Archive For The “News” Category
Exports of Chilean avocados to all destinations will rise about 30% in the 2024-25 marketing year, the USDA reports.
In its annual report on Chilean avocados, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said due to favorable climatic conditions in the country, avocado production is expected to total 200,000 metric tons in the marketing year from July 2024 to June 2025, a 33.3% increase from the previous season.
The report forecasts Chilean avocado exports in the marketing year 2024-25 at 116,000 metric tons, a 29.8% jump compared with 2023-24.
Chile harvests avocados year-round, but peak export months are typically October and November.
Chile’s avocado area planted in 2024-25 will top 81,000 acres in 2024-25, a 1% gain from 2023-24, according to the USDA. The planted area spans from the Coquimbo region in the northern part of Chile to the O’Higgins region in the central-south part of the country, the report said.
Hass is the main avocado variety produced in Chile, however, hass is sensitive to frost and excessive soil humidity, which limits its cultivation to hillsides and well-drained soils, the report said. Other avocado varieties produced in Chile in smaller quantities include edranol, negra de la cruz, fuerte and bacon.
In 2023-24, Chile’s top export market for avocado was the Netherlands, followed by Spain and the United Kingdom. Buying 4,800 metric tons, the U.S. ranked eighth as a market for Chilean avocados in 2023-24, the report said.
So far in the 2024-25 marketing year, the USDA Market News Service reports that U.S. imports of Chilean avocados topped 5,290 metric tons through early December, up 19% from the same time a year ago.
Peru became the third-largest exporter of Brazil nuts—also known as Amazon nuts—last year, following Bolivia and Germany, according to the Global Economy and Business Research Center of the Exporters Association (CIEN-ADEX).
Peruvian shipments totaled $30 million in 2023, accounting for 12.4% of the global total, despite a 17.8% drop in demand. Bolivia ranked first with a 47.5% share of shipments ($115.4 million), while Germany, acting as a re-exporting country, took second place with 14.8% ($36 million).
The CIEN-ADEX commercial report indicated the global Brazil nut market shrank by 28.8% in 2023, with a total value of $229 million.
Germany solidified its position as the world’s largest importer, accounting for 17.2% of all imports ($39.5 million), followed by the United States ($37.7 million) and the United Kingdom ($21.5 million).
Between 2019 and 2023, shipments decreased by an average of 3.2% due to excess stock in key destinations and changing consumption trends, which led to reduced demand and falling prices.
Claudia Solano Oré, manager of agroexports at the trade association, highlighted the recovery of Peru’s Brazil nut industry, noting that exports totaled $34.6 million between January and October 2024, reflecting a 29% increase compared to the same period in 2023 ($26.8 million).
“As of October, exports have already surpassed the total recorded for the entire previous year,” she added.
Solano also emphasized the importance of signing phytosanitary protocols by the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation to initiate exports of Brazil nuts and other products to China, a market expected to grow in importance with the opening of the Chancay mega-port.
The commodity reached 46 countries. South Korea led the ranking with $9.66 million, reflecting a 21.8% increase and accounting for 27.9% of the total. The United States followed with $7.78 million, a 23.5% rise, representing 22.5% of total exports.
The top ten destinations also included Spain, Germany, New Zealand, Turkey, Lithuania, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Greece. For the first time, exports were made to Belarus, Croatia, Uruguay, and Guatemala.
U.S. fresh potato exports to Mexico continue to soar, according to a USDA report.
From the period October 2023 to September 2024, the USDA reported U.S. fresh potato sales to Mexico were $134.9 million, or about 41% of the value of total U.S. fresh potato exports for the period.
Total U.S. fresh potato exports for the period were down 1% in value but up 2% in volume, according to the USDA.
The volume of U.S. fresh potatoes sent to Mexico was up 55% for the October through September period, while the value of U.S. potato exports to Mexico was up 21%.
Canada was the second-largest market for U.S. potatoes, claiming $68 million of U.S. potatoes, down 32% in value from the previous year.
