Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
QDC Fresh, Inc. of Tracy, CA announces the launch of its exclusive Australian citrus program, featuring premium Cara Cara oranges, Navel Oranges, Mandarins, and true Blood Oranges.
Through an exclusive partnership with an industry-leading Australian grower, QDC Fresh will be first to market in 2026 with Australian Cara Cara and Navel oranges into the United States. Fruit has already been harvested and is currently en route to the U.S., with the first arrival scheduled for mid-July.
Known for its exceptional eating quality, Australian citrus delivers a flavor profile and sweetness comparable to premium California-grown citrus. The program’s Cara Cara and Navel oranges are expected to arrive with impressive brix levels ranging from 13.5–15, offering consumers a dynamically flavorful and juicy eating experience.
The company’s Australian citrus program also includes sweet, seedless Mandarins, known for their easy-peel skin and perfect for everyday snacking; and true Blood Oranges, distinguished by their striking deep red flesh and sweet, berry-like flavor profile.
The grower has spent decades perfecting their growing methods, taking advantage of cool river nights that drive dramatic diurnal temperature swings, allowing the fruit to develop high sugar levels while maintaining excellent acidity and balance. The result is citrus with exceptional eating quality, providing a unique and visually appealing option for retailers seeking to differentiate their citrus category.
The launch comes on the heels of QDC Fresh’s recent expansion into Los Angeles, where the company has added bagging capabilities to support a comprehensive citrus offering, making it the only Australian citrus importer in the U.S. with its own bagging machine. In addition to bulk fruit, QDC Fresh will offer a branded bagged citrus program designed to help retailers capitalize on consumer demand and drive incremental sales.
About QDC Fresh, Inc.
QDC Fresh, Inc. is a farm-direct distributor of fresh fruits and vegetables serving retail customers across North and South America, headquartered in Tracy, CA. With a commitment to quality, innovation, and customer partnership, QDC Fresh, Inc. delivers reliable supply chain solutions and value-added programs designed to help retailers grow sales and meet evolving consumer demand.
Good volume with tropical and exotic crops from Florida are being predicted with shipments getting started later this month.
Exotic Growers Inc. of Homestead, FL notes loadings were delayed this season. Normally longan picking would begin in early June but this year, it won’t start until the end of July. While the season on exotic tropicals will finish in September, shipping beyond that will be guavas, avocados, mangoes, sugarcane, coconuts and other conventional tropical items.
This follows the difficult winter the state saw with two back to back freezes earlier this year that were about 10 days apart. A freeze results in the trees having more flowers with items such as longans, lychees, sapodillo, star fruit but also more conventional tropicals such as avocados and mangoes. However, the company lost its passion fruit crop, which it has since replanted.
The Mexican table grape season is pretty much finished, and attention has quickly shifted to California, where growers are preparing for one of the earliest harvests in recent years.
Mirabella Farms reports California vineyards are running approximately 14 to 16 days ahead of last season. The harvest in the Arvin district got underway the last week of June. Most grower-shippers throughout the San Joaquin Valley were harvesting by the final week of June.
Industry estimates currently place the California table grape crop at approximately 96 million boxes. Early indications point to a strong season, with excellent fruit quality and favorable growing conditions throughout the region.
Looking further ahead, weather remains the largest variable for the latter part of the season. Growers are closely monitoring forecasts associated with a potential El Niño weather pattern, which could influence grape-producing regions throughout California and South America.
Watermelon shipments have been unsettled because of lighter yields leading up to the Fourth of July, thanks to unfavorable weather conditions. However, more but normal shipments with better weather are now expected, according to Riverbend Fresh LLC of Kerman, CA.
That abnormal weather is tracing back to the warm spring that produced a mixed set of melons. The desert had poor yields and product came on early, resulting in mixed quality. Then Bakersfield, CA started with light volume.
Looking ahead, more normal production is anticipated for mid to late July. Last year there was overproduction. This year Riverbend anticipates it to be back to normal with more of a reasonable market.
As the summer berry season hits its stride, California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA is preparing for its annual transition to the Pacific Northwest (PNW) blueberry growing region. Harvesting in the PNW was right on track kicking off around mid-to-late June, paving the way for strong, promotable volumes spanning the month of July.
Meanwhile, the company is gearing up for the start of its blackberry and raspberry season from Watsonville, CA.
The upcoming Pacific Northwest harvest arrives at a time of peak consumer demand for fresh berries. The peak volumes align with July demand.
“Our Pacific Northwest growing regions are shaping up beautifully, and we anticipate an outstanding crop just in time for the heart of summer,” said Tom Smith, vice president of sales and marketing at California Giant Berry Farms.”
Alongside the conventional and organic blueberry volume, the GIANT™ jumbo blueberry program—featuring 20mm+ berries—continues to deliver strong retail performance, supporting premium price points and high-impact displays. With jumbo blueberries showing over 60 percent year-over-year growth (NIQ), the program offers retailers an opportunity to drive incremental sales and differentiate in a competitive category.
