Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Michigan vegetable shipments have been underway for months, but will be peaking in August and September.
The state actually ships produce the year around, although apples make up its fruit shipments during the winter. Likewise most winter vegetable shipments consist of potato and onion repacking operation with the product sourced from other areas.
But right now the focus on fresh summer and fall produce loadings.
In 2018, Michigan shipped the equivalent of 50.8 million 40-pound cartons of fresh fruits and vegetables, according the USDA.
The state’s total shipments were slightly less than 53.2 million 40-pound equivalent cartons shipped in 2017 and 9 percent lower than the 55.8 million 40-pound cartons shipped by the state in 2016.
While Michigan ships fruits and vegetables every month of the year, volume will increase seasonally this summer and fall. Last year, 14 percent of total annual Michigan produce shipments occurred in August, increasing to 15 percent in September.
The top 10 fresh produce commodities for the state in 2018, in 40-pound carton equivalents, were:
- Apples, 6.9 million cartons, down 13 percent from 7.9 million cartons in 2017;
- Potatoes: 5.65 million cartons, down 4 percent from 5.91 million cartons in 2017;
- Watermelons (seeded and unseeded): 2.46 million cartons, up 5 percent from 2.35 million cartons in 2017;
- Cucumbers: 2.05 million cartons, down 7 percent from 2.21 million cartons in 2017;
- Onions: 1.14 million carton, down 16 percent from 1.36 million cartons in 2017;
- Bell peppers: 985,000 cartons, down 26 percent from 1.33 million cartons in 2017:
- Cabbage: 880,000 cartons, down 15 percent from 1.04 million cartons in 2017;
- Squash: 880,000 cartons, up 4 percent from 847,500 cartons in 2017;
- Celery: 862,500 cartons, down 33 percent from 1.28 million cartons in 2017;
- Blueberries: 672,500 cartons, down 32 percent from 982,500 cartons in 2017;
- Tomatoes (all types): 655,000 cartons, down 33 percent from 975,000 cartons in 2017;
- Sweet corn: 562,500 cartons, down 5 percent from 592,500 cartons in 2017;
- Asparagus: 272,500 cartons, down 8 percent from 297,500 cartons in 2017; and
- Peaches: 117,500 cartons, down 4 percent from 122,500 acres in 1970.
Long-term acreage trends
The USDA’s Census of Agriculture reveals most Michigan fruit and vegetables experienced an acreage decline in the past 10 years, though there are exceptions.
Acreage figures for Michigan fruits and vegetables in 2017, compared with 2007:
- Apples: 38,563 acres in 2017, down 13 percent from 44,189 in 2007;
- Peaches: 2,863 acres in 2017, down 47 percent from 5,400 acres in 2007;
- Grapes: 13,127 acres in 2017, down 11 percent from 14,701 acres in 2007;
- Blueberries: 22,959 acres in 2017 (no data for 2007);
- Celery: 2,078 acres in 2017, up 6 percent from 1,968 acres in 2007;
- Carrots: 3,473 acres in 2017, down 37 percent from 5,499 acres in 2007;
- Onions: 2,495 acres in 2017, down 46 percent from 4,592 acres in 2007;
- Cucumbers: 34,409 acres in 2017, down 16 percent from 40,820 acres in 2007;
- Lettuce: 1,027 acres in 2017, up 17 percent from 876 acres in 2007;
- Bell peppers: 1,876 acres in 2017, up 19 percent from 1,577 acres in 2007;
- Potatoes (fresh market and processing): 30,750 acres in 2017, up 19 percent from 1,577 acres in 2007;
- Sweet corn: 8,466 acres in 2017, down 11 percent from 10,885 acres in 2007;
- Strawberries: 870 acres in 2017, down 29 percent from 1,229 acres in 2007; and
- Raspberries: 532 acres in 2017, down 19 percent from 654 acres in 2007.
By California Pear Advisory Board
Domestic pears are back in season as California has just begun shipments.
California pear shippers are predicting they will harvest 2.28 million packages of Bartlett pears this summer, which is slightly more than last year’s crop of just over 2 million packages. In addition to Bartlett, the primary variety grown in California, the state is anticipating another 500,000 boxes of other varieties led by Golden Bosc. Additional heirloom varieties to be offered include Sunsprite, Starkcrimson, Red pears, traditional Bosc, Comice, Seckel and French Butter along with a limited supply of organic varieties.
