Archive For The “News” Category
U.S. onion consumption has increased over the past two decades.
Though the gains have not been dramatic, USDA per capita availability numbers for onions have consistently risen since 2000.
The USDA’s per capita retail availability for fresh onions (edible weight) has increased from 14.4 pounds in 2000 to 16.2 pounds in 2019. Per capita retail availability of onions reached 19.8 pounds in 2017, according to USDA statistics, before falling to 16.2 pounds for both 2018 and 2019.
The import share of the total U.S. onion supply was 14% in 2019, up from 6% in 2000, according to the USDA.
Here is a comparison of onion truck shipments from U.S. sources in 2020, compared with 2015 and 2010.
- Arizona: 19.1 million pounds, compared with 29.1 million pounds in 2015 and 24.7 million pounds in 2010;
- Central California: 339.1 million pounds, compared with 304.8 million pounds in 2015 and 328.9 million pounds in 2010;
- California Imperial Valley: 144.9 million pounds in 2020, compared with 119.1 million pounds in 2015 and 91.6 million pounds in 2010;
- California South: 16.1 million pounds in 2020, compared with 110.5 million pounds in 2015 and 113.1 million pounds in 2010;
- Colorado: 106.4 million pounds in 2020, compared with 159.6 million pounds in 2015 and 248.2 million pounds in 2010;
- Georgia: 180.1 million pounds in 2020, compared with 166.8 million pounds in 2015 and 181.9 million pounds in 2010;
- Idaho: 690.2 million pounds in 2020, compared with 478.7 million pounds in 2015 and 368.4 million pounds in 2010;
- Michigan: 47.9 million pounds, compared with 67.4 million pounds in 2015 and 65.2 million pounds in 2010;
- New Mexico: 415.3 million pounds, compared with 379.9 million pounds in 2015 and 319.5 million pounds in 2010;
- New York: 154.8 million pounds in 2020, compared with 236.2 million pounds in 2015 and 180.5 million in 2010;
- Oregon: 526.3 million pounds in 2020, compared with 644 million pounds in 2015 and 502.5 million in 2010;
- Texas: 299.7 million pounds in 2020, compared with 65 million pounds in 2015 and 273.5 million pounds in 2010;
- Utah: 74.1 million pounds in 2020, compared with 74.9 million pounds in 2015 and 59.5 million pounds in 2010;
- Washington: 1.11 billion pounds in 2020, compared with 775.9 million pounds in 2015 and 645.4 million pounds in 2010; and
- Wisconsin: 57.6 million pounds in 2020, compared with 44 million pounds in 2015 and 41.3 million pounds in 2010.
Rouge River Farms of Gormley, ON has acquired of all assets and shares of Magnolia Packing of Americus, GA.
Magnolia is a green bean grower and packer with operations in Florida and Georgia.
Following the agreement with Rouge River Farms, Magnolia will continue to operate with their current management and sales staff to ensure a smooth transition to the new ownership.
The Magnolia green bean packing operation is expected to complement the corn program at Rouge River, and this year the company will be able to offer a year round green bean program with the opening of its new packinghouse in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
Magnolia has 5,000 acres of green beans planted.
About Rouge River Farms
Rouge River Farms is a premiere distributor of sweet corn to grocery chains throughout North America and has farmland and packinghouses in Florida, Georgia, Virginia, and Ontario, providing farm fresh sweet corn year round.
4th Of July:
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the evolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants; nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well-educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton. At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife’s bedside as she was dying. Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.
Also approximately 1/5th of the colonists fought against the British. So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It’s not much to ask for the price they paid.
It’s time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, and the Fourth of July has more MEANING to it than beer, fireworks, HOT DOGS, and picnics.
Dole pineapples and bananas to the United States will pass through Port Tampa Bay starting in late July, via a new shipper service according to the Tampa Bay newspaper.
In addition to fruit, the direct weekly route linking Tampa, Honduras and Guatemala will also deliver containerized shipping of cargo such as automobiles and other commodities. Two ships, the MV Dole Maya and MV Dole Aztec, will deliver all goods and materials from Central America to Tampa; Gulfport, Miss.; and Freeport, Texas.
