Archive For The “News” Category
When the sun rose above the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys on New Year’s Day 2020, it was business as usual for California’s prune growers. Their plum trees had been tended to in the run up to winter in order to regulate tree shape and growth, and the first bloom of the year was just weeks away. By the time spring arrived however, the world was caught up in an unprecedented pandemic, the impact of which would be felt economically and socially across the globe.
For Californian agriculture, the combination of COVID-19 and the summer wildfires certainly made for an unusual and challenging year. Buoyed by a healthy, if relatively short, crop however, California Prune growers have found a sliver of hope in sales and are looking ahead to 2021 with optimism.
Donn Zea, Executive Director of the California Prune Board, which represents around 800 prune growers and packers, explains: “Agriculture, like other sectors, has been adversely impacted by the pandemic. The food service industry in particular has been devasted because of restrictions and lockdowns.
“However, with more people choosing to get creative in their own kitchens, consumers have been raiding their store cupboards and experimenting with ingredients they might not normally think to use, such as dried fruit. Consumers are also looking for natural foods with nutritional benefits, and that’s a trend we’ve seen reflected in our sales in Europe and the Far East in particular. We’re hopeful that it continues, especially given California Prunes contain vitamins and minerals that play a part in maintaining healthy immune systems.”
In response to the challenges posed by the both the fires and the pandemic, California Prune growers have adapted well. Donn adds: “Mother Nature waits for no one so, when the harvest came, California Prune growers and their teams worked against the backdrop of smoke, the intense heat of the summer sun and the COVID-19 workplace guidance necessary to keep everyone safe.”
California Prune grower John Taylor, of Taylor Brother Farms in Yuba City, CA, explains: “The pandemic has affected operations, but we felt it less in the orchards, where we were able to separate workers more easily. Our priority this year has been to keep our teams healthy and get through the harvest.”
His fellow Yuba City grower Nick Micheli, of Micheli Enterprises adds: “It was important we responded immediately with the correct procedures such as the implementation of sanitisers, gloves and masks to keep our people safe. Working in PPE in the heat was of course tricky but everyone pulled together under difficult circumstances.”
As challenging as 2020 has been, both growers agree it’s been a ‘vintage’ year for the prunes themselves, in terms of sizing, quality, consistent flavour and excellent sugar content.
Donn adds: “We’re extremely proud of our California Prunes and the value they can add to the trade and the end consumer in terms of nutritional profile, premium taste and versatility – a process that begins right back in the orchards.”
With the arrival of 2021, the Board is well-placed to respond to the trend towards healthier eating, and its produce comes backed with decades of research into the benefits of eating prunes. For now, though, as the orchards lay dormant for another winter, California Prune growers are already looking ahead to the March bloom. After all, there’s nothing like a blossoming canopy of fragrant flowers to bring hope and optimism.
For more information on California Prunes, visit www.californiaprunes.net
ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE BOARD
Created in 1952, The California Prune Board aims to amplify the premium positioning and top-of-mind awareness of California Prunes through advertising, public relations, promotion, nutrition research, crop management and sustainability research, and issues management. The California Prune Board represents approximately 800 prune growers and 28 prune, juice, and ingredient handlers under the authority of the California Secretary of Food and Agriculture.
Blueberries are the second-most produced berries in the United States, after strawberries. Over the past 10 years, the total supply of fresh blueberries available for American consumption has increased fivefold. Availability of fresh blueberries to U.S. consumers has grown at a faster pace than that of fresh strawberries over that same time. U.S. production and imports of blueberries both have been increasing rapidly to meet year-round consumer demand.
In 2010, New Jersey, Georgia, and Michigan were the biggest U.S. producers of fresh-market blueberries — blueberries that are not directed to the processed market. California, Washington, and Florida were smaller producers. By 2019, the U.S. blueberry sector had expanded as Georgia, California, and Oregon emerged as the largest suppliers, each accounting for roughly 17 percent of U.S. production. USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service reported fresh-market blueberry shipments from eight States in 2019: California, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington.