The River Delta growing region in California will be first to harvest of Bartletts July 22 with the Mendocino growing area harvest predicted for August 5 and Lake County to begin August 12. Pears are sold by 4 California pear shipping companiess that include: David J. Elliot & Son and Greene and Hemly Inc., both of Courtland; Rivermaid Trading Company, Lodi; and Scully Packing, Finely.
This means that retailers and consumers can look forward to having fresh U.S. pears in their stores again instead of buying pears from other countries or from storage.
“To ensure top quality, most shippers will be hand-selecting the largest fruit first and pre-conditioning so consumers can enjoy ripe, ready-to-eat fruit from the beginning of our season,” says Chris Zanobini, Executive Director of the California Pear Advisory Board.
“Now is the time for retail stores nationwide to begin planning promotions for these early season, freshly harvested California pears,” stresses Zanobini. “In fact, marketing research clearly shows the early summer pear season is absolutely the most profitable for retail pear sales.”
When the harvest started, California had the only freshly harvested pears available.
California growers believe in harvesting and marketing the traditional way versus using controlled atmosphere storage or chemically treating the fruit for longer storage life. So, California can offer a fresh pear for its entire shipping period.
California pears have a rich history as one of the first tree fruits planted and sold commercially in the nation. Some 60 farming families continue to produce pears in California on orchards that can be over 100 years old.
“Today’s California pears are grown by fourth and fifth generation families who are farming the same land their grandparents and great-grandparents did during the California Gold Rush,” explains Zanobini. “The California Bartlett pear is truly heirloom variety and we want consumers to enjoy the rich history of our farming community as much as they enjoy our pears.”
Pacific Northwest blueberry shipments have been soaring in recent years.
Each season new records for blueberry shipments have been broken. Oregon blueberry shipments hit 134 million pounds last season, while and Washington State, which had only 18 million pounds in 2006, shipped 130 million pounds in 2018.
As the per capita consumption of blueberries in North America continues to increase faster than any other berry category, a reported 70 percent of the high bush blueberry production in the United States is currently in the West.
Within the five years it is expected Washington will exceed 200 million pounds, primarily due to new plantings.
Organic “blues” are also a major part of the blueberry industry accounting for nearly 25 percent of Oregon volume. In Washington, 90 percent of fresh blueberry production is organic.
With 20,000 pounds or more being harvested per acre, the Pacific Northwest has some of the highest blueberry yields in the world.
Cool and rainy weather held back Ohio vegetable shipments at the start of the season in early June as the season got underway with radishes, mustard greens, turnip greens and cilantro, and by late June lettuce was added.
Weirs Farm Inc. of Willard, OH reports green onion loadings got underway by the end of June and yellow squash, zuchinni and cucumbers were launched in early July. Hot peppers will start up in August.
In early June, Buurma Farms of Williard, OH was shipping radishes, turnips, mustard greens, cilantro, parsley and soon was followed by green leaf, red leaf, romaine, endive, escarole and boston lettuce. Curly parsely and baby dill started June 10th and green onions and beets got undeway in the last half of June.
Cucumbers and zucchini started in early July.
Buurma Farms will have supplies well into October or early November, depending upon when the first good frost occurs.
Wholesaler DNO Produce of Columbus, OH sells bulk wholesale and value-added fresh local produce to retail and foodservice companies. Besides vegetables the wholesaler handles a lot of Ohio apples and this past season sold storage apples up until early May, which is a lot longer than normal.
New varieties like the EverCrisp have helped extend the Ohio apple season.
2018 acreage
USDA statistics from 2018 showed sweet corn as the top Ohio vegetable crop, with 9,800 acres, followed by tomatoes (5,500 acres), pumpkins (4,000 acres), cucumbers (1,900 acres) and bell peppers (1,500 acres).
2017 acreage
The 2017 Census of Agriculture notes open-field vegetable acreage — both fresh and processing — in Ohio in 2017 totaled 35,298 acres, about the same as 35,553 acres in 2012, but down from 47,014 acres in 2007.
Fresh market open-field vegetable acreage in 2017 totaled 25,966 in 2017, down from 27,061 acres in 2012 and off sharply from 33,333 acres in 2007.