One reason Tampa was picked was a 135,000-square-foot refrigerated warehouse that opened in 2018, allowing the port to receive shipments of bananas, pineapples, limes, mangoes and other fruit from Central America.
“Our cold storage and port terminal operations facility is ideally positioned to serve the Tampa/Orlando I-4 corridor, which is Florida’s largest and fastest growing market, and reaching well beyond,” developer Richard Corbett of Port Logistics Refrigerated Services, which operates the warehouse, said in a statement.
John Trummel, vice president and general manager of Dole’s commercial cargo division, said in a statement the new Tampa route would enable the company and its non-agricultural clients new ways to reach their destinations “faster and more competitively.”
While Dole Food Company is the world’s leading commercial producer of pineapples and bananas. Port president and CEO Paul Anderson highlighted the opportunity to import all kinds of commodities.
“This marks a major milestone in our strategic efforts to continue to diversify our cargo mix and expand our container volume, which is now our fastest growing line of business,” Anderson said in a statement.
A nearly 20% decline in spending on eating out occasions contributed to a 5% decline in food spending in 2020, according to the USDA.
In a report on food expenditures, the USDA said 2020 U.S. spending on food totaled about $1.56 trillion, 5.3% lower than the $1.65 trillion spent on food in the U.S. in 2019. Last year was only the second time annual total food expenditures decreased over the last 25 years.
The only other time spending decreased, notes the USDA, was in 2009 during the Great Recession.
The 2020 decrease in total food spending was driven by an 18.3% drop in spending at restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating-out places.
Because of the additional cost of eating away from home, that decrease outweighed an 8.5% jump in food-at-home (FAH) spending.
For the past 25 years, U.S. food annual total expenditures and the share of food-away-from-home showed steady increases, with the highest share of food away from home spending occurring during the summer months.
The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic limited mobility of U.S. consumers and led to an economic recession for most of 2020, disrupting historical trends in food spending,” the USDA report said.
In April 2020, U.S. consumers spent about two-thirds of their food dollars at food at home retailers (grocery outlets), the highest value on record.
The last quarter of 2020 saw monthly increases in food at home spending, an expected outcome of colder weather and holiday meal preparation, which resulted in record-high food at home spending in December.
On the other hand, food away from home spending decreased in November by 10% and showed a slight increase in December but remained well below 2019 levels.
“While COVID-19 vaccine distribution for select groups began in the United States in December 2020, the post-pandemic landscape of the food economy remains unclear,” the USDA said.
Lemons and limes continue to grow in per capita consumpution, according to USDA figures.
Between 2010 and 2018, per capita lemon availability grew 46%, from 2.8 pounds in 2010 to 4.1 pounds in 2018, the USDA reported.
For limes, the growth is slightly more impressive, rising from 2.6 pounds in 2010 to 3.9 pounds in 2018, an increase of 50%.
U.S. imports of both citrus varieties have been going up. For lemons, imports have grown from 93 million pounds in 2010 to 322 pounds in 2019, a gain of 246%. In the same time period, domestic lemon supply increased from 968 million pounds to 1.41 billion pounds, a gain of 46%.
The import share of the total U.S. lemon supply was 19% in 2019; in 2010, the import share of the total U.S. lemon supply was 9%.
For limes, the USDA does not record any domestic lime production as of 2019. U.S. imports of limes have increased from about 800 million pounds in 2010 to 1.36 billion pounds in 2019.
By United Fresh Produce Association
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Although conversations are occurring within the North American (and global) industry relative to the current acute pallet shortages, we believe that many do not yet realize the factors impacting the situation and the potential scope of the issue, including the availability of produce to consumers.
A multitude of issues are impacting pallet availability including:
- Efforts of wholesalers, distributors and retailers to ensure sufficient inventory of non-perishables given previous pandemic-related impacts.
- The availability of lumber to repair and build new pallets.
- The escalating price of lumber when it is available.
- Non-perishable inventory dwell time increase.
