Archive For The “News” Category
A mammoth 2.6 kilogram (5.7 pound) lemon the size of a forearm has been grown in a backyard in Western Australia.
Chef Melissa Palinkas excitedly shared an image of the monster citrus to her Instagram recently, snapping the ponderosa lemon next to a regular lemon.
Palinkas, who lives in Western Australia, told the Daily Mail Australia the unusual mega lemon was grown by a local East Fremantle couple in June.
It grows seasonally with a winter yield,’ she said.
Intrigued by its mammoth size Ms Palinkas, who prides herself on sustainable produce, said she used the lemon for a salad, after finding it unsuitable for juicing.
‘It is sweet, so I shaved it and made a ponderosa lemon salad with zucchini and green olives with a burnt lemon dressing,’ she said.
‘The middle part is much like Australia’s native finger lime, pearls that burst with juice inside which I sprinkled over the top.’
Palinkas described the pith, which is the flesh of the lemon, as sweet with ‘no bitterness at all’ and peeled a second ponderosa to brew some fresh limoncello – a popular Italian lemon liqueur.
The ponderosa is a hybrid between a citron and an ordinary lemon.
While not cultivated commercially it is grown by gardening enthusiasts for decorative purposes but can be used as a replacement for lemons in jams, pies and other recipes.
Idaho’s potato volume in 2020 was 134.7 million cwt., up from 130.9 million cwt. in 2019 but down from 141.75 million cwt. in 2018, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
The yield per acre in Idaho in 2020 was 450 cwt. in 2020, up from 425 cwt. in 2019 and unchanged from 2018.
Potatoes used for processing in Idaho and Malheur County Oregon totaled 90.7 million cwt. in 2020, up from 86.8 million cwt. in 2019, according to the USDA.
Russet potatoes accounted for 90% of the varieties planted in Idaho for the 2020 crop year, the USDA said, down from 91% in 2019. The percentage of yellow potatoes increased from 2% to 3% from 2019 to 2020, while whites and reds were unchanged at 3% and 4%, respectively, compared with 2019.
Planted area of potatoes in Idaho totaled 300,000 acres in 2020, down from 310,000 acres in 2019 and 315,000 acres in 2018.
Government statistics show the final value of Idaho’s 2020 potato crop sold totaled $912 million, down 5% from 2019.
The USDA’s average price for the 2020 Idaho potato crop was $7.28 per cwt., down $0.70 from last year.
Prices for truckload services spiked to their highest levels yet in October, reflecting shippers’ willingness to pay a premium to move goods through their supply chains.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI) was 239 in October, up 2% from September. An industry-standard indicator of freight activity, the TVI is a measure of dry van, refrigerated (“reefer”) and flatbed loads moved by truckload carriers last month.
“Congested ports, intermodal yards and warehouses acted as a drag on the number of loads moved last month,” said Ken Adamo, Chief of Analytics at DAT Freight & Analytics. “As a result, retailers and online sellers took on higher truckload prices in order to make sure their freight is positioned for success for the November and December shopping period.”
Spot van, reefer rates surged
• The national average rate for van loads on the spot market rose 3 cents to $2.87 per mile (including fuel surcharge) in October. The monthly average rate has increased for five consecutive months and is up 47 cents year over year.
• Reefer and flatbed spot rates averaged more than $3 a mile for the sixth straight month. The reefer rate was $3.29 per mile, up 4 cents compared to September and a new high. The flatbed rate decreased 1 cent to $3.08 a mile in October amid a seasonal drop in freight related to construction and heavy machinery.
Spot load postings fell 3.3%
• The number of loads posted to the DAT load board network fell 3.3% in October while truck posts rose 4.2%. The national average van load-to-truck ratio was 5.6, down from 6.3 in September, meaning there were 5.6 available loads for every available van on the network. The van ratio was 4.3 in October 2020 as the economy recovered from COVID-related lockdowns, and 1.7 in October 2019.
• The reefer load-to-truck ratio declined from 13.5 to 12.0 as harvest activity winds down. The flatbed ratio was 48.6, nearly unchanged from September.
Fuel surcharges spiked
• Contract rates increased for all three equipment types. The national average contract van rate was $2.90 per mile, up 7 cents month over month, while the reefer rate increased 9 cents to $3.07 a mile. The average contract rate for flatbed freight edged up 2 cents higher to $3.33 a mile.