2017 vegetable acreage, compared with 2012:
> Fresh market asparagus: 152 acres in 2017, up from 69 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market snap beans: 2,637 acres in 2017, up from 2,305 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market beets: 172 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market broccoli: 92 acres in 2017, up from 56 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cabbage: 1,459 acres in 2017, up from 69 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cantaloupe: 406 acres in 2017, down from 444 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market carrots: 108 in 2017, up from 23 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed cauliflower: 78 acres in 2017, up from 16 acres in 2012;
> Fresh celery: 7 acres in 2017, up from 1 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed collard greens: 181 acres in 2017, down from 183 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market cucumbers: 598 in 2017, up from 300 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market daikon: 28 acres in 2017, up from 1 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market eggplant: 109 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market escarole and endive: 55 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market garlic: 90 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market herbs: 458 acres in 2017, up from 261 acres n 2012;
> Fresh market honeydew: 10 acres in 2017, up from 2 acres in 2012;
> Fresh and processed kale: 271 acres in 2017, up from 107 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market lettuce: 429 acres in 2017, up from 306 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market head lettuce: 122 acres in 2017, up from 28 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market leaf lettuce: 299 acres in 2017, up from 220 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market romaine lettuce: 105 acres in 2017, up from 66 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed mustard greens: 221 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market dry onions: 110 acres in 2017, down from 254 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market green onions: 249 acres in 2017, down from 260 acres in 2012;
> Combined fresh and processed parsley: 238 acres in 2017, down from 241 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market Chinese peas: 14 acres in 2017, up from 10 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market green peas; 44 acres in 2017, up from 32 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market bell peppers: 856 acres in 2017, up from 772 in 2012;
> Fresh market chile peppers: 360 acres in 2017, up from 255 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market potatoes: 957 acres in 2017, down from 986 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market pumpkins: 857 acres in 2017, down from 947 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market radishes: 598 acres in 2017, up from 433 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market rhubarb: 32 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market spinach: 41 acres in 2017, up from 28 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market squash 1,552 acres in 2017, up from 1,046 acres in 2012;
> Fresh market sweet corn: 7,777 acres in 2017, down from 9,521 in 2012;
> Fresh market sweet potatoes: 36 acres in 2017 (no data for 2012);
> Fresh market tomatoes: 1,010 acres in 2017, down from 1,839 acres in 2012;,
> Combined fresh and processed turnips: 76 acres in 2017, up from 25 acres; and
> Fresh market watermelons: 361 acres in 2017, compared with 338 acres in 2012.
The Westside District in the Central San Joaquin Valley has just started shipments of cantaloupe, watermelon and honeydew following a growing season marked by below normal temperatures and more than average rainfall.
Westside melon shippers are expected to load 20 million cartons this season, which is considered a normal volume.
Pacific Trellis of Los Angeles is the parent company of Dulcinea Farms harvesting its Tuscan-style cantaloupes, mini seedless watermelons and regular sized seedless watermelons. Shipments should continue into late September and possibly October.
Pacific Trellis expect more volume with both conventional and organic mini seedless watermelon, although volume will be off a little its Tuscan-style cantaloupe and yellow-flesh watermelon.
While some San Joaquin Valley melon shippers are a week to 10 days later this season due to weather, Turlock Fruit Co. Inc. of Turlock, CA had warmer than usual temperature in March and April. It launched its season the start of July with honeydews, orangedews, cantaloupes and varietal melons.
Acreage and supply for Turlock Fruit will be similar to last year for all fruit except for the orangedew, a honeydew with orange flesh, which has more acreage.
Legend Produce of Dos Palos, CA. has just started shipments of melons and should continue until October 10th when it shifts its harvest to Yuma, AZ.
Between the two regions, the company expects ship in excess of 7 million cartons this year, consistent with prior years.
Westside Produce of Firebaugh, CA has been shipping cantaloupe about two week and should continue until October. The company expects to ship around 2 million to 2.2 million boxes of melons from nearly 2,500 acres.
Cantaloupes account for about two-thirds of the melon shipments for Del Mar Farms of Patterson, CA, which also has honeydews and watermelons
Organic melons loadings start in mid-July and finish up in early October, while conventional melons should be available through October or possibly November.
