Archive For The “News” Category
By Procomer
Building on several years of increasing produce exports, Costa Rica foresees a strong 2018 as exporters continue to offer an increasingly diverse supply of produce items as well as the capacity to meet new regulatory requirements.
Statistics thru October 2017 (the latest officially available) show Costa Rica exported close to US$2.4 billion in agricultural exports to the world, a growth of 4% compared to the same period in 2016. The United States remains the main destination country with US$1.09 billion from January to October of 2017.
“Costa Rica remains a strong, reliable and versatile exporter of produce,” says Pedro Beirute, CEO of Procomer (Costa Rica’s trade promotion agency). “We expect to close out 2017 with over US$2.7 billion in ag exports.”
Led by the banana and pineapple industry, Costa Rica’s exports to the world continue to grow and diversify and include strong offerings in yucca, melons, chayote, and other fruits. Procomer export statistics indicate banana export volume increased over 25% from 2015 to 2017, pineapple by almost 14%, yucca by 12%, watermelon by 57%, and chayote by 33%. “We expect growth in these highly demanded products to continue in 2018,” says Beirute.
Costa Rica looks to tropical and exotic product growth in 2018. “The U.S. marketplace continues to demand new and unique products due to the increase in ethnic diversity in the population as well as U.S. consumers expanding pallet,” says Beirute. “As consumers seek out more tropical, exotic and ethnic items, Costa Rica will play a key role in providing some of this high quality, reliable supply. With more than 145 varieties of fruits and vegetables and more than 365 exporters shipping to the U.S., Costa Rica represents a wealth of potential products for any market.”
Particularly on the future radar for greater development in export offerings are ginger, rambutan, a variety of specialty melons, beets, cabbage, carrots, pumpkin, root products, and more organics. “Costa Rican exporters have long been characterized as serious, trustworthy, professional partners,” says Beirute. “It only makes sense for U.S. buyers to look a country with our track record of reliability and quality as they seek more and new products.”
by Carol Bareuther, PerishableNews.com
Seasonal fruits, emerging specialty vegetables, convenience or pre-cooked ingredients and chile peppers are the four hottest produce trends in 2017, according to Robert Schueller, director of public relations at Melissa’s World Variety Produce, a specialty produce purveyor based in Los Angeles. Schueller should know. He’s 20-plus year industry veteran and Melissa’s is the leading distributor of more than 1,200 specialty and organic produce products in the United States, selling nationwide and to the top 20 U.S. retailers. In fact, Schueller’s trends report for 2017 is based off sales of the company’s produce in the marketplace for the 365 days ending October 18, 2017 compared to the year prior. The produce items that had the largest percentage of increased distribution at retail and foodservice is what created the four trends categories.
1) Seasonal Fruits:
* Green Dragon Apples. Schueller calls sales of this sweet non-tart cross between a Golden Delicious and Indo variety from Japan one of the biggest trends in specialty fruit. This yellow skin apple doesn’t store well and is only sold fresh during its short-season from October to December.
* Muscato Grapes. This proprietary variety available July to October from the United States and February and March from Peru, is notable for its high brix or sugar content of 22 compared to 16 for the average grape.
* Winter/Christmas Crunch Grapes. October to December harvested California-grown fruit extends the season from the customary May to September. These are packaged for seasonal merchandising.
* Passion Fruit. Nearly all distribution in the United States is the purple-skin variety, sourced nearly year-round from Florida and California as well as New Zealand. A short supply gap occurs in December and January.
* Jackfruit. New-found interest stems from use of the fruit’s fiber as a vegetarian protein substitute. Eye-catching to sell whole at retail due to its size, more convenient pre-cut jackfruit as a product is currently challenged by short-shelf life issues.
* Rambutan. Closely related to the lychee, this fruit is now available almost year-round multisourced from Central America and Hawaii.
2) Emerging Specialty Vegetables:
* Organic Ginger. Now its annual availability, rather than for only six months, is driving sales.