Since 2010, the U.S. blueberry production season has expanded into the spring and late summer/early fall months (see figure above). The Florida crop now typically arrives on the market beginning in March and ending in May. Georgia enters the market in mid- to late April, followed by other major producing States, which come into production through the summer. Since 2010, growers in Florida and Georgia have advanced their season using newer cultivars. In eastern Washington, dry growing conditions and relatively little pest pressure have led to the growth in blueberry production there as well as an extended early season. While the harvest ends in September for growers throughout the United States (except in California, which ships small amounts throughout the year), Washington, Michigan, and Oregon ship into October with the use of controlled atmosphere storage.
Despite seasonal expansion of domestic production, U.S. blueberry supplies remain lower from fall to early spring. Consumer demand for year-round blueberries has encouraged all who can increase production in those months to do so. Production overseas has correspondingly expanded in response.
U.S. fresh blueberry imports grew rapidly over the past decade; on average, the U.S. imported 60 percent of blueberries consumed during 2017-19, up from an average of 50 percent from 2010-12. In 2010, Chile was the main foreign supplier of fresh-market blueberries to the United States, and Peru and Mexico produced much smaller quantities of blueberries.
By 2019, however, Mexico and Peru began increasing their share of the U.S. blueberry import market. For instance, Peru’s blueberry exports have grown exponentially in the last decade: by 2019, Peru had become the leading supplier of U.S. blueberry imports. About 80 percent of U.S. blueberry imports in 2019 were sourced from three countries: Peru, Chile, and Mexico. The boost in imports from these countries is a likely result of increased cultivation of newer varieties and expanded acreage devoted to blueberries in relatively new producers of blueberries, such as Peru and Mexico.
In 2010, there was little overlap in U.S. and foreign blueberry supplies in the domestic market, and the periods between seasons had higher grower prices. Since 2010, domestic and foreign blueberry seasons have extended. Imports from Mexico in early spring have grown, somewhat offsetting imports from Chile, while Florida and Georgia now harvest more in March and April. About 70 percent of import shipments in September and October 2019 were from Peru, increasing competition for producers in Michigan, Washington, and Oregon, where shipments continue until October.
This increase in U.S. production and imports has led to an increase of blueberry supplies in the domestic market, and prices in the U.S. off-season are now lower (see below figure). Correspondingly, the overall price level in 2019 was lower, with smaller price increases in the early spring and fall months. Lower prices that occur as domestic supplies increase are ultimately benefitting U.S. consumers.
Renaming dragon fruit by an Indian state has occurred decision because of the original name’s “association with China. It has set off a storm of jokes and memes.
Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the fruit would now be called ‘kamalam’, Sanskrit for the lotus flower, the BBC reports. The lotus is sacred to Hindus and is India’s national flower.
India-China relations have nosedived in recent months. The two countries troops are locked in a tense stand-off along their long Himalayan frontier. India began cultivating dragon fruit only in recent years and it’s now grown in parts of Gujarat too.
It belongs to a family of cactus – and is believed to have earned its fearsome name because its pointy outer layer resembles the scales of a dragon. Though it’s a tropical fruit native to Central America and is largely imported from South America, many in India associate it with China because of its name.
Rivals India and China are often described as the elephant and the dragon respectively, and relations between the neighbors have been especially frosty since their armies clashed high in the Himalayas in the summer. The state’s decision to rename the fruit was announced on Tuesday by Rupani.
The lotus is also the election symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party, to which he and India’s PM Narendra Modi belong.
“The name dragon fruit is not proper, and due to its name one thinks of China. So we have given it the name ‘kamalam’,” Rupani told the local press. Rupani did not elaborate but that was all the inspiration the internet needed.
After a week on strike, Hunts Point produce handlers are back on the job.
Teamsters Local 202 called the strike a victory after 97 percent voted to approve a new 3-year contract. The union had demanded a $1-per-hour increase in wages each year. The new contract guarantees 70 cents the first year, 50 cents the second year and 65 cents the third year, according to an article in the New York Times.
The previous contract included a 32-cent-per-hour increase, which Daniel Kane Jr., the Teamsters Local 202 president, said was not enough with workers at risk during a pandemic.
