a growing line of packaged and frozen fruit and is a produce industry leader in nutrition education and research.
Source: Dole Food Company, Inc.
Shipments of Idaho russet potatoes during the first half of January were off significant because of the extreme cold.
Temperatures below zero in Idaho made it very difficult, sometimes impossible, to haul russets from cellars to plants without the spuds freezing. Although Idaho potato loadings were good through the holidays was good, then the cold hit and movement was stifiled by temperatures ranging from 10-below zero to 5-above zero.
As in California, temperatures in Idaho began rising around January 15 and now are returning to normal.
While Idaho russet loadings were off during the cold, red potato shipments were brisk out of the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. Red River Valley packing sheds are reported to be working at capacity to get potatoes shipped. This is despite having a much bigger crop in 2012-13. Potatoes remaining in valley storages as of mid-January are similar to what they were at this time a year ago. The Red River Valley should complete mlost of its shipments around the middle of May, which is normal.
In Colorado’s San Luis Valley, russet shipments are averaging a moderate 375 truck loads per week…..In central Wisconsin about 500 truckloads of russet potatoes are being shipped weekly.
San Luis Valley potatoes – are grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5100 to New York City.
Produce shipments in the east are generally light, which is normal for this time of the year. However, with most dry freight loads not paying nearly as well as fresh and fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at what perishable are out there for hauling.
Central and southern areas of Florida are shipping in light volume mixed vegetables, melons, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit and other citrus. Besides light volume, it makes it even more difficult because some Florida items are not compatible for loading with other Floridia commodies. For example, you can load tomatoes and grapefruit on the same truck in the 55 to 60-degree temperature range, but not not oranges and tomatoes because oranges should be maintained in a colder temperature range.
It may be necessary to fill out your Florida load with something such as cabbage and greens out of south Georgia. Again, cabbage and greens will work on the same load with oranges, but not grapefruit and tomatoes.
Further up the east coast, North Carolina is the nation’s leading shipper of sweet potatoes. There are several sweet potatoes shippers, mostly found from northeast of Raleigh to southeast of Raleigh.
In New York state, storage onions are coming out of Orange county. There’s also some onions, plus cabbage coming out of the central and western regions of New York.
Finally, northern Maine is shipping light to moderat amounts of potatoes from Aroostrock County.
South Georgia vegetables – grossing about $2200 to Philly.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – about $2000 to Orlando.
Available loads for citrus by produce haulers from Florida continue to shrink each month, although the declines are relative small. In the monthly estimate by the USDA, the Florida citrus in now down to 142 million boxes, a drop of nearly three percent.
Most of the decline for lthe 2012-13 crop is with Valencias, which was lowered to 3 million boxes to 76 million from the December estimate of the USDA. The early to mid season oranges decreased 1 million boxes to 66 million boxes.
Monthly estimates by the USDA with revisions will continue until the end of the season in July.
Among the reasons cited for the declines are rainfall, disease, fruit size and a significant dropping of fruit off the trees, which has made it quite tricky making crop forecasts. Most of the decrease is due to citrus droppping of the trees in the the early to middle season Valences, combined with the fruit being small in size.
Florida shipped about 146.6 million boxes of oranges during the 2011-2012 season.
The Sunshine state has litle change in the numbers for specialty fruit and grapefruit, with all numbers remaining the same. About 1.1 million boxes of tangelos and 3.8 million boxes of tangerines are forcast to be shipped.
Florida should load about 18 million boxes of grapefruit, according to the USDA.
Central Florida citrus – grossing about $2400 to New York City.
Those string of cold nights in California around January 10-15 should not adversely affect strawberry shipments from the state. That’s the good news. The bad news for produce haulers is, like so many other crops, strawberry volume is pretty light this time of the year.
Growers in Ventura County and the Santa Maria distrist implemented frost protection measures, keeping the damage to a minimal. There was use of wind machines, spraying strawberry fields with water and, in some cases, helicopters hovered above the crop to mitigate damage.
One major strawberry shipper, California Giant Inc., reports its shipments could be reduced by 15 percent due to freeze damage to its crop.