- Lack of available trucks to relocate pallets.
The lack of pallets is adding stress to a supply chain that is already facing significant challenges which include a lack of available trucks and shipping containers, ongoing labour challenges, fluctuating fuel costs, pandemic-related challenges and a pending shortage of resin used to make reusable containers and pallets. At this time expectations are that the pallet shortage will continue for months, perhaps for the balance of 2021 – all at a time when many North American produce items are just beginning seasonal harvests and shipments.
To give a sample of the scope of the issue, we’ve compiled the following information:
- The shortage of lumber and wood products has increased the cost of raw lumber 200% to 350% and is making the cost of wood pallets increase incrementally.
- In one example, it was noted that over the past few weeks, pallet costs have increased more than 400%, IF the pallets are even available, and often they are not.
- One farmer was told by one pallet supplier that they are not taking any new customers due to an inability to fill even existing customer demand.
- Companies are forced to bring pallets from other jurisdictions thereby incurring border and transportation costs.
- Pallets are being held in-house due to delayed and cancelled orders from pallet services, leading to higher storage charges and increased congestion within operations.
Working together, the supply chain must balance organizational goals relative to overall availability of goods with availability of food. If there is not a concerted effort across the supply chain to ensure pallet availability for shipment of produce, there is little doubt that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for the grower/shipper community to meet buyer, and ultimately consumer, demand for produce. Simultaneously, growers and shippers are working hard to remain compliant with pallet requirement specifications where they can, but this is proving challenging. Temporary modifications or exceptions to pallet requirements, as long as they do not jeopardize safety, would prove advantageous until this pallet shortage is resolved.
This letter is intended, in part, to act as a catalyst for industry awareness and should be shared with all stakeholders to ensure a consistent understanding of the issue and to encourage discussions and efforts towards a path forward. All partners in the supply chain should have regular conversations with their pallet suppliers to understand the situation and pallet inventories/availability.
We welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with all parties within the supply chain to mitigate the impacts of the current shortages and will reach out to stakeholders to identify a path forward that provides solutions to this increasingly disruptive threat and enables the continued flow of goods.
Construction of a south Texas distribution center for Mexico-based GAB Operations, with completion scheduled for October.
The new 45,590-sf facility, when complete, will provide increased cold storage capacity for fresh produce and serve as a hub for the company’s U.S. and Canadian customers.
Founded more than three decades ago in Guanajuato, Mexico, GAB specializes in the production, development, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen vegetables and fruits.
Items range from broccoli to cauliflower, spinach and other leafy greens, varieties of lettuce, celery, sweet corn, snow peas, pumpkin, sweet mini peppers, berries, among others.
Additionally, the company operates under the brand name Mr. Lucky, which is one of the largest garlic and organic tomato producers in Mexico. It prepares fresh-cut produce for foodservice clients and provides pre-packed salads and private-label products for many U.S.-based produce companies.
GAB’s Laredo distribution center will be located in the Pinnacle Industry Center, which is just minutes from the Rio Grande River and the Laredo International Airport. It is neighbor to Mission Produce’s new 262,000-sf greenfield ripening, processing and distribution center, an A M King project that will be complete this summer.
GAB reports the GAB project will not only house the cold storage warehouse and offices of the GAB Laredo distribution center, but will also feature a trucker dormitory where its fleet drivers may rest before continuing their route.
CINCINNATI and MONROE, OH — The Kroger Co. and Drone Express, a division of TELEGRID Technologies, Inc., recently announced a pilot to offer grocery delivery via autonomous drones, expanding the retailer’s seamless ecosystem and providing customers with anything, anytime, anywhere.
“Kroger’s new drone delivery pilot is part of the evolution of our rapidly growing and innovative e-commerce business – which includes pickup, delivery, and ship and reached more than $10 billion in sales in 2020,” said Kroger’s Jody Kalmbach, group vice president of product experience. “The pilot reinforces the importance of flexibility and immediacy to customers, powered by modern, cost-effective, and efficient last-mile solutions. We’re excited to test drone delivery and gain insights that will inform expansion plans as well as future customer solutions.”