“I’m hoping that that will resonate with workers throughout this country because our members are essential, and decent, hardworking family people,” Kane said during a news conference.
The strike was a “tough week” but worth it, Stephen Katzman, owner and president of S. Katzman Produce and president of the Hunts Point Cooperative Board told the New York Times.
“We have kept the city fed throughout the Great Depression, two World Wars, two recessions and now a global pandemic, without ever breaking our crucial role in the food supply chain,” he told the NYT. “New Yorkers can rest assured that they will continue to have access to a consistent supply of fresh fruits and vegetables…[even though] it cost us money and it was a tough week.”
The strike drew attention in the media with lawmakers including U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez joining picket lines. A handful of protesters were arrested, but the events remained peaceful.
By Matt Fyten, Operations Manager, ALC San Francisco
Everyone is familiar with the phone call, the Monday after a hectic holiday pull, “Hey it’s Never There Trucking, remember me? I have four empty reefer teams ready to go anywhere, can you help me out?”
As brokers, we have to make a choice on which carriers we give our business to in an effort to support our customers. While it might be tempting to give our business to that truck that is ready to haul our loads at a low rate, experienced brokers know that is not always the best long term solution.
What about the carriers that gave you trucks all year and even took on extra loads during that holiday? Are we really going to pass on those options for a truck even if it’s 100 dollars cheaper? These are the questions that are fiercely debated among brokers every day. Managing a carrier’s load volume as well as their relationship expectations has never been more important as we navigate this time of uncertainty.
The largest challenge for produce transportation brokers was that midway through 2020 dry van rates surpassed refrigerated truck rates. There is significantly less liability for a carrier to haul a dry van load compared to a refrigerated load. Refrigerated trucks hauling fresh produce know that they are going to get paid more money because they must wait for extended periods of time to get loaded, use more fuel in their reefer units, maintain a continuous cold chain, and are dealing with a product that has a short expiration date.
We spoke to one of our carriers who stated, “we are getting over $3.50 a mile, having zero claims with flexible loading and delivery dates, along with being able to use 80% of my reefers without having to buy new equipment made dry a profitable option for us.”
They know any breakdown or issue could cause a very expensive problem, constricting an already volatile truck market as our country was entering various stages of pandemic responses.
The rate discrepancy has made many refrigerated trucks that specialize in produce hesitant to commit to a year-long contract rate in 2021. I reached out to some of our highest volume carriers to get their thoughts on the upcoming year. Another of our larger carriers stated that contracts this year are “very risky and a gamble he is not willing to take.”
One solution is to work out mini contracts. These are locked in rates that can last for six months, a season, a month, or even a week. Having carriers sign up for programs like our own RIGS, will ensure we keep their trucks loading with ALC. Carriers take comfort in knowing that a single company can provide them round trips and they don’t need to search the load boards for freight. That same carrier also informed us that they avoid the posting boards because in times like this they need to be assured that they will receive payment from a reputable company like ALC.
Coming off of a very challenging year in 2020 it might be tempting to give business to the less expensive truck that shows up as the market softens. Last year showed us a market shift can come at any moment not just during the summer months or before the holidays. We have to treat carrier relationships like a long-term investment and continue to educate our carriers on the value of repeat business with ALC.
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Matt Fyten joined the Allen Lund Company in August of 2014 as a broker in training. Over the years he has held the roles of broker, senior broker and now Operations Manager in the San Francisco office. Matt holds a degree in Liberal Studies from San Francisco State University and has 12 years of experience in sales/customer relations.
For the first time, a white strawberry that smells a bit like a pineapple will go to market in the U.S.
As western-central Florida strawberry harvesting season continues through the end of March, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Services is releasing two new varieties — the white one and a red one — neither named yet, according to a news release.
“The flavor is very different from a typical strawberry, sweet but with a pineapple-like aroma,” Vance Whitaker, associate professor of horticultural sciences and a strawberry breeder, said in the release. “White strawberries have been popular for some time in Japan, but this is expected to be the first white strawberry on the market in the United States.”