The following are the top export markets for U.S. potato exports for October 2023 through September 2024, with percentage change in value compared with a year ago:
- Mexico — $331.9 million, up 21%.
- Canada — $68 million, down 32%.
- Japan — $19.3 million, down 8%.
- Taiwan — $15.1 million, down 12%.
- Honduras — $15.1 million, down 8%.
- South Korea — $15.1 million, down 16%.
- Dominican Republic — $13.5 million, up 106%.
- Philippines — $12.2 million, up 24%.
- Guatemala — $9.9 million, up 74%.
- Malaysia — $4.8 million, up 16%.
- The Bahamas — $3.4 million, up 15%.
- Costa Rica — $3.1 million, up 19%.
- Singapore — $2.6 million, down 3%.
U.S. imports of Mexican fresh tomato value rose 10% in 2023, while the quantity imported rose 1%.
USDA trade numbers show Mexico accounted for 91% of total U.S. fresh tomato imports in 2023, the same as 2022 and up slightly from 90% in 2021, according to USDA trade numbers.
The 2023 value of U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes totaled $2.71 billion, up 10% from $2.48 billion in 2022 and up 14% from 2021.
The volume of U.S. imports of Mexican tomatoes totaled 1.82 million metric tons in 2023, up 1% from 2022, up 4% from 2021 and up 8% from 2020.
The average shipping point price for Mexican tomato crossings through California, Arizona and Texas was $14.46 per carton in 2023, down 12% from $16.37 per carton in 2022 but up 11% from $12.98 per carton in 2021.
We want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year. 2024 has been a constant reminder of how special and challenging produce trucking and perishable hauling can be. We continue to strive providing valuable information and look forward to serving you in the coming year.
Here is wishing you, your friends and family, happiness and health as we reflect on our reasons to be thankful.
Bill Martin
On Saturday, December 14th, the Allen Lund Company coordinated logistics for the delivery of donated food and joined volunteers to assemble and distribute grocery bags.
“20 years is a big commitment, and that’s how long the Allen Lund Company has supported Navidad en el Barrio. It started with a few trucks moving donations. Now, we coordinate almost all the donated food, plus provide the logistics to the warehouse. We even organize volunteers at several locations on Saturday, December 14th, to assemble and hand out the grocery bags to thousands of the most in-need families in Southern California thanks to the generous donations of many individuals and companies,” said Nora Trueblood, Director of Marketing and Communications at ALC.
“At Allen Lund Company, logistics is what we do best – but our favorite logistics services are those done to help others through our ‘Acts of Kindness’. For 20 years now, we have been working with great organizations, including Catholic Charities, St. Vincent De Paul, Navidad en el Barrio, many customers, and our employees who volunteer to build and distribute tens of thousands of grocery bags full of much-needed food for members of the community. As a member of the Catholic Charities board, I see firsthand how this labor of love impacts the families and strengthens all involved in this wide-ranging endeavor. We look forward to many more years of putting the ‘Happy’ in Happy Holidays,” said Kenny Lund, Executive Vice President of ALC Logistics.
We couldn’t have done it without you. A heartfelt thank you to all our donors:
Cacique | Coca-Cola | Costco | Faribault Foods | The Farmlink Project | Grimmway Farms | Minute Maid | Mission Produce Inc. | Mother’s Nutritional Center | Northgate Market | Penske | PepsiCo | Randall Foods | R.W. Zant | The Salvation Army | Taylor Farms | Wada Farms | WM Ground Beef | Wonderful Citrus
We are grateful for your support and are making a real difference together. Here’s to many more years of spreading holiday cheer!
*****
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| Since 2004, the Allen Lund Company has supported the efforts of Navidad en el Barrio. Established in 1972 by former NFL player Danny Villanueva, local Hispanic radio, and students from UCLA, the organization is dedicated to helping underserved families around the Los Angeles area by providing the makings for a Christmas dinner. |
The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports that global shipping costs surged in the first half of the year due to disruptions in maritime routes and rising operational expenses.
The high costs, the organization adds, are straining the supply chain and may threaten vulnerable economies, raising concerns over trade sustainability, economic growth, and the global effort to achieve sustainable development goals.