* Turmeric. Interest in East Indian cuisine, as a substitute for ginger in juicing and its health benefits has sparked recent sales of this spice. Turmeric was the top trending functional food according to the report, ˜Think with Google: Food Trends 2016.”
* Pee Wee Potatoes. Once composted for not meeting grade size, the marble-size of these potatoes is now in demand for its short cooking time.
* Tatuma Squash. Similar in appearance to zucchini, this squash’s staple use in Latin cooking drives its placement in-store.
* Indian Eggplant. A tomato-sized version of a traditional globe eggplant, attributes are an edible skin and short cooking time.
* Tomatillo Milpero. Baby vegetables are big, and this bite-sized tomatillo is riding this trend.
* Petite Baby Bok Choy. This product leads sales in the Asian ethnic category, and demand has become cross-cultural. The small size means no chopping required.
* White Asparagus. Labor intensive to grow since it must be protected from sunlight-producing chlorophyll that customarily colors this vegetable green, white asparagus is more expensive to produce yet is finding widespread favor from fine dining chefs.
3) Convenience / Pre-Cooked Ingredients:
Technology in France not yet introduced to the United States enabled Melissa’s to introduce its steamed line of vegetables 13 years ago with beets first, followed by lentils. The idea is to take items with relatively long prep times, pre-cook and package ready to eat with a preservative-free shelf life of two months. New this year, the company has added Gold Baby Beets, Organic Steamed Lentils and Parisienne Potatoes.
4) Chile Peppers:
* Shishito Peppers. This kid-friendly pepper is all about flavor rather than heat, says Schueller. Popular in Japanese restaurants where its roasted and seasoned with sesame oil and served as an appetizer.
* Hatch Chiles. The mountainous 4,000-feet plus elevation and near 50-degree difference between day and nighttime temperatures in Hatch, NM, produces this thick, meaty, mild-tasting chile. Popularity beyond the Southwest and a short August to September season stems from the pepper’s ability to be roasted, frozen and used all year long.
* Thai Chiles. Small and hot, with a heat-rating between a jalapeno and habanero, this chile first loved in Asian cuisine is now cross-cultural thanks to finding favor in Latin dishes.
by Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network has introduced its 60cm x 40cm (24in x 15-3/4in) 5-Down Display Box for mangoes with minimum 24-Lb net product weight. Although 60x40cm 5-Down boxes are the industry standard for many commodities, most mangoes are currently packed in 34cm x 25cm (13-1/2in x 10in) 14-Down box. The 60x40cm Display box is intended to resolve issues that retailers have shared as impediments to the mango commodity’s enormous growth potential.
This design provides greatly increased pallet stability versus the 14-down box, therefore accelerating loading/unloading and warehouse movements. It also reduces transportation damage claims and the need for airbags and bracing.
At the DC and store level, labor is significantly reduced in picking product with each movement of the 5-Down Display Box equaling almost three of the regular box. This allows partial pallet store orders to be filled faster at the DC and large displays to be built with ease in the store. This larger box will not sink down and sit on other product causing bruising as smaller boxes tend to do when stacked on top of other commodities in mixed pallets.
The increased airflow possible with this design helps to have more consistent pressures when using ripening rooms. The display is very attractive and results in a larger footprint for mangoes within the produce department.
About Amazon Produce Network
Amazon Produce Network is an importer and distributor of mangoes and other produce with a mission to be the most efficient distribution channel in the United States for our customers and growers.
To us, being the most efficient distribution channel means providing the customer with the product, price, service, logistics and information he or she needs to be successful in the dynamic and complex world of produce while also providing the best possible returns to the growers who entrust us to market their crops.
Success is not achieved simply by selling the fruit at the highest price available in the market on any given day. Our success is achieved by obtaining the best average return for the grower’s crops over time through excellent stewardship of the product and service to our customers
SANTIAGO, CHILE — The Chilean cherry industry has reached a milestone as an industry, overtaking the historic cherry export limit of 20 million cartons, by shipping more than 30 million cartons during the current 2017-18 season; a figure that is expected to keep rising as exports continue.