Temperatures are expected to return closer to normal in the second half of January. Meanwhile, the shipping gap on strawberries is expected the week of January 21.
On a higher note, fruit that is scheduled for shipping the busy Valentine’s Day period should benefit from the cold, because of the stage of dormacy the plants were in during the weather. This should make the plants hardy when it is time for picking.
Growers in Ventura County and the Santa Maria District who did not protect crops and suffered damage will likely be set back up to four weeks.
Southern California strawberries and other produce – grossing about $4700 to Atlanta.
Potatoes certainly are not the exotic item in the fresh produce industry for hauling, but they are safer to haul than most fruits and vegetables. Rates can be exceptionally low of potatoes that are competing against many other produce items in high volume farming areas when the competition for trucks is keen.
However, spuds can look pretty darn attractive to a trucker in dire need of a load, or in more remote areas where there is less compettion from other produce items or dry freight. This “hardware” item” also is more hardy, resulting in less quality issues – at least most of the time. This time of the year volume on many produce items is lower, if not existant than at some other times.
For those people investing in potatoes to make money at the farming end, it often is feast or famine. Too many years, overproduction of potatoes leads to low prices and investors losing money. However, every few years when those folks tire of losing money, the crop acreage is reduced and those remaining potentially hit some big time profits. The next thing you know, investors see the big profits and figure they can joint the “fun.”
This is one of those year when too many potatoes are out there – which means more loading opportunities for truckers.
The current potato crop is estimated to be at least 12 million hundred weight (cwt) than a year ago. There have been about nine percent more potatoes already shipped this season compared to the last one. The biggest percent of increases have come from the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as from Oregon and Wisconsin. However, when talking sheer volume, no one comes close to Idaho, which ahs already shipped 1.5 million more cwt. than a year ago.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.
Wisconsin potatoes – about $2850 to Dallas.
Grand Forks, ND potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
After five nights of freeze warnings produce truckers will now have to wait and see not if there was damage to citrus they would otherwise haul, but how much damage. Citrus growers in California’s San Joaquin Valley are starting to assess damage to mandarins and lemons.
It the fourth night of the freeze (Jan. 13) before temperatures plunged into the low- and mid-20s. That is too cold for wind machines and watering to protect some crops from frost. The anti-frost action were able to raise the temperature to 29 degrees F, which is high enough to protect navel oranges. However, a 32-degree freeze can cause freeze damge to mandarins. The freeze resistance of lemons is between those of mandarins and navels.
At this point, at least it seems the freeze damage will be much less severe compared to frequent freezes last year and in 2007. Higher sugar levels in the crops,due to a mostly mild winter this season, also should help to protect against the cold.
Citrus groves in Ventura and Riverside counties should be spared damage because they are closer to the Californias coastline. While celery loadings from Ventura county are expected to be slowed by the cold weather, no freeze damage is expected.
Overall, no matter where shipments in California originate, expect volume to be lighter than normal, more erratic and somewhat unpredictable for the next couple of weeks.
Expect a similar situation from the Arizona desert around Yuma, as well as for Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
California’s San Joaquin Valley may have dodged the proverbial bullet relating to freezes that occurred being late last week, before a warm up started on Monday, January 14. The weather could eventually affect loading opportunities in the valley for produce haulers.
There was a rainstorm that hit parts of the valley, which created a potential for ice mark on mandarins and navel oranges, but this will take time before showing up. San Joaquin Valley navel oranges are about 25 percent harvested. There is not word yet on possible damage to lemon, vegetables and other items.
Meanwhile cold weather has slowed shipments of desert vegetables from California’s Coachella and Imperial valleys, as well as from the Yuma district in nearby Arizona. Also adversely affected are West Mexico vegetables crossing the border at Nogales, AZ. This product is normally moving into peak volume at this time.
The overall cold temperatures in the West have not only temporarily reduce produce volume, but has resulted in rate decreases as more refrigerated equipment has become available.
