The North American market remains crucial for the blueberry industry, according to Dutch multinational banking and financial services company Rabobank. Because of the U.S. is one of the main destination markets, it is focusing on availability as demand for year-round conventional and organic blueberries remains steady.
Rabobank noted in a report on the global blueberry industry, while fresh blueberry production in the U.S. has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3% over the past 10 years and at a rate of 7% over the past 20 years, availability in the U.S. market has expanded at CAGRs of 9% and 11%, respectively.
“Since 2016, U.S. imports have consistently outpaced US domestic production as the industry has focused on providing reliable year-round availability to U.S. consumers,” the report said.
On the other hand, the appraisal states U.S. exports have remained flat or declining. Going forward, U.S. blueberry imports “will continue to grow during the U.S. offseason, potentially setting new records every year for the next few seasons.”
In 2021, exports of non-organic fresh highbush blueberries from the US were 14% higher than in 2012, showing an increasing concentration of shipments with Canada as their market destination.
Over the past decade, other markets importing U.S. produce included Mexico, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.
During the January-July period of 2022, U.S. imports increased 10% year-on-year as the Peruvian season has been starting earlier every year. Also, 2021 marked the first calendar year Mexico displaced Chile as the second largest supplier of non-organic blueberries to the U.S. market .
U.S. imports from Argentina and Uruguay have dropped significantly in recent years as these countries face increased competition in the international market. The average annual unit value of U.S. imports appears to have stabilized as supplies have increased during the shoulders of the season, when prices were the highest.
Harvested acreage in selected U.S. states has almost doubled over the past 15 years, Rabobank notes. According to USDA figures, harvested area in Washington and Georgia has grown fivefold and fourfold, respectively, to over 20,000 acres in both states. Moreover, most states show a positive trend in harvested acreage.
The report states average yields of tame blueberries vary significantly by state. Volumes go from 5,000 to 6,000 pounds per acre to 10,000 to 11,000 pounds per acre, according to government statistics.
A drop of about 7% in Chilean table grape production and exports may occur this season, according to the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service annual report on Chilean deciduous fruit.
In the marketing year 2022-23, USDA’s FAS Santiago office estimates table grape production will decrease by 7.1%, totaling 732,000 metric tons.
The decrease in production is a result of a decrease in table grape area planted. Planted table grape area decreased from 133,068 acres in 2011-12 to 106,500 acres in 2021-22.
For the marketing year 2022-23, the report said planted table grape area is expected at 105,000 acres, a 1.4% decrease from 2021-22.
“According to industry contacts, production of new varieties is taking the place of traditional varieties such as red globe,” the report said. “While new varieties like Allison, Arra-15, Timco, and Sweet Celebration are growing in area, more traditional varieties are decreasing at a faster rate.”
Table grape production is trending downwards because of drought and competition from more profitable crops.
Drought has caused a decline in table grape production in recent years, the report said, and the lack of water is considered a structural problem that will persist in the upcoming marketing years.
“Notably, rainfall in marketing year 2022-23 was abundant and may have mitigated more serious declines in grape production; however, those gains are not expected to be long-term,” the report said.
The most recent data from the Chilean Ministry of Agriculture’s Office of Policy and Studies shows a decrease in the planted area across all regions.
The USDA said the decrease in planted area is especially high in the Valparaiso region, where walnuts and citrus have replaced some of the planted table grape area, and in the O’Higgins region, where more profitable crops like cherries and walnuts are growing in planted area.
The USDA said Chilean grape exports will decrease by 7.1%, according to the report, totaling 565,000 metric tons.
Last season saw a 15.7% increase in Chilean table grape exports, the report said, totaling 608,110 metric tons.
Between March and May in 2022, table grape exports increased significantly over the same period in 2021.
Delays at both Chilean and international ports were longer from February to April. In March 2022, the Chilean Fruit Producers Association (FEDEFRUTA) requested priority at the Chilean port of Valparaiso for table grapes, due to the overwhelming demand for cargo and the perishable nature of their products.