“Up until last week we had reached more than 27 million cartons exported, but with the shipment that went out at the weekend, the industry has now overtaken 30 million cartons, the equivalent of 150,000 tons of cherries,” announced Cristian Tagle, President of the Cherry Committee of the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX).
According to Tagle, the volume reached to date has now surpassed the record 2014-15 campaign, when Chile exported over 21.7 million cartons or 103,081 tons of cherries.
“We estimate that Chilean cherries will continue to supply the Chinese market past Chinese New Year, which takes place on 16 February,” he said.
Tagle noted that the record exports have only been possible thanks to growers receiving favorable climatic conditions, particularly at the start of the season. However, he added that the achievement was also the result of hard work by producers and exporters, which had led to a greater planted area and an emphasis on better-tasting, more productive varieties, as well as the implementation of technologies that have enabled improved management and care of orchards.
ASOEX President Ronald Bown commented: “As we reach the record volume that we forecast, we have planned an important and intensive promotional campaign. The good news is we are ready and investing to boost consumption of these high volumes that are now a reality, particularly through promotional actions in China, which is the principle market for Chilean cherries.”
Of the 150,000 tons of Chilean cherries exported to date, some 89.1% was shipped to Asia, with China accounting for 94% of this total. In terms of other export destinations, the U.S. received 4.8% of the total volume, followed by Europe (2.4%), Canada (0.4%) and the Middle East (0.1%).
The Port of Savannah will soon see its container capacity increase with the addition of four cranes to help move those containers. The port is the largest single container facility in the U.S.
The four Neo-Panamax cranes arrived in late November, bringing the total number of the cranes at the facility to 30. Six more cranes are scheduled to arrive in 2020, and when all are operational, the port will be able to move 1,300 containers an hour, according to a news release.
“(As) we reflect on all the success we’ve enjoyed, we also look forward to the new era of prosperity these cranes will help usher in,” Georgia Ports Authority board chairman Jimmy Allgood said in the release. “Our considerable investments today ensure Georgia’s ports reputation for excellence.”
Upgrades to the Mason Mega Rail Terminal will double the Port of Savannah’s annual rail capacity to 1 million container lifts, expanding the port’s access to the Midwest.
The Neo-Panamax cranes can lift containers 152 feet above the dock and the booms reach out 192 feet. Each crane can lift 72 tons. The cranes operate over nine berth spaces.
All of the new cranes, a $47-million investment, will be operational by April.
L.A. is now receiving imported Chilean fruit….U.S. apple shipments are cranking up with the New Year.
The port of Los Angeles received its first breakbulk vessel shipment of Chilean summer fruit just before Christmas.
The ship unloaded 227,000 boxes of fresh cherries, peaches, nectarines, apricots and table grapes on December 22. The fruit was primarily delivered by truck to North American markets west of the Rockies, from Southern California to Vancouver, British Columbia, and reaching into West Texas.
The Chilean fresh fruit import season usually runs from December to April. Last season, the port handled more than 82,000 metric tons of Chilean fresh fruit, which accounts for nearly 20 percent of all fruits and vegetables imported through Los Angeles.
U.S. Apple Shipments
There will be plenty of apple shipments in 2018, although U.S. volume will not be setting any records, according to a report from the U.S. Apple Association, based in Vienna, VA.
National apple volume, projected by the USDA in 2017, was for 248.7 million bushels, which would be below the record shipments of 281.3 million in 2014 and 268.4 million in 2016. The 2016 crop was the fourth-largest of all-time.
When the USDA’s estimated 2017 crop of 248.7 million bushels is included, the five-year rolling average of annual apple production stands at 257 million bushels, which is more than 2 million bushels greater than the previous record 5-year average of 255 million bushels in the period from 1994-98.