The strawberry is white inside and out even when it’s ripe and ready to eat. It has a slight pink blush on the skin and red seeds, said Whitaker, also a faculty member at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.
Breeders crossed white strawberries from the wild with modern strawberries to make this new specialty.
He expects these white strawberries to be available in U.S. grocery stores by 2022, marketed as “pineberries” because of the pineapple aroma.
The world’s largest fresh produce wholesale terminal, Hunts Point Produce Market, has a labor union strike over a wage dispute.
Hunts Point leaders on the Bronx market and the 1,400 member labor union are embroiled in an escalating debate on what’s a fair wage increase.
The market released a statement saying it was coordinating with the New York Police Department and bringing in a private security firm, to assure safe access is maintained for trucks bringing fresh healthy produce in and out of the market, as well as for produce buyers coming to the market to purchase produce.
The cooperative board represents about 30 produce firms, which supply about 60% of the produce for New York City; it also serves the surrounding region.
This will be the first strike at the Hunts Point market in almost 35 years.
The union is seeking a $1 per hour wage increase, and Hunts Point leaders offered 32 cents. The market reports business is down 30% since last spring due to the pandemic. Union workers earn between $30,000 and $40,000 a year, according to Teamsters Local 202.
Ready-to-eat beet brand, Love Beets USA, celebrates its 10-year anniversary this month.
With a robust product line, notable distribution, and beloved branding, they took what was formerly thought of as a polarizing vegetable and created delicious, modern, and versatile offerings that revitalized how Americans view beets.
Love Beets began as a true labor of love by husband-and-wife team, Guy and Katherine Shropshire. Recognizing there was a gap in the U.S. market for tasty, ready-to-eat beet options, they debuted their family’s favorite recipes at the 2010 Fancy Food Show. The response was overwhelmingly positive and virtually everyone who tasted their beets said they, “love beets!”
Though they felt it could be hard to overcome the initial perception of “grandma’s beets” and antiquated canned beets in the U.S., after witnessing the excitement and reaction to their products at that first show, Shropshire said he never doubted the potential of Love Beets.
“It’s a real-life example of success by joining a genuinely great product together with talented, super hard-working people,” he said.
Consumers can now enjoy Love Beets items in more than 15,000 retail locations across the country. Distribution has expanded to many prominent retail partners, including Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, Wegmans, Sprouts, Target, and many more.
As beets biggest sponsor, Love Beets has had a substantial positive impact on the perception of beets nationwide, and they’ve made a name for themselves in both the produce industry and larger natural foods CPG space.
“We’ve been able to create a well-known and well-loved brand identity within the produce space, a department full of commodity and private label offerings with a lot of competition for shelf space,” said General Manager, George Shropshire.
“Beyond that accomplishment, we’ve also worked hard to grow as a U.S.-grown and produced company. We’re proud of our made in the USA label that stands out among our competitors.”
Looking forward, Love Beets aims to drive growth through innovation, sustainability, and continuing to drive trial and consumption. They will continue to provide consumers with healthy and convenient options that taste good, while working on an enhanced brand identity with updates to packaging and the introduction of new flavor offerings within their marinated baby beet line.
Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D., and City of Pharr, Texas, officials are excited to announce that on December 31, President Donald J. Trump issued a presidential permit for the expansion of the Pharr International Bridge,
The news comes after a brief yet influential period of impressing upon the federal government the urgency and need for the expansion by city leaders, U.S. senators, and other key stakeholders. The 2020 permit amends the current permit to allow for the addition of another bridge at the international port of entry.
This second span will give Pharr a competitive advantage by adding additional lanes to completely separate trucks and cars, dedicating specific lanes for empties, full cargo, certified cargo, and passenger vehicles, thereby adding capacity and reducing wait times. With this permit, Pharr will now have an official gate-to-gate FAST lane, or set of FAST lanes, from Mexico to the United States.
Typically, a permit process can take multiple years before approval; Pharr’s application was fast-tracked due to the dedicated efforts of city leaders and staff, consulting engineers Structural Engineering Associates, Inc., and others, who prioritized this project and worked diligently with U.S. and Mexican officials, despite the challenges of being in the midst of a global pandemic.