During March and April of 2022, Chilean exporters reported delays in the port of Philadelphia, which was caused by the requirement for methyl bromide fumigation. The delays caused fines, demurrage, and decreased quality of some of the shipments that were delayed for long periods of time, the report said.
The U.S. is the main market for Chilean table grape exports and shipments, accounting for about half of Chilean grape exports. Shipments to the U.S. in 2021-22 increased by 21.7% to 310,033 metric tons.
China is the second largest market for Chilean table grapes, buying about 77,610 metric tons in 2020-21, or about 12.8% of total Chilean grape exports, the report said. Chilean exporters expect shipments of red globe and other red seedless varieties to China to remain strong in 2022-23, the report said.
APPLES AND PEARS
The USDA report estimates Chilean apple production at 1.03 million metric tons, a 0.6% decrease from last season based on lower planted area. Apple exports will total 605,000 metric tons in 2022-23, a 0.8% decrease from last season.
“Higher yields in the marketing year 2022-23 should offset some of the reduction in planted area and thus exports volume is expected to decrease very slightly,” he said.
The declining trend in planted pear area, will mean Chilean pear exports will decrease by 2.6% and total 112,000 metric tons.
“Pear producers face low margins compared to other crops and increasing costs have limited the planted pear area growth,” the report said. “However, existing pear producers are very efficient, and can export and obtain profits.”
Peruvian grape production and exports will have a significant increase this season, according to the USDA.
In the USDA’s annual report on Peruvian deciduous fruit estimated grape production in Peru will reach 766,000 metric tons in marketing year 2022-23, an increase of 7% compared with last season.
The USDA said Peruvian grape exports are forecast to reach a record 586,000 metric tons in 2022-23, 8% higher than a year ago. The U.S. will continue to be the lead export market, the USDA said.
In calendar year 2021, the U.S. imported 204,849 metric tons of Peruvian grapes, followed by the Netherlands with 86,846 metric tons and Hong Kong with 41,225 metric tons.
The country has a dry coast where daily temperatures consistently range between 57 degrees to 86 degrees Fahrenheit and over 12 hours of sunlight per day, year-round, the report said. That makes the region ideal for grape production.
“These conditions, combined with precision irrigation, enable Peru to mature vines 55% faster than in neighboring countries,” the report said. Grape production is mainly located in Ica (41%) and Piura (22%), with total area under cultivation is estimated at near 84,000 acres. The grape harvesting season in Peru begins in late October and ends in April.
The red globe variety continues to be the most produced (25%) grape due to consumer preference in the Chinese market, the USDA report said.
However, the report said the red globe variety has been losing ground to higher value varieties such as Sweet Globe (18%), Allison (7%), Autumn Crisp (6%), Sweet Celebration (5%), crimson seedless (5%), Jack’s Salute (4%) and Timpson (4%).
Fresh table grapes are one of the top produce exports by value for Peru, the USDA said, with 2021 export value of $1.25 billion up 23% compared with 2020.
The overall export market averaged $2,436 per metric ton for Peruvian grape exports, 4% higher than in 2020. Prices for the U.S. market averaged $2,540. Peruvian grape exports to the U.S. peak between December and January due to seasonally higher prices.
In the midst of the holiday season with numerous gatherings and celebrations centered around food, new data suggests Americans believe they understand nutrition but in reality they really don’t.
MyFitnessPal, the leading global nutrition and food tracking app for achieving health and wellness goals, shares results from its recent Nutrition IQ survey[1], uncovering that while the majority of Americans (81%) claim to know nutrition basics, 91% of the general population says they don’t have any idea of how much protein, fiber, carbs, sugar and salt they consume daily.