Sweet Potato Shipments
The leading states which ship sweet potatoes are North Carolina, California, Mississippi and Louisiana. Total volume for this season is about 26.5 million hundredweight (cwt), which is down only about two percent from 2011.
While the total USA sweet potato acreage of 126,600 acres is down two percent, higher yields from exisiting acreage actually mean there is one percent more product for hauling.
Southern California produce – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Sweet potatoes from Eastern North Carolina – about $1500 to Atlanta.
Apples are one of the most consistent produce items for hauling on a year around basis. It can be storage of many months, allowing shippers to only order a truck when there is a buyer for the product. Apples are hardy and usually pose fewer problems as far as quality is concerned. That reduces your chances of claim or load rejection.
During the cold winter months, apples are not subjected to the whims of mother nature such as those faced by vegetable row crops an citrus. Here is a overview of apple loading opportunties, which is mostly in Washington state.
Despite severe crop losses from weather in Michigan and New York, huge crops in Washington state, and to a lesser degree in Pennslvania means plenty of volume for shipping through the end of the season in late summer.
Shipments of eastern apples were pretty much finished by the New Year, with the exception being in Pennsylvania. Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA had a record crop and expects to continue shipping into early summer, which is normal.
As of January 1st about 90 million bushels of fresh-market apples remained to be shipped, which is 10 percent more than last year at the same time. That January total is 11 percent higher than the five-year average.
The amount apples remaining to be shipped are all up compared to a year ago for all five major varieties. Those varieties are fujis, red delicious, galas, golden and granny smiths.
Washington state, Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $5,500 to New York City.
Mexican and USA officials will be able to screen shipments of fresh produce before they reach the U.S. border at Otay Mesa, CA near San Diego under plans for a customs inspection station in Tijuana. Such a facility also would benefit truckers hauling fresh produce being imported from Mexico.
The inspection facility could handle 200 trucks per day. There has been little publicity on the project near Otay Mesa and some observes feel it may prove a valuable concept for other ports, such at Nogales, AZ, which is a much bigger port of entry for fruits and vegetables.
There is known estimated date when the facility will open. The program at the Otay Mesa station will focus on high-volume agricultural commodities with the goal of more efficient border movement. The pilot program is scheduled to last six months and may be extended.
The facility, which is only a few hundred yards south of the U.S. border at Otay Mesa, is already built, and has been described as having a class-A facility with plenty of doors and a lot of floor space. It also It features a secure road to the U.S. border.
| by Dole Food Company, Inc.MONTEREY, CA — A unique, year-long partnership between DOLE® Salads and EatingWell Magazine seeks to inspire Americans to eat more salads, fruits and vegetables in 2013 — and ultimately live happier, healthier lives.This partnership represents the first time the world’s largest provider of fresh fruits and vegetables has teamed up with a major media brand. The year-long alliance between Dole and EatingWell print and online properties includes a host of initiatives designed to demonstrate just how easy and delicious a balanced diet rich in leafy greens and fresh produce can be.Elements include delectable new recipes and serving suggestions from the kitchens of Dole and EatingWell, educational outreach, a spring blogger and media summit and a consumer sweepstakes that will reward one lucky salad fan with a $25,000 customized health and wellness prize package.”Eating well is the foundation for living well — and we’re out to give Americans the recipes, serving suggestions and inspiration they need to make 2013 their healthiest and happiest year yet,” said Chris Mayhew, VP of marketing for Dole Fresh Vegetables. “More than just providing resources, our goal is to work with the experts at EatingWell to offer very tangible ways for families to eat more wholesome, nutritious meals that are flavorful and satisfying. Ultimately, both brands have come together to redefine what healthy eating looks — and tastes — like.”