The pilot will offer customers unparalleled flexibility as Drone Express technology allows package delivery to the location of a customer’s smartphone not only to a street address, simply meaning a customer will be able to order delivery of picnic supplies to a park, sunscreen to the beach, or condiments to a backyard cookout, for instance.
Kroger is designing bundled product offerings ideal for meeting customer needs within the current weight limits for drone delivery, which is about five pounds. As an illustration, Kroger will offer a baby care bundle with wipes and formula, a child wellness bundle with over-the-counter medications and fluids, and a S’mores bundle with graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate. Using Kroger.com/DroneDelivery, customers can place orders and have eligible orders delivered within as little as 15 minutes.
“Autonomous drones have unlimited potential to improve everyday life, and our technology opens the way to safe, secure, environmentally friendly deliveries for Kroger customers,” said Beth Flippo, Chief Technology Officer, TELEGRID. “The possibilities for customers are endless – we can enable Kroger customers to send chicken soup to a sick friend or get fast delivery of olive oil if they run out while cooking dinner.”
Drone Express commenced test flights in early May near the Kroger Marketplace in Centerville, Ohio (1095 South Main Street). The flights were managed by licensed Drone Express pilots from an on-site trailer with additional off-site monitoring. Customer deliveries are scheduled to begin later this spring, and a second pilot is scheduled to launch this summer at a Ralphs store in California.
LOS ANGELES – The Giumarra Companies recently announced a revolutionary new logistics project in the fresh produce industry, an autonomous trucking test completed in partnership with San Diego-based autonomous trucking leader, TuSimple (Nasdaq: TSP), and the nation’s largest cooperative food wholesaler, Associated Wholesale Grocers, Inc. (AWG).
“Our company continues to travel down a path of innovation, as we have now successfully tested autonomous trucking after our autonomous aircraft transportation test a few months ago,” said Tim Riley, President of the Giumarra Companies. “Autonomous trucking technology is a real game changer for us, as its time efficiencies provide us with an enhanced opportunity to supply fresher fruits and vegetables across the United States – particularly to food deserts and rural communities.”
On May 3, 2021, TuSimple picked up a load of fresh watermelons from Giumarra’s facility in Nogales, Arizona, and transported the produce across four states to AWG’s distribution center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the fruit was inspected and distributed to Doc’s Country Mart and Homeland grocery stores across the state.
The pick-up and delivery of the produce, commonly referred to as “first mile” and “last mile,” was done manually with a human driver, while the longest portion of the journey from Tucson, Arizona, to Dallas, Texas, also known as the “middle mile,” was done autonomously using TuSimple’s self-driving technology. The autonomous portion of the journey covered more than 900 miles.
“We believe the food industry is one of many that will greatly benefit from the use of TuSimple’s autonomous trucking technology,” said Jim Mullen, Chief Administrative Officer, TuSimple. “Given the fact that autonomous trucks can operate nearly continuously without taking a break means fresh produce can be moved from origin to destination faster, resulting in fresher food and less waste.”
About the Giumarra Companies
The Giumarra Companies is a leading international network of fresh produce growers, distributors, and marketers that encompasses a world of freshness. Since its inception in 1922, the Giumarra group of companies has taken pride in a longstanding commitment and tradition of quality, service, and industry leadership to feed the world in a healthy way. Products packed under the company’s Nature’s Partner label represent some of the highest-quality fruits and vegetables in the marketplace, having met strict standards for food safety, quality control, and flavor. Visit us at www.giumarra.com.
About TuSimple
TuSimple is a global autonomous driving technology company, headquartered in San Diego, California, with operations in Arizona, Texas, China, Japan and Europe. Founded in 2015, TuSimple is developing a commercial-ready Level 4 (SAE) fully autonomous driving solution for long-haul heavy-duty trucks. TuSimple aims to transform the $4 trillion global truck freight industry through the company’s leading proprietary AI technology, which makes it possible for trucks to see 1,000 meters away, operate nearly continuously and consume 10% less fuel than manually driven trucks. Visit us at www.tusimple.com.