Watsonville Berries
Blackberry volumes are steadily ramping up towards a late-July peak while raspberry production is in its peak. “Our Watsonville blackberry and raspberry season is starting earlier than usual this year,” says Smith, adding that peak volume of raspberries is expected to continue through the next few months. “A warm winter and spring advanced plant development. We expect the season to run through November and then transition back to Mexico supply.”
While both berries are coming from Watsonville, along with Mexico, in early-August, San Diego, CA will also be providing a strong supply of organic blackberries.
The Washington State Tree Fruit Association’s storage report dated June 6 reveals Washington apples remaining in storage stand at approximately 35 million boxes, compared to 38 million boxes at the same time last year. However, inventory levels vary by variety. The reduced volume in certain varieties can be attributed to smaller crop yields and strong movement early in the season.
There is ample volume of varieties like Honeycrisp available across Washington State, according to Superfresh Growers of Yakima, WA.
Still, there are tighter supplies of Red Delicious and Gala apples compared to previous years. These reduced inventories are largely the result of crop size and steady movement throughout the season.
Superfresh Growers apples are harvested from throughout the Pacific Northwest, from northern Oregon to the southern Canadian border.
As for timing, the 2025-26 Washington apple season began on schedule, with Gala and Honeycrisp harvest starting in early August, with the other varieties following their typical harvest windows. As for the current crop, apples are expected to continue to ship until the transition to new-crop fruit, which begins in August via an expected smooth transition.
The company continues to ship all core apple varieties, including Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, and Red Delicious, as well as Cosmic Crisp® apples and its proprietary variety, Autumn Glory®, industry-wide, inventories are tighter for certain varieties than last year.
Growing conditions have been generally favorable across the company’s growing regions for the 2026-2027 apple crop.
Bell peppers are seeing an abundance of supply right now for shipping.
Maui Fresh International LLC of Los Angeles reports colored bells are especially abundant. The company’s main commodity is bell peppers which it ships from throughout the U.S. as well as Mexico, Canada and the Netherlands.
This follows a winter that saw more limited supply due to not only freezing temperatures in Florida which affected that crop, but also a hot winter in Mexico.
As for this season, mild weather has contributed to a later start in regions such as Coachella. Additionally, the Canadian bell pepper season also saw a delayed start.
The delays were caused by overcast and rainy conditions, and now product is producing at the same time.
In California, Maui Fresh has production from Coachella, Bakersfield as well as Oxnard and Santa Maria.
Meanwhile demand continues to be steady. Pepper consumption generally stays even throughout the year with fixed contracting for top items such as choice greens and reds in foodservice and bagged peppers at retail.
The Chilean citrus export season is projected to see an increase, with the U.S. being the primary export market.
According to data provided by the Citrus Committee of industry body Frutas de Chile, the current campaign is set to grow six percent in volume, reaching 530 thousand tons. In 2025, the South American country shipped 499,204 tons of citrus to international markets.
Local industry news outlet Diario Frutícola reported that the sector has been experiencing sustained growth since 2022, driven by lemons and oranges and strengthened by the stability of mandarins.
The United States remains the main destination for Chilean citrus, accounting for 80 percent of exports.
According to data provided by Frutas de Chile, lemons should establish themselves this season as the fastest-growing category in the country’s citrus portfolio, with shipments set to reach 131,000 tons. This represents a 14 percent increase over the 115,050 tons exported in 2025.
Oranges are also on the rise and are projected to grow 10 percent compared to 2025, reaching 134 thousand tons.
For clementines, the estimate is 75,000 tons, representing a five percent increase over the previous season, when the sector exported 71,550 tons.
Meanwhile, mandarin exports are projected to remain stable, reaching 190,000 tons. The estimate is less than one percent above the 2025 total of 190,910 tons.
Similar to a year ago, supplies of North Carolina sweet potato are tight in the final months of the 2025-26 shipping season.
Triple J Produce of Sims, NC reports volume close to that of last year.
Tight supply has also impacted exporting plans for sweet potatoes from the state, due to less volume and the need to supply domestic customers.
The lower supply traces back to sizing during the growing season. Cooler temperatures set in during October combined with a lack of rain resulting in the remaining part of the crop that hadn’t been harvested yet not sizing up. That part of the crop is shipping now.
Georgia sweet corn shipments started last month and peak volume should continue through mid July.
Shipments are expected to last through the end of the month.
Grower/shipper Rogue River Farms of Clewiston, FL has added acreage in Georgia so it would be able to go further into July with sweet corn supply from the region. That will allow it to have Georgia sweet corn throughout July and until production transitions to the local deals across the country.
As for the rest of the summer season, Rouge River Farms has production ahead in two other regions–Virginia and Ontario, Canada. The Canadian production is on schedule to start at the end of July/early part of August, while early assessments of the crop are positive. The plantings are strong right now. The company is hoping for more heat units in Canada to help keep the crop moving. The Virginia crop is looking very similar.