The partnership is part of Dole’s larger mission of increasing America’s nutritional wellness and reducing a number of negative health trends through greater consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. This long-term goal is also what attracted EatingWell to Dole. “One of our goals is to help Americans learn to love healthier foods through delicious, healthy recipes,” says Lisa Gosselin, editorial director for EatingWell. “Right now, only one in three Americans is getting the servings of fruits and vegetables he or she needs to stay healthy. We’re excited to work with Dole to share some easy, amazing recipes and new ways to enjoy fresh produce.” Recipes that Go Beyond the Bowl As part of the collaboration, chefs, nutrition and test kitchen experts at the EatingWell headquarters in Vermont have worked with Dole to provide consumers with salad and vegetable-based recipes, serving, pairing and meal-planning suggestions that highlight salads, fruits and vegetables, and are suitable for Americans at every stage of their lives. Examples range from inspired new takes on salad classics — like Chopped Tandoori Chicken Salad, Taco Salad and Spinach Salad with Steak & Blueberries — to beyond-the-bowl creations such as Green Pizza, Inside-Out Lasagna, Good Green Tea Smoothie and Ravioli with Arugula & Pecorino. Other new salads seek to introduce Americans to new ingredients becoming mainstream like quinoa (Quinoa Salad with Dried Apricots & Baby Spinach), lentils (Warm Lentil Salad with Sausage & Apple), tarragon (Tomato, Tuna & Tarragon Salad) and tempeh (Grilled Tempeh Salad with Sesame-Ginger Dressing). The recipe collaboration kicks off this month with a focus on winter pears — Crunchy Pear & Celery Salad and Pear-Hazelnut Dressing — and includes a full calendar of seasonal ideas suitable for parties and entertaining. For all downloadable recipes and serving suggestions, go to www.dole.com/salads. New Dole/EatingWell recipes will be added to Dole’s existing online recipe database throughout the year. Live Well Love Life Sweepstakes A highlight of the initiative is an opportunity for consumers to join Dole and the EatingWell experts for eight weeks of recipes, tips and encouragement to inspire a healthier, happier you — and qualify to win a $25,000 customized health and wellness prize package. Consumers who answer one of many salad-related questions on the DOLE Salads website — such as “How will eating salads help you feel better and more vibrant about life this year?” — are automatically entered into the Live Well Love Life Sweepstakes to become eligible for the grand prize plus EatingWell magazine subscriptions, cookbooks and DOLE Salads. No purchase is required to enter. The grand prize includes a five-day trip to Vermont to visit the EatingWell test kitchen and enjoy private cooking lessons with an EatingWell chef, meal-planning with an EatingWell dietician, personal fitness training with a local instructor, and more. For complete details on the sweepstakes and all other elements of the partnership, go to www.dole.com/salads. About EatingWell About DOLE® Salads About Dole Food Company, Inc. Source: Dole Food Company, Inc.
|
Shipments of Idaho russet potatoes during the first half of January were off significant because of the extreme cold.
Temperatures below zero in Idaho made it very difficult, sometimes impossible, to haul russets from cellars to plants without the spuds freezing. Although Idaho potato loadings were good through the holidays was good, then the cold hit and movement was stifiled by temperatures ranging from 10-below zero to 5-above zero.
As in California, temperatures in Idaho began rising around January 15 and now are returning to normal.
While Idaho russet loadings were off during the cold, red potato shipments were brisk out of the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota. Red River Valley packing sheds are reported to be working at capacity to get potatoes shipped. This is despite having a much bigger crop in 2012-13. Potatoes remaining in valley storages as of mid-January are similar to what they were at this time a year ago. The Red River Valley should complete mlost of its shipments around the middle of May, which is normal.
In Colorado’s San Luis Valley, russet shipments are averaging a moderate 375 truck loads per week…..In central Wisconsin about 500 truckloads of russet potatoes are being shipped weekly.
San Luis Valley potatoes – are grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5100 to New York City.
Produce shipments in the east are generally light, which is normal for this time of the year. However, with most dry freight loads not paying nearly as well as fresh and fruits and vegetables, it doesn’t hurt to take a look at what perishable are out there for hauling.
Central and southern areas of Florida are shipping in light volume mixed vegetables, melons, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit and other citrus. Besides light volume, it makes it even more difficult because some Florida items are not compatible for loading with other Floridia commodies. For example, you can load tomatoes and grapefruit on the same truck in the 55 to 60-degree temperature range, but not not oranges and tomatoes because oranges should be maintained in a colder temperature range.