While Northwest pear shipments are forecast to decline by 9 percent from last season, and 6 percent compared to the 5-year average, good loading opportunities should remain.
The estimate for the 2019-29 fresh pear shipping season is 17.3 million 44-pound box equivalents. However, the decline doesn’t affect organic production, which at 10 percent of the overall crop, is seeing a 20 percent gain over last season.
The estimate includes Washington’s Wenatchee and Yakima valleys, and Oregon’s Mid-Columbia and Medford districts.
Estimates for pear varieties, and their percentage of the overall crop, are:
- Green anjous:8.8 million boxes (51 percent);
- Bartletts: 4.4 million boxes (26 percent);
- Boscs: 2.2 million boxes (13 percent); and
- Red anjous: 1 million boxes (6 percent).
The green anjou and bartlett crops are down single digits, but the bosc estimate is a 30 percent drop from the most recent season and 23 percent lower than the 5-year average. Red anjou estimates are a slight increase over last season, according to a news release.
Organic production is expected to be 1.76 million boxes, 10 percent of the total crop. That’s a 20 percent increase in organic production from the 2018-19 season. Of that, about 652,000 boxes will be green anjous, about 645,400 boxes will be bartletts and about 272,400 are boscs.
Harvests are expected to be about a week later than last season, which is close to the historical average. Starkrimsons start the first 2 weeks of August, followed in mid-August by bartletts. Anjou harvest starts the last week of August in all districts except in Mid-Columbia, which is early September. Bosc and comice harvest is from mid-August through mid-September, and concorde, forelle and seckel picking is in August and September in the four districts.
New Mexico onion shipments should be in good volume this summer with shippers optimistic about good quality and sizing, although acreage and yields may be lower than last season.
Shiloh Produce Inc., of Hatch, NM reported shipments hit good in late May and accelerated in early June.
Onion shipments will continue until August or early September, yellow onions accounting for about 70 percent of the New Mexico volume, with reds and white onion accounting for the balance.
A majority of the growers for ProSource Inc. of Hailey, ID are located in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, where shipments got underway in late May.
The company report truck supplies have been better this season.
Desert Springs Produce, Arrey, N.M., reports having similar acreage to last year, but believes overall statewide acreage down slightly from a year ago.
Barker Produce, Las Cruces, N.M., reports the company’s acreage is down about 100 acres and yields also are expected to be down compared to the past couple of years. The firm should ship onion though about September 10th.
Acreage Trends
Over the past 25 years, onion acreage in New Mexico has ranged from a high of 9,195 acres in 1997 to low of 5,457 acres in 2012, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
In 2017, the census pegged New Mexico onion acreage at 6,915.
New Mexico harvested area of onions in 2018 totaled 6,500 acres, according to the USDA crop statistics.
That was off 8 percent from New Mexico’s harvested area of 2017 from 7,100 acres but up 7 percent from 6,100 acres in 2016.
The 13 largest potato shipping states in the U.S. had 67.4 million cwt. (per hundred weight) left in storage on June 1, up 6 pecent compared to the same time last year.
This is however, is 16 percent of the total 2018 production, the same percentage as the June 1, 2018, stocks remaining in storage from the 2017 harvest, according to the USDA’s monthly potato stocks report.
The 2018 production in the 13 states was also larger, at 420.1 million cwt., up from 2017 production of 406.8 million cwt.
Idaho, which leads overall shipments and potatoes in storage throughout the year, had 29 million cwt. in storage on June 1, which at 21 percent of the season’s production, is comparable to the 21 percent left at the same time in 2018, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service report.
The top states, their 2018 shipments, and remaining potatoes as of June 1, along with the same numbers from 2017, were:
- Idaho — 2018: 140.2 million cwt., 29 million cwt. (21 percent); 2017: 134.9 million cwt., 27 million cwt. (20 percent);
- Washington — 2018: 105.6 million cwt., 17 million cwt. (16 percent); 2017: 99.2 million cwt., 13 million cwt. (13 percent);
- Wisconsin — 2018: 28.4 million cwt., 4.6 million cwt. (16 percent); 2017: 29.8 million cwt., 5.5 million cwt. (18 percent);
- Oregon — 2018: 28.1 million cwt., 4.5 million cwt. (16 percent); 2017: 25.2 million cwt., 3.5 million cwt. (14 percent); and
- North Dakota — 2018: 23.4 million cwt., 2.8 million cwt. (12 percent); 2017: 24.4 million cwt., 4 million cwt. (16 percent).