• At 39 cents a mile for van freight, the national average surcharge for diesel fuel hit a new record and was up 20 cents year over year. The national average price of on-highway diesel was $3.61 a gallon in October, the highest monthly average since November 2014. After labor, fuel is the largest operating cost for truck fleets.
Potato shipments have been shut down indefinite to prevent the spread of potato wart from Prince Edward Island (PEI) to other Canadian provinces and the U.S. The order came from the Canadian government effective at midnight November 24th.
The announcement comes after potato wart was confirmed on October 1 and 14, 2021 on two PEI farms where potatoes were being grown for processing. On November 2, 2021, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) announced the suspension of the movement of seed potatoes from PEI to the United States.
Shipments of PEI seed potatoes to other Canadian provinces have been suspended and enhanced measures for cleaning other potatoes from PEI are being implemented. For the U.S., all exports of potatoes from PEI will be suspended until further notice. Additionally, equipment used in fields in PEI face new restrictions before crossing into the U.S.
“The U.S. potato industry appreciates (Canada) for acting quickly and recognizing the dire threat to the U.S. and Canadian potato industries should potato wart be spread beyond PEI,” said NPC President and Maine potato grower Dominic LaJoie.
Should potato wart be transmitted to the United States, the U.S. potato industry would likely lose access to all international fresh potato markets, costing the industry over $225 million in annual sales.
“We appreciate the steadfast support of Secretary Vilsack and the entire USDA APHIS team in addressing this virulent disease. The U.S. industry stands ready to engage with APHIS, CFIA and the Canadian industry to ensure that science-based measures are maintained to mitigate disease risk and productively address trade between the two countries,” said Jared Balcom, Vice President of Trade Affairs for National Potato Council.
In response to that limited action, last week NPC and 13 state potato organizations sent a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack asking for the U.S. government’s support to prevent the spread of potato wart to the United States by suspending the importation of all potatoes grown in PEI, not just seed potatoes.
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The National Potato Council represents the interests of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental and trade issues. The value of U.S. potato production is over $4.5 billion annually and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs both directly and indirectly.
Shifting to a new food freezing method could make for safer and better quality frozen foods while saving energy and reducing carbon emissions, according to a new study by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and University of California-Berkeley scientists.
“A complete change over to this new method of food freezing worldwide could cut energy use by as much as 6.5 billion kilowatt-hours each year while reducing the carbon emissions that go along with generating that power by 4.6 billion kg, the equivalent of removing roughly one million cars from roads,” said ARS research food technologist Cristina Bilbao-Sainz. She is with the Healthy Processed Foods Research Unit, part of ARS’s Western Regional Research Center (WRRC) in Albany.
“These savings could be achieved without requiring any significant changes in current frozen food manufacturing equipment and infrastructure if food manufacturers adopt this concept,” Bilbao-Sainz added.
The new freezing method, called isochoric freezing, works by storing foods in a sealed, rigid container—typically made of hard plastic or metal—completely filled with a liquid such as water. Unlike conventional freezing in which the food is exposed to the air and freezes solid at temperatures below 32 degrees F, isochoric freezing preserves food without turning it to solid ice.
As long as the food stays immersed in the liquid portion, it is protected from ice crystallization, which is the main threat to food quality.
“Energy savings come from not having to freeze foods completely solid, which uses a huge amount of energy, plus there is no need to resort to energy-intensive cold storage protocols such as quick freezing to avoid ice crystal formation,” Bilbao-Sainz said.
Isochoric freezing also allows for higher quality storage of fresh foods such as tomatoes, sweet cherries and potatoes that are otherwise difficult to preserve with conventional freezing.
Another benefit of isochoric freezing is that it also kills microbial contaminants during processing.
“The entire food production chain could use isochoric freezing—everyone from growers to food processors, product producers to wholesalers, to retailers. The process will even work in a person’s freezer at home after they purchase a product—all without requiring any major investments in new equipment,” said WRRC center director Tara McHugh, co-leader of this study. “With all of the many potential benefits, if this innovative concept catches on, it could be the next revolution in freezing foods.”
UC-Berkeley biomedical engineer Boris Rubinsky, co-leader of this project, first developed the isochoric freezing method to cryopreserve tissues and organs for transplants.