It may be necessary to fill out your Florida load with something such as cabbage and greens out of south Georgia. Again, cabbage and greens will work on the same load with oranges, but not grapefruit and tomatoes.
Further up the east coast, North Carolina is the nation’s leading shipper of sweet potatoes. There are several sweet potatoes shippers, mostly found from northeast of Raleigh to southeast of Raleigh.
In New York state, storage onions are coming out of Orange county. There’s also some onions, plus cabbage coming out of the central and western regions of New York.
Finally, northern Maine is shipping light to moderat amounts of potatoes from Aroostrock County.
South Georgia vegetables – grossing about $2200 to Philly.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – about $2000 to Orlando.
Available loads for citrus by produce haulers from Florida continue to shrink each month, although the declines are relative small. In the monthly estimate by the USDA, the Florida citrus in now down to 142 million boxes, a drop of nearly three percent.
Most of the decline for lthe 2012-13 crop is with Valencias, which was lowered to 3 million boxes to 76 million from the December estimate of the USDA. The early to mid season oranges decreased 1 million boxes to 66 million boxes.
Monthly estimates by the USDA with revisions will continue until the end of the season in July.
Among the reasons cited for the declines are rainfall, disease, fruit size and a significant dropping of fruit off the trees, which has made it quite tricky making crop forecasts. Most of the decrease is due to citrus droppping of the trees in the the early to middle season Valences, combined with the fruit being small in size.
Florida shipped about 146.6 million boxes of oranges during the 2011-2012 season.
The Sunshine state has litle change in the numbers for specialty fruit and grapefruit, with all numbers remaining the same. About 1.1 million boxes of tangelos and 3.8 million boxes of tangerines are forcast to be shipped.
Florida should load about 18 million boxes of grapefruit, according to the USDA.
Central Florida citrus – grossing about $2400 to New York City.
Those string of cold nights in California around January 10-15 should not adversely affect strawberry shipments from the state. That’s the good news. The bad news for produce haulers is, like so many other crops, strawberry volume is pretty light this time of the year.
Growers in Ventura County and the Santa Maria distrist implemented frost protection measures, keeping the damage to a minimal. There was use of wind machines, spraying strawberry fields with water and, in some cases, helicopters hovered above the crop to mitigate damage.
One major strawberry shipper, California Giant Inc., reports its shipments could be reduced by 15 percent due to freeze damage to its crop.
Temperatures are expected to return closer to normal in the second half of January. Meanwhile, the shipping gap on strawberries is expected the week of January 21.
On a higher note, fruit that is scheduled for shipping the busy Valentine’s Day period should benefit from the cold, because of the stage of dormacy the plants were in during the weather. This should make the plants hardy when it is time for picking.
Growers in Ventura County and the Santa Maria District who did not protect crops and suffered damage will likely be set back up to four weeks.
Southern California strawberries and other produce – grossing about $4700 to Atlanta.
Potatoes certainly are not the exotic item in the fresh produce industry for hauling, but they are safer to haul than most fruits and vegetables. Rates can be exceptionally low of potatoes that are competing against many other produce items in high volume farming areas when the competition for trucks is keen.
However, spuds can look pretty darn attractive to a trucker in dire need of a load, or in more remote areas where there is less compettion from other produce items or dry freight. This “hardware” item” also is more hardy, resulting in less quality issues – at least most of the time. This time of the year volume on many produce items is lower, if not existant than at some other times.
For those people investing in potatoes to make money at the farming end, it often is feast or famine. Too many years, overproduction of potatoes leads to low prices and investors losing money. However, every few years when those folks tire of losing money, the crop acreage is reduced and those remaining potentially hit some big time profits. The next thing you know, investors see the big profits and figure they can joint the “fun.”
This is one of those year when too many potatoes are out there – which means more loading opportunities for truckers.