The City of Pharr worked with Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn and their staff on this project, which began in September 2019 with a meeting between Pharr’s team and the White House arranged by Senator Cruz. Senator Cornyn led efforts and coordinated meetings between Pharr and the U. S. Department of State, which led to the formal notification to the U.S. Department of State in April 2020 of Pharr’s intent to expand the international bridge. Between April and August of 2020, Pharr leaders and representatives consulted with major U. S. and Mexican stakeholders, culminating in more than 60 letters of support from elected officials at the local, state, federal, and international levels.
The project also received support from all major transportation and trade associations, border infrastructure groups, and private industry partners that utilize the bridge on a daily basis. The Pharr City Commission authorized the submission of the presidential permit amendment application to the U. S. Department of State, which was submitted on September 30, 2020, and just three months later, the permit was issued.
“It is unprecedented that a sitting President of the United States grants a Presidential Permit Amendment with record time, and we thank him for doing so,” said Mayor Hernandez. “This new year began on a positive note with the issuing of this permit for the expansion of the Pharr International Bridge,” Hernandez continued. “The City of Pharr is appreciative of the diligent efforts made possible by the government relations and bridge teams at the city level, in coordination with Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, which opened the doors of communication with our presidential administration and federal agencies to accomplish this goal with unprecedented speed due to the forthright and transparent communication regarding the need and urgency of this project,” he continued.
“This permit amends the current permit to allow for the expansion of the Pharr International Bridge, and will further support the record numbers of international trade and commerce that transpires on our port of entry,” Hernandez added. “It is a wonderful new year, indeed!” he continued.
“Pharr’s ports of entry serve as a gateway for billions of dollars in cross-border trade that benefits our state’s economy,” said Senator Cornyn. “Expanding the Pharr International Bridge will enhance trade and travel and benefit all who use the facility,” he added.
Senator Cruz remarked, “Texas is home to some of the nation’s busiest border crossings and the Pharr International Bridge serves as an important port of entry to facilitate the United States’ trade and commerce with Mexico. I am grateful the Trump Administration recognized the importance of expanding the Pharr International Bridge to further enhance the U.S.-Mexico trade partnership and increase commerce between the two nations,” Senator Cruz said. “I’d like to commend the leadership of Mayor Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, City of Pharr City Council, the staff at the City of Pharr, and community leaders for their diligent work on this project and working with our office to help ensure this project was permitted in record time. I was proud to support the Pharr International Bridge expansion project as millions of jobs, in Texas and across the country, depend upon trade with Mexico. I will continue working to ensure future trade opportunities benefit Texas and put American jobs first.”
The New Zealand kiwifruit industry will be boosted by three specialized reefer vessels following significant investment by operator Fresh Carriers, underpinned by their confidence in the kiwifruit industry and their longstanding relationship with Zespri.
The first of three vessels, MV Kowhai, arrived at the Port of Tauranga recently to begin loading 4,219 tons of Zespri Kiwifruit ahead of its maiden kiwifruit voyage bound for Japan.
In recognition of the fact kiwifruit would be the main cargo transported, Fresh Carriers provided the kiwifruit industry with the opportunity to name the three new ships. Former grower Lynda Hawes’ suggestion of Kowhai was selected, symbolising the golden kiwifruit that continues to strengthen the bond between New Zealand and Japan, with the remaining two ships to be named Kakariki (Green) and Whero (Red), ensuring a full spread of Zespri’s portfolio of golden, green and red kiwifruit.
“Each year Fresh Carriers transports around 190,000 tonnes of kiwifruit from New Zealand, and we’re pleased to deliver the first of our three brand new vessels that will ship fruit to some of Zespri’s top Asian markets,” says
Oceanic Navigation Director Bruce Nisbet.
“The new vessels can ship more trays of kiwifruit through a higher deck, and the engines are built to the latest standards in fuel efficiency. New technology in the vessels also enable remote monitoring of fruit conditioning.
Fresh Carriers supplied 35 vessels to ship Zespri Kiwifruit to key North Asia ports this season, which is around 30 percent of this season’s fruit.