Washington led U.S. apple shipments with an estimate of 142.3 million bushels designated for the fresh market, according to USDA. New York was next, at 28 million, and Michigan, third, at 20.3 million.
A year ago, Michigan was No. 2-ranked in production, behind Washington, with 28 million boxes.
Washington state is shipping about 2500 truckload equivalents per week, while New York and Michigan are shipping around 150 truck equivalents of apples weekly.
Apples from the Yakima Valley and Wenatchee Valley of Washington – grossing about $8000 to New York City.
By Mucci Farms
KINGSVILLE, ON – Mucci Farms (the “company”) recently announced a large-scale, multi-year investment in Huron, Ohio. The company confirmed it was starting a multi-year, three phase construction project which will cover a total of 60 acres and feature the newest and latest state of the art greenhouses equipped with grow lights which extend the growing season. The constructed facility will also include a 272,000 sq. ft. distribution warehouse to support the company’s growing U.S. customer base. The company has already broken ground on the first phase which is the construction of a 24-acre range and expects produce from this facility will be available as soon as March 2018.
This new, state-of-the-art facility will include the latest grow light technology which simulates sunlight by providing or supplementing the necessary light to optimize plant growth. The use of this grow technology allows for year-round production, keeping our produce – “always in season”.
Mucci Farms already has a sustainable, successful business with a well recognized brand with a number of large U.S. retailers.
Expanding operations to include a U.S. growing facility was strategically done to meet U.S. customer demands for locally grown, year round, fresh and favourful produce.
Making this investment in Ohio allows us to reduce the food miles for our U.S. retailers and gives our U.S. consumers the confidence that they can bring fresh and flavourful Mucci Farms’ produce into their homes all year round.
The company has been actively exploring a number of U.S. expansion opportunities for the past 18 months and the site located in Huron, Ohio was a perfect fit due to its easy access to a number of current and potentially new retailer distribution facilities as well as its proximity to our corporate headquarters in Kingsville, ON.
The company has enjoyed establishing a number of working partnerships during the development stages of this expansion with the City of Huron and Erie County officials and the Company looks forward to what it expects will be a number of promising opportunities for continued community partnerships ahead.
The company anticipates when the first phase of construction is completed it will employ up to 100 full-time positions. The company expects this number will increase to 250 full-time positions by the completion of the third phase of construction.
I’m not sure where 2017 went, but ready or not I’m plowing right into 2018!
I’ve been very blessed in many ways, one of which is the way HaulProduce.com continues to have more folks signing up for our free subscriptions. This tells me you are finding worthwhile information here relating to produce hauling, as well as other news such as the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables.
There have now been over 1900 posts published on the website since it was launched on January 12, 2012. Six years! Where has the time gone!
The primary sponsors of HaulProduce – Allen Lund Co., Cool Runnings, and DMTB, I have personally known the owners a combined 105 years! They are all good, honest people that I can’t say enough good things about. The bottom line is they care about maintaining impeccable business reputations and they truly care about the trucking industry and particularly the hard working Americans that deliver well over 9o percent of the fresh produce to destinations across North America.
So, here is a shout out to 3 of the finest men I’ve ever known – Allen Lund, Fred Plotsky and Jimmy DeMatteis.
It looks like we are entering another cycle in the trucking industry. If you are old enough you have witnessed several of these over the years. The economy slows down, excess equipment is out there and freight rates plunge. Luckily, it looks like what started in 2017 is just really getting started with this new cycle in trucking. The economy is picking up, equipment and qualified drivers are harder to find, and freight rates are on the rise.
Of course, we can always count on the federal and state governments to put a damper on things, particularly with more rules, regulations and taxes, most of which seem to do more harm than good, and often increase costs of operation.
I continue to be amazed, especially with the owner operators and small fleet owners, that continue to persevere.
This is wishing each of you much happiness and health in the New Year. – Bill Martin
2017 had its share of bad weather conditions of different varieties that presented challenges for produce truckers.