Overall, results found that Americans’ nutritional knowledge is fairly elementary. While most people do know the basics of serving sizes, when it comes to actually identifying foods by nutritional value, they are far off. On average, Americans overestimate calories (by 57 calories) and protein (by 5 grams), while underestimating carbs (by 4 grams) and fats (by 4 grams).
In fact, the majority (77%) of respondents mistakenly believed that two fish tacos have less calories than a cheeseburger while they actually contain 110 calories more.
“With the constant barrage of information flooding TV screens and social media feeds along with conflicting recommendations from experts, it’s no wonder that many Americans are confused when it comes to their nutritional needs,” explains Tricia Han, CEO of MyFitnessPal.
“Remembering the basics while juggling a busy daily life is precisely what makes MyFitnessPal the perfect personal nutrition coach. With its robust food database, users have the power to learn about what they’re consuming and how it’s effecting their overall wellbeing and health, all in the palm of their hand.”
Brushing up on the basics
While 78% of respondents were able to accurately identify bowel movements as a primary benefit of fiber, they were unable to name additional benefits including cholesterol management, bone support or sugar management. This doesn’t just stop at a basic understanding of nutrition; Americans also had trouble identifying nutritional benefits of specific foods:
-Despite 71% of respondents being able to identify avocados as a healthy fat, a majority (93%) of Americans underestimate how many grams of fat are in an avocado, with 66% underestimating by at least half. -Americans were more likely to overestimate how many calories are in a cheeseburger (77%) compared to the 29% who overestimated the calories in a Caesar salad. -Most Americans also overestimate the amount of protein in common foods. For example, although a banana contains only one gram of protein, the average American believes it contains 10 grams of protein. -Unsurprisingly, Americans struggled to accurately identify carbs and fats in foods, often underestimating by about four grams. The majority of Americans underestimate how much fat is in both Caesar salads and
avocado by half, while also underestimating the total carbs in bananas and black bean burgers by half.
The lack of nutrition knowledge does not come as a total surprise based on other key findings. For instance, the survey showed that a majority of Americans don’t look up nutritional values before going to a restaurant or when cooking at home.
Additionally, when preparing meals at home Americans admitted that maintaining focus on their budget and serving size/meal planning outweigh nutritional value when deciding what to cook.
About MyFitnessPal MyFitnessPal is the No. 1 global nutrition and food tracking app for achieving health goals. Since 2005, MyFitnessPal has empowered over 200 million users in over 120 countries to log food intake, record exercise activity and weight, track wellness habits, and achieve their health and fitness goals. As one of the world’s most trusted and leading resources on nutrition, MyFitnessPal’s mission is to ignite powerful nutrition and wellness change in members by empowering them to succeed on their own terms through personalized data-led insights, guidance, and unwavering support. With one of the largest food databases in the world comprising over 14 million foods, access to over 500 recipes, over 150 workout routines, 200 exercise demos and over 35 connected fitness partners, MyFitnessPal provides users with tools for positive healthy change. The MyFitnessPal app is available on the App Store and Google Play store. To learn more, visit www.myfitnesspal.com or follow MyFitnessPal on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and Twitter.
1 Research was fielded by MyFitnessPal from July 2022 to August 2022. MyFitnessPal surveyed 1,450 nationally representative participants between the ages of 18-64 across the United States.
MAS Melons & Grapes, LLC of Rio Rico, AZ. had a great November shipping Mexican melons following a shaky start in October.
MAS will be shipping mini-watermelons from Hermosillo, Sonora, until around Dec. 20.
In January MAS Melons will be shipping a nice quality crop from the states of Colima and Nayarit in southern Mexico. This includes Orange Candy melons, Honeydew melons, mini- and seedless watermelons. These will be shipped until early April.
Last November was the most successful watermelon season the company had experienced in 35 years in the watermelon business. In fact, it was the best season ever.
MAS shipped Sonoran seedless watermelons for six weeks, ending in late November.
FourKites, a Chicago-based transportation visibility company and Food Shippers of America have released the results of a survey of more than 115 industry leaders about logistics challenges in the food and beverage supply chain.