UNCTAD attributes much of the increase in freight rates to rerouted vessels, port congestion, and higher operational costs. The report highlights examples like the Shanghai Containerized Freight Index (SCFI), where congestion reportedly more than doubled compared to late 2023.
“As of 18 October 2024, the SCFI was down 45% from its 2024 high and 60% below its record level during COVID-19,” the organization states. “However, it remained 115% above the pre-pandemic average and more than double the 2023 average.”
Due to these conditions, the average rate on the SCFI Shanghai–South America route more than doubled to $9,026 per twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU), marking the highest level since September 2022 from January to July 2024.
“During the same period, the SCFI Shanghai–South Africa route saw its average rate almost triple to $5,426 per TEU (the highest since July 2022), while the SCFI Shanghai–West Africa average rate jumped 137% to $5,563 per TEU (the highest since August 2022),” UNCTAD reports.
Georgia Ports handled 494,261 twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last month, marking an increase of more than 45,000 TEUs, or 10%, according to a press release from Georgia Ports Authority (GPA).
It was the third busiest October on record for GPA, following 2021 and 2022, when more than half a million TEUs passed through the Port of Savannah.
Record-breaking trade at the Appalachian Regional Port also boosted GPA’s performance. The Northwest Georgia inland port recorded an October high of 3,666 rail lifts, a 4.4% increase compared to the previous year.
For the first four months of fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024–Oct. 31, 2024), GPA has moved 1.9 million TEUs, an increase of 211,320 TEUs, or 12%.
In the Roll-on/Roll-off (RoRo) segment, Colonel’s Island Terminal handled 68,569 units of autos and high/heavy machinery in October. For the fiscal year to date, RoRo units totaled 300,647, an increase of 10.6%.
Georgia Ports also secured a $46 million Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Ports Program grant in October to enhance its electrification infrastructure. The grant will support ships at berth by enabling them to plug into shore power, reducing the need for auxiliary diesel engines.
The grant also funds the replacement of diesel-powered terminal tractors with electric models and the installation of electric charging infrastructure. “These initiatives are designed to create positive impacts for the community and ensure we’re a good neighbor,” said GPA Executive Director Griff Lynch.
The Port of Antioquia in Colombia is currently under construction and will serve as a multipurpose terminal. Its construction phase is expected to be completed in the first half of 2025.
Located on the southeastern side of the Gulf of Urabá in Antioquia, the port will have the capacity to handle general cargo, vehicles, refrigerated and dry containers, and solid and liquid bulk, excluding hydrocarbons.
The port terminal will prioritize technology, safety, and high-quality processes, infrastructure, and services to capitalize on the opportunities presented by its strategic location as the closest port in the Caribbean— 217 miles away from Colombia’s main production and consumption centers.
Agro-exports rely on every link in the export chain to reach the final consumer, and ports play a fundamental role in managing export shipments. This is especially critical for fruit, which is a perishable product and requires rapid handling to ensure it is shipped as quickly as possible.
The National Association of Foreign Trade (Analdex) notes the Port of Antioquia is multipurpose and located in deep water, at 54 feet, which allows the arrival of various types of vessels.
The port should start operations by the end of the first quarter of 2025.
The port has five berthing positions and it is hoped by themiddle of the year the port will expand to two or three. By the end of 2025, there very well could be five berthing positions.
The Port of Antioquia has foreign investment, including support from the World Bank through the IFC, in addition to national investors.
General cargo will have a capacity of 450,000 tons, 650,000 containers, and 2.5 million tons of solid bulk.
Since the port is capable of receiving large ships, because it is 54 feet deep, so there is no problem of access for modern ships of 24,000 containers, which is what will arrive in Chancay. In addition, it will have a total of 1,200 plugs for refrigerated containers.
Bananas, Hass avocados, coffee, and exotic fruits, including pitahaya and uchuva, will be exported since the port has the possibility of using refrigerated containers.
The objective is to reach the East Coast of the United States and Europe, which currently receive a significant portion of Colombia’s fruit exports.