Since then, ARS and UC-Berkeley have applied for a joint patent for applying isochoric freezing to preserving food. The research team is now developing the best applications for this technology in the frozen foods industry, especially scaling up the technology to an industrial level. They also are seeking commercial partners to help transfer the technology to the commercial sector.
UC-Berkeley mechanical engineer Matthew Powell-Palm, one of the lead authors of the study paper, noted that “isochoric freezing is a cross-cutting technology with promising applications in not only the food industry, but in medicine, biology, even space travel.”
WRRC has also been designated a National Historic Chemical Landmark in 2002 by the American Chemical Society for developing the Time-Temperature Tolerance studies, which made possible the production of stable, safe and high-quality frozen food, revolutionizing the industry in the 1950s.
Port Manatee and Del Monte Fresh Produce N.A. have reached an agreement to keep the company’s fruit imports coming into the fast-growing seaport until at least 2026, with options through 2036.
“Continuing our decades-long partnership with Del Monte is good for Del Monte, good for Port Manatee and good for consumers throughout the U.S. Southeast who rely upon the efficient flow of bananas, pineapples, avocados and other much-in-demand fruits through the company’s regional distribution hub at our dynamic seaport,” said Reggie Bellamy, chairman of the Manatee County Port Authority, which approved the latest lease agreement at a meeting in October.
Under the agreement, the Coral Gables, Florida-based Del Monte unit, which has been importing fresh fruit into Port Manatee since 1989, agrees to continue to lease Port Manatee warehouse facilities through at least August 2026, with two extension options of five years each running through August 2036. The agreement is valued at more than $1 million per year.
“Del Monte has enjoyed a strong, mutually beneficial working relationship with Port Manatee for more than 32 years, and we are delighted to sustain this partnership well into the future,” said Denise Tuck, Del Monte’s Port Manatee-based port manager. “Expansion of the seaport’s dockside container yard facilitates our ability to maintain fluid operations bringing in produce from Central America on our fleet of energy-efficient containerships for many years to come.”
Port Manatee is on schedule to complete by yearend expansion of the paved container yard adjoining the seaport’s Berth 12 and 14 docks, more than doubling the facility to 21.9 acres. Meanwhile, Del Monte this year has completed its transition to a fleet of state-of-industry refrigerated containerships featuring fuel-efficient hull design, emissions-reducing scrubber systems, connections to operate onshore power when at berth, and the latest in preventive maintenance technologies.
Del Monte imports represent a significant contributor to the record flow of containerized cargo through Port Manatee, which just reported a 53.3 percent year-over-year increase in the number of 20-foot-equivalent container units crossing its docks, reaching 135,660 TEUs in the fiscal year ended Sept. 30.
The latest addition to Del Monte’s imports into Port Manatee is sustainably cultivated, trademarked Pinkglow pineapples, which join bananas, traditional pineapples, avocados, plantains, melons and mangos in moving across Port Manatee docks and through the company’s Southeast distribution center.
“Port Manatee could not be more thrilled to extend its longstanding collaboration with Del Monte,” said Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee’s executive director of Manatee County’s dynamic seaport. “Over the past four decades, we have grown together in fulfilling market demands while boosting our region’s economy.”
Located “Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico,” Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavy-lift, project and general cargo customers. The self-sustaining port generates more than $3.9 billion in annual economic impacts while providing for more than 27,000 direct and indirect jobs, all without the benefit of local property tax support.
By the President of the United States of America. a Proclamation.
Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor—and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me “to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.”
Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation—for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war—for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed—for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted—for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.
and also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions—to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually—to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed—to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord—To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us—and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.
Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.
President George Washington
By Karman Eckelbarger, ALC Orlando
Overseas produce from South America could be facing delays due to the flood of cargo ships invading the ports. These port delays and supply chain labor challenges are going to affect the delivery of produce across the east coast. This is especially concerning for delays that could jeopardize the shelf life of berries, citrus, and light density produce that has shorter shelf lives than higher density foods. The demand for overseas goods is on the rise, whilst the availability of drivers and vehicles domestically is plummeting. This can mean higher prices for produce as companies switch or seek out other methods for getting fresh produce into stores. It also means that the transportation and logistics of getting produce delivered on time is going to be increasingly challenging.
Ports are swelled with delayed ships and produce delivery is obstructed as labor and transportation agencies face shortages.