Results, according to a news release, reveal that the three biggest challenges facing the food shipping industry are:
Labor and talent management (49%)
Transportation capacity issues (39%)
Supply and demand planning disruptions (35%)
Shippers indicated that COVID-19’s impact on labor (56%), over-the-road capacity constraints (44%), port delays and congestion (30%) and changes in consumer behavior or buying patterns (22%) have all disrupted operations and created or worsened challenges, the release said.
Since the pandemic began, more than 30% of respondents reported they have seen a drop in customer loyalty, while 55% have seen a sales decline or miss due to product shortages, according to the release.
About three of four who responded to the survey said they are “concerned” or “very concerned” that rising inflation and geopolitical uncertainty will negatively impact sales during the fourth quarter of 2022, according to the release.
According to recent FourKites data, the 28-day average food and beverage shipping volume is down 1% year-over-year, compared to a nearly 10% decline in shipments for all other industries, the release said. The 28-day average percentage of food and beverage deliveries delayed has remained stable throughout the year, hovering around 27.5%.
“Food and beverage shippers have contended with a lot lately, as the industry has been more affected by product and material shortages than most, and for goods that are in demand year-round,” Glenn Koepke, FourKites general manager of network collaboration, said in the release. “Those who have navigated supply chain disruptions the most successfully are companies that have leaned heavily on technology and collaboration to identify and address issues before they snowball into major events.”
The food supply chain is investing in technology and automation, the survey said.
“If we’ve learned anything over the past couple of years, it’s that disruption is going to be continuous, and we need to have visibility throughout our supply chain,” Melissa Wreath, senior director of account management at ArrowStream, a foodservice supply chain technology, said in the release. “FourKites allows us to have a real-time understanding of where things are throughout the entirety of the network. Without it, you’re continuously playing catch-up.”
A whitepaper about the survey is available from the FSA website.
Supplies of some California winter vegetables, lettuces in particular, were tight for Thanksgiving, but availability was good on others, and volume overall should increase by Christmas.
Ocean Mist Farms of Castroville, CA report the lettuce shortage started as the Salinas season was completed.
Salinas was described and being “…a rough end to the season,” with severe virus problems in the Salinas Valley.
F.O.B. prices for 24-count cartons of romaine lettuce were in the $80 range in early November, according to the USDA. A year earlier, they were less than half that.
Ocean Mist began sourcing lettuce out of Yuma, AZ, just prior to Thanksgiving week.
Boskovich Farms of Oxnard, CA report disease problems with California celery as well.
The Nunes Co., of Salinas notes volume for broccoli and cauliflower could be down due to cooler than normal weather. The company transitioned to its Arizona and Mexico desert growing areas in early November.
Despite the gloomy outlook for some items, growers were optimistic about other commodities.
Progressive Produce LLC of Los Angeles has positive news noting there are plenty of holiday staples like potatoes, onions and asparagus available, with good quality.
Progressive Produce sources from Colorado, Washington, California and Idaho during the winter.
The Nunes Co. will ship 40 conventional and 30 organic products this fall and winter. Its core items include organic and conventional romaine, iceberg and leaf lettuces, cauliflower, broccoli and celery. Celery, broccoli and cauliflower shipments are especially good during the holidays.
Coastline Family Farms of Salinas will continue to ship full line of over 25 products this season, including iceberg lettuce, broccoli bunches and crowns, cauliflower, naked and sleeved celery, romaine cartons, romaine hearts, green and red leaf lettuces, green onions and a full line of bunching items.
The company began shipping from the desert in Yuma the first week of November with iceberg and romaine lettuce. Its other vegetable items come of Brawley, CA in the Imperial Valley, which started started right after Thanksgiving.
About 75% of Ocean Mist Farms’ winter volume comes from California’s Coachella Valley, Munger said, and 25% comes from Yuma.