Heavy snows early in the year resulted in collapsing buildings in the Northwest holding onions, among other items. During the spring a Southeastern killer freeze wiped out the majority of peaches and blueberries.
On the Gulf Coast and in Florida two hurricanes were devastating.
On the positive side, winter rains eased the California drought significantly.
Citrus hauling was adversely affected with Irma causing at least $760 million in losses to citrus, with many growers losing at least half of their crop. Vegetable and strawberry shipments also were adversely affected by Irma, but not nearly as much.
Banana imports by boat were diverted from Galveston to Florida ports after the storm. The port of Houston remained closed for months. The 50 inches of rain dumped on the Gulf Coast area was the most on record in the U.S. for a single storm.
In Georgia, a March freeze knocked out 70 percent of the peach shipments and an even higher percentage of blueberries.
Wave after wave of late-winter rains flooded fields, caused crop delays and played havoc with planting schedules and ultimately produce shipping schedules in California. However, Salinas Valley produce grower and shippers were so desperate for rain they weren’t complaining.
The rains brought a much-needed cleansing of the soil in the Salinas Valley by helping to leach unwanted salts below the farmed portions of the soil. Still California needs another two or three years like 2017 to end its drought.
In January 2017 in the Treasure Valley region of Western Idaho and Eastern Oregon, two major snow storms in less than two weeks resulted in collapsing of a number of onion storage sheds and other structures. At least eight onion companies lost one or more buildings, while at least five had three or more cave in.
Bamford Produce Co. Ltd., based in Mississaugua, ON, announced it has reserved the all-electric Class 8 Tesla trucks, as part of its long-term environmental sustainability vision to reduce its carbon footprint.
“As one of Ontario’s most long-standing produce distributors with more than 75 delivery and transport trailer vehicles in operation across the province on a daily basis, we recognized the opportunity that the new eco-friendly Tesla trucks presented in enabling our business to put in motion a plan to significantly reduce our carbon emissions,” said Steve Bamford, owner of Bamford Produce and Group of Cos.
Although production of the Tesla all electric trucks is expected to begin in 2019, Bamford Produce is confident in the decision to secure the new trucks.
“The Tesla trucks align well with our commitment to continually enhance our operations towards more sustainable business practices, as well as our dedication to provide safe and fresh produce and efficient distribution services to our customers,” said Bamford. “We anticipate that this investment will have an immense impact on our efficiencies and savings in the areas of fuel costs and fleet maintenance, and more importantly, will ensure a greater measure of safety on the roads for our trucking employees, in particular for those servicing the long haul routes.”
Tesla semi trucks can operate for 500 miles on a single charge, and the company guarantees zero breakdowns for 1 million miles and estimates a 20 percent reduction in costs when compared to diesel trucks.
About Bamford Produce
The Bamford Family is one of founders of the Ontario Food Terminal in 1954.
Before 1954, the hub for produce wholesaling was St. Lawrence Market in downtown Toronto. This is where James Bamford and Sons Produce was located. The company has been thriving since 1881. This translates to 132 years of experience.
After years away from the Ontario Food Terminal, The Bamford Family returned in 2003 with the acquisition of the Fresh Advancements stall.
Fresh Advancements marks the 4th Generation of Bamfords in the produce industry. Since 2003, the single stall has expanded to three stalls. Together with Freshline Foods, our processing and fresh cut division, along with Bamford Produce, our food service distribution division, the Bamford Family is uniquely positioned to service wholesalers, retailers and the food service industry
Today we are made up 6 companies that allow us strategic vertical integration that helps us maximize efficiencies and offer all our customers a very unique diversified model. These include; Farming/Growing and Packing Operations in Ontario, with Bay Growers and Bamford Family Farms located in Georgian Bay.
We also have our own Freight Division, FA International Logistics, which includes our own fleet of tractor-trailers specifically delivering product to our companies direct from growers all over North America, and global DSD services for retail and food service.