In anticipation of the holiday season rapidly approaching, ports are preparing for the peak season as an influx of ships heads to the east and west coast. However, many of those ships will be surprised to reach those ports and face record-setting delays for the year. As ships flood the west coast, transportation companies facing labor shortages and a drought of available trucks will have to delay unloading the cargo. This is in addition to the unparalleled demand for imported goods that markets have seen since the beginning of the pandemic.
This influx in demand for goods sourced from abroad has continued to pile up on the ports resulting in record-breaking delays to get containers unloaded and ready for on land delivery. Port officials expect most ships to face delays of at least eight days before they can be docked. However, some ships are facing weeks of delays before they can hope to be unloaded.
Consumers are increasingly turning to e-commerce to fulfill their buying needs which means many carriers will have to turn to air-freight or other modes of transportation to evade the delays ships are facing at the ports. For imported produce, the effects have created a risky venture. In addition to west coast ports filling up fast, many ships are seeking re-routes to the east coast in hopes of finding a better unloading date. However, this has created a backlog in the supply chain as even these ports are incapable of handling such a high capacity during this time. For instance, ports that typically experience lighter traffic like Savannah and Charleston are being bombarded with ships awaiting appointments to be unloaded at the moment. As all steps in the supply chain face labor shortages many ports are struggling to keep up.
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Karman Eckelbarger is currently an Intern at ALC Orlando, FL. Karman is currently enrolled as an English major at the University of Central Florida and hopes to graduate with a Bachelors in Fall 2022.
Fewer Idaho potatoes are being shipped this year, but they are larger thanks to hot weather during the growing season.
All shippers were loading new crop potatoes in October, with a smooth transition reported between old crop and new crop supplies this season.
Potandon Produce of Idaho Falls, ID report fresh potato crop acreage is up this year, but the increase is primarily for process use. Additonally, it is believed there will be lower yields.
Wada Farms Markekting Group LLC of Idaho Falls notes fresh potato yields and production could drop as much as 10%.
United Potato Growers of America of Salt Lake City, UT reports acreage is should be up slightly, but yields will be down for Idaho growers this year.
UPG points out the group’s shipping forecast for the U.S. fresh potato crop is 88 million cwt., 1.9 million cwt. less than the 2020-21 crop.
Idaho is expected to ship about 32 million cwt. of fresh russets, about 1.8 million cwt. down from a year ago and the lowest shipment total in about six years.
Idaho acreage is estimated at 315,000 acres, up 6% from 296,000 a year ago.
However, 2021 yield is projected at 430 cwt. per acre, down 5% from 455 cwt. last year. Total Idaho production is anticipated at 135.45 million cwt., up from 134.5 million cwt. a year ago.
The fresh market is expected to account for 24.7% of the Idaho crop, compared with 27.1% for the fresh market in the 2020-21 season.
Idaho Falls potatoes – grossing about $7200 to Atlanta; $9200 to New York City.
IRVINE, CA — GEM-Pack Berries, LLC and Red Blossom Sales, Inc. are combining forces.
GEM-Pack and Red Blossom build on more than 150 years of berry farming experience and collective acreage of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries in nine berry growing regions throughout California, Mexico, Florida and South America.
“We believe the industry is changing and proactive consolidation will benefit our customers with consistency of supply, balanced production curves, improved quality and increased order fill rates for the entire spectrum of berries and seasons,” Director of Sales, Paul Kawamura.
After four years of quietly collaborating on cultivation and sales partnerships, GEM-Pack and Red Blossom realized their common philosophies and shared production priorities created a productive and powerful team.
The consolidation will combine GEM-Pack’s partnership with Healthy Harvest in Watsonville, and GEM-Pack’s continued operations in Oxnard, Irvine, Baja and Central Mexico, with Red Blossom Farm’s acreage in Santa Maria.
Included in the consolidation will be Red Blossom’s production from the Parkesdale Group in Florida, as well as Red Blossom’s long term, exclusive partnership with Mainland Farms in Central Mexico. Mainland Farms has grown to be Central Mexico’s second largest strawberry shipper, while also offering a full-spectrum berry program with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
GEM-Pack’s blueberry and bushberry programs in Mexico and South America will round out the company’s now year-round berry production.
Red Blossom and GEM-Pack complement each other’s strengths, adding deeper access to services in all departments. “As the overall produce industry continues to consolidate, we wanted to stay proactive and flexible. The merger facilitates continued growth and allows us to not only meet, but exceed customer expectations,” Mike Etchandy, CEO.