The transition to Coachella from the Salinas area took place by the third week of November for most items.
Ocean Mist is the largest artichoke grower in North America, although the company also ships 30 other items, including broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, celery, leaf lettuces: iceberg, romaine, romaine hearts, yellow and green leaf lettuce, spinach; and some specialty items like anise and escarole.
Boskovich Farms of Oxnard is shipping onions, radishes, kale, romaine hearts and beets from Mexico. The company also grows parsley, cilantro, spinach and celery year-round in Oxnard.
During the past three decades Chile was the primary supplier of fruit to the U.S. market, and this success has attracted more competition.
Chile accounted for 41% of U.S. import grape value from September 2021 through August 2022, up from 39% for the same period in 2021 but down from 64% in 2015 and nearly half of its 76% share in 2000.
For berries, excluding strawberries, Chile accounted for 9% of total U.S. imports in 2022, down from 14% in 2021, 21% in 2015 and 11% in 2000.
Chile represents 20% of U.S. citrus imports by value in 2022, unchanged from 2021 and about the same as in 2015.
In 2022, Chile commands big market share advantages for U.S. imports of cherries (53%), plums (91%), peaches (98%) and apples (52%). For pears, Chile accounts for 18% of U.S. import pear value in 2022.
Chile accounts for 24% of U.S. kiwifruit imports, down from 26% in 2021 and off from 41% in 2015.
For the upcoming season, the Chilean Blueberry Committee, with the consulting firm iQonsulting, has estimated export volume of 98,228 tons of fresh blueberries from Chile for the 2022-23 season, down about 8% compared with last year. Shipments to the U.S. began in October and will continue through February.
Chilean cherry shipments to the U.S. began the last week of October and will increase, continuing into February, according the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.
Chile is the world’s largest exporter of cherries, shipping 77.8 million boxes around the globe last year. The South American country projects cherry exports to the U.S. will have substantial growth in 2021-22, with nearly 13,000 metric tons expected for the U.S. market this season.
Fowler Packing Company of Fresno, CA with backing from Ag Partners Capital, has acquired SunWest Fruit Company, a citrus and tree fruit grower in Parlier, Calif. This acquisition will add over 10,000 acres of premier farmland in coveted water districts to Fowler Packing’s holdings, according to a news release.
“Given the significant headwinds facing California agriculture, we are constantly evaluating how we can better support our retail partners, consumers, and employees,” Justin Parnagian, chief executive officer said in the release. “This is the largest acquisition in Fowler Packing’s history and represents a historic moment for our family-owned company.”
The acquisition of SunWest Fruit is part of Fowler Packing’s long-term strategic plan to strengthen the company’s position in the citrus category and California agriculture by growing total mandarin volume, expanding citrus offerings, and increasing packing capacity. Fowler Packing has thoughtfully grown and expanded over the course of its 72 year history, becoming one of the largest farming companies in the state.
What’s more, since Fowler Packing’s Peelz launch in 2019, the mandarin brand has experienced sustained growth, gained market share and increased sales in the last year by over 60%. The Peelz brand is sold in more than 12,000 stores throughout North America, according to the release.
Following two disappointing years, Texas citrus is expected to rebound this season, although it certainly will not be setting any records.
Texas Citrus Mutual reports for the 2022-23 season, growers are expecting a strong harvest after two years stymied by extreme weather which included a hurricane one year and a freeze another year.
Lone Star Citrus Growers is a family-owned, conventional grapefruit and orange packing shed based in Mission, Texas. The company hopes to have 80 percent of a normal crop a year from now, which would be the 2023-24 season.
While no official numbers are being reported as yet, Texas’ Rio Grande Valley had about 2 million 85-pound boxes of oranges in 2019 and around 1.5 million boxes in 2020. Grapefruit shipments were about 5.7 million 80-pound boxes in 2019 and 4.9 million cartons in 2020. Around 40 percent of both oranges and grapefruit go to the fresh market.