The current potato crop is estimated to be at least 12 million hundred weight (cwt) than a year ago. There have been about nine percent more potatoes already shipped this season compared to the last one. The biggest percent of increases have come from the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as from Oregon and Wisconsin. However, when talking sheer volume, no one comes close to Idaho, which ahs already shipped 1.5 million more cwt. than a year ago.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4200 to Atlanta.
Wisconsin potatoes – about $2850 to Dallas.
Grand Forks, ND potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
After five nights of freeze warnings produce truckers will now have to wait and see not if there was damage to citrus they would otherwise haul, but how much damage. Citrus growers in California’s San Joaquin Valley are starting to assess damage to mandarins and lemons.
It the fourth night of the freeze (Jan. 13) before temperatures plunged into the low- and mid-20s. That is too cold for wind machines and watering to protect some crops from frost. The anti-frost action were able to raise the temperature to 29 degrees F, which is high enough to protect navel oranges. However, a 32-degree freeze can cause freeze damge to mandarins. The freeze resistance of lemons is between those of mandarins and navels.
At this point, at least it seems the freeze damage will be much less severe compared to frequent freezes last year and in 2007. Higher sugar levels in the crops,due to a mostly mild winter this season, also should help to protect against the cold.
Citrus groves in Ventura and Riverside counties should be spared damage because they are closer to the Californias coastline. While celery loadings from Ventura county are expected to be slowed by the cold weather, no freeze damage is expected.
Overall, no matter where shipments in California originate, expect volume to be lighter than normal, more erratic and somewhat unpredictable for the next couple of weeks.
Expect a similar situation from the Arizona desert around Yuma, as well as for Mexican produce crossing the border at Nogales.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
California’s San Joaquin Valley may have dodged the proverbial bullet relating to freezes that occurred being late last week, before a warm up started on Monday, January 14. The weather could eventually affect loading opportunities in the valley for produce haulers.
There was a rainstorm that hit parts of the valley, which created a potential for ice mark on mandarins and navel oranges, but this will take time before showing up. San Joaquin Valley navel oranges are about 25 percent harvested. There is not word yet on possible damage to lemon, vegetables and other items.
Meanwhile cold weather has slowed shipments of desert vegetables from California’s Coachella and Imperial valleys, as well as from the Yuma district in nearby Arizona. Also adversely affected are West Mexico vegetables crossing the border at Nogales, AZ. This product is normally moving into peak volume at this time.
The overall cold temperatures in the West have not only temporarily reduce produce volume, but has resulted in rate decreases as more refrigerated equipment has become available.
Sweet Potato Shipments
The leading states which ship sweet potatoes are North Carolina, California, Mississippi and Louisiana. Total volume for this season is about 26.5 million hundredweight (cwt), which is down only about two percent from 2011.
While the total USA sweet potato acreage of 126,600 acres is down two percent, higher yields from exisiting acreage actually mean there is one percent more product for hauling.
Southern California produce – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Sweet potatoes from Eastern North Carolina – about $1500 to Atlanta.
Apples are one of the most consistent produce items for hauling on a year around basis. It can be storage of many months, allowing shippers to only order a truck when there is a buyer for the product. Apples are hardy and usually pose fewer problems as far as quality is concerned. That reduces your chances of claim or load rejection.
During the cold winter months, apples are not subjected to the whims of mother nature such as those faced by vegetable row crops an citrus. Here is a overview of apple loading opportunties, which is mostly in Washington state.
Despite severe crop losses from weather in Michigan and New York, huge crops in Washington state, and to a lesser degree in Pennslvania means plenty of volume for shipping through the end of the season in late summer.
Shipments of eastern apples were pretty much finished by the New Year, with the exception being in Pennsylvania. Rice Fruit Co. in Gardners, PA had a record crop and expects to continue shipping into early summer, which is normal.
As of January 1st about 90 million bushels of fresh-market apples remained to be shipped, which is 10 percent more than last year at the same time. That January total is 11 percent higher than the five-year average.
The amount apples remaining to be shipped are all up compared to a year ago for all five major varieties. Those varieties are fujis, red delicious, galas, golden and granny smiths.
Washington state, Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $5,500 to New York City.