Twin Falls, Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5400 to New York City.
By Berry People
Hollister, CA – Berry People, a year-round, full-line supplier of organic and conventional branded berries and avocados, is transitioning to its blueberry supply to the Pacific Northwest as the Mexican and California seasons wind down.
The company is offering branded blueberries from Washington State that started in late June and from British Columbia in Canada starting around July 10.
Its North American blueberry shipments will grow significantly this year and be available through the arrival of its imported fruit towards mid-September.
“Our overall blueberry supply has grown by over six-fold year-to-date, largely based on the groundwork laid in 2017-18,” says Jerald Downs, President of Berry People.
“Berry People has a substantial untapped blueberry supply base from shareholders and alliance partners, but we are being careful to expand based on our customer programs.”
Berry People’s North American blueberry volumes specifically look to be up around three-fold over last year.
“This means we have plenty of room to grow domestically as we manage our year-round distribution footprint and counter-seasonal supply balance,” Downs adds.
Late-season organics in a critical window
Berry People is excited about its new late-season Oregon and Peruvian blueberry deals as well. These supplies will give the company its desired continuity of supply for the critical window from mid-September until the end of October.
“The majority of this new production will be organic, with peak volumes in October,” says Downs. “Additionally, we expect significant growth from our existing northern Chilean supplier base, after a successful season last year. This fruit is also primarily organic.”
In addition, Berry People will begin harvest on its shareholders’ new organic blueberry planting in Jalisco, Mexico, which has been developed especially for the fall harvest window.
“As we reach critical mass in the blueberry category, we are dedicating more resources to its management to improve our overall genetic position, pack-style and packaging offering, market prediction and pricing, as well as program placement,” Downs comments.
Berry People’s Growth
Berry People is experiencing steady and strong development on multiple fronts, as it becomes as first-class supplier of organic berries to the U.S. market.
“Some developments include the refining of processes, systems and personnel in anticipation of future growth, the recent closing on a substantial cash flow line of credit, and an eminent office move to accommodate the personnel increase towards the fourth quarter,” said Downs.
He added that these developments are initiated and sustained on the basis of mutual trust in the relationships with its customer and grower partners.
***
About Berry People: Berry People is a year-round, full-line shipper of organic and conventional strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and avocados, and owner of the Berry People® and Avo People brands®. Headquartered in Hollister, California, the company’s ownership and key alliance partners hold important production assets in California, Mexico, Chile and Peru.
It’s been a slow start for grape shipments this season, whether from Mexico, the Coachella Valley, or in the interest of today’s report, the Bakersfield, CA area.
However, in the Bakersfield (sometimes referred to as the Arvin District) area the heat has kicked in and expected to continue for a while with mid 90s temperatures this week, before moving into triple digits.
Depending on the shipper, table grape shipments are starting any day now, or some may not get going until the second week of July.
As of the end of April, This year’s California grape shipments were estimated at 116.2 million 19-pound boxes. Last year’s total was 115.5 million boxes. The next estimate will be released in late July.
Crown Jewel Produce Co. LLC of Fresno, CA typically starts shipping the last week of June, but is nearly 2 weeks late this year from its Bakersfield vineyards.
Anthony Vineyards of Bakersfield starts its domestic shipments every year out of Coachella, which had one of the coldest Februarys and Marches on record, pushing the desert crop back. Coachella typically finishes in early July, but this year is still shipping, although with 110 degree days now are common, and will be wrapping up soon.
Last year Anthony Vineyards got underway in Bakersfield June 23rd, but this year will be 10 days to 2 weeks later. In fact, for a short time grape loadings will be occurring both out of Coachella and Bakersfield.
Fruit Royale Inc. of Delano, CA will start grape shipments soon after the 4th of July with flames, sugraones and summer royals.
King Fresh Produce LLC of Dinuba, CA, is expecting heavy shipments of California grapes the rest of the season, which usually extends into December.
“It’s not going to be conducive to a high-priced market,” Wilson said.
“That gives some of the earlier districts a little time to clean up,” he said.