Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
New Jersey blueberry shipments are in good volume, while peach shipments have started in the last few days….Meanwhile, Northwest pear shipments should be the best in four years.
Blueberry shipments got underway in mid-June and will run through the end of July for Sunny Valley International Inc. of Glassboro, NJ.
In 2016, the most recent year where statistics are available, New Jersey’s 30 million pounds accounted for 12 percent of total domestic blueberry shipments. New Jersey’s share of the U.S. market was 20 percent of domestic production in June and 26 percent in July.
Fresh blueberry output in New Jersey accounts for about 80 to 85 percent of the crop, with the most of the production coming out of Atlantic and Burlington counties.
Long term acreage trends show 2016 harvested acreage of blueberries in New Jersey was 9,300 acres, down from 10,000 in 2015 and 9,300 acres in 2014.
NJ Peach Shipments
New Jersey peach shipments started this week and should have decent volume until the season ends in mid-September.
Peach shipments in 2016 came from 4,700 acres, according to the USDA, unchanged from 2016 and up 100 acres from 4,600 acres in 2014.
Peach shipments from New Jersey in 2016 totaled 5.2 million pounds, or about 1 percent of domestic peach shipments that year. New Jersey’s share of the domestic peach market was less than 1 percent in July, 3 percent in August, and 2 percent in September.
Northwest Pear Shipments
Pacific Northwest pear shipments are expected to be average this season with 18.8 million, 44-pound boxes following lighter crops four years in a row.
Pear shipments hit a record 21.69 million boxes in 2013, but every year since then the yield has been much lighter. Hot weather causing fruit drop and contributing to decay called cork is blamed for at least partially being responsible for the lighter crops.
The 18. 9 million-box estimate is just 58,345 boxes less than the five-year average of 18.9 million boxes. It is 18 percent bigger than the 2017 crop, which will soon finish at close to 15.9 million boxes.
The forecast will be updated in mid-August. Right now, the breakdown by growing district is: Wenatchee, 8.6 million boxes; Hood River, 7 million; Yakima, 2.4 million; and Medford, 751,200 boxes.
Harvest is forecast to start with Starkrimson in Hood River on Aug. 3 and will finish in late September or early October in higher elevations of Hood River and Leavenworth at the upper end of the Wenatchee Valley.
by Stemilt Growers
WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt’s Rainier cherry shipments are rolling out of Washington State. Volume was good for Fourth of July deliveries and a similar situation exists for the July 11th National Rainier Cherry Day celebration.
Stemilt has strong volumes of Rainier cherries in 2018, with conventional Rainiers even with last year’s volume and organic Rainiers up 50 percent. Organic Rainiers make up a small share of the overall Rainier crop. According to Stemilt marketing director Roger Pepperl, Rainier size and quality for conventional and organic fruit is exceptional this season.
“The color is stunning on Rainiers this season with great size and that classic, overwhelming sweetness that shoppers seek out,” said Pepperl.
Stemilt’s Rainier cherries are in season for two months and with heaviest volume being for the weeks of June 25, July 2nd, and July 9th.
A Stemilt Fruit Tracker™ analysis of Nielsen scan data during the past three cherry seasons shows Rainier cherries account for nearly 13.5 percent of cherry category shipments on average in the U.S. during their three-week peak in late June to mid-July. Rainier shipments are highest in the Western region throughout the season, and especially in the peak weeks.
Organic Rainier cherries are a niche item, but one that Stemilt has grown with purpose for decades.
“The organic category is booming, and fruits and vegetables are leading that growth,” said Pepperl.
Decades ago, Stemilt led the industry in creating a market for Rainier cherries. At the time, Rainiers were primarily pollenizers for Bing cherries, but emerging new sell-pollinating dark-sweet cherries reduced that need. Stemilt founder Tom Mathison saw the potential for a second, and very sweet, cherry and began farming Rainiers on a large-scale. Today, West Mathison, Stemilt president and Tom’s grandson, guides the company in growing large, sweet, and dessert-flavored Rainier cherries.
About Stemilt
Stemilt Growers is a leading tree fruit growing, packing and shipping company based in Wenatchee, Washington. Owned and operated by the Mathison family, Stemilt is the leading shipper of sweet cherries and one of the nation’s largest suppliers of organic tree fruits.
Total clementine citrus exports from Chile in 2018 are estimated to be at 52,000 metric tons, up 27 percent from 41,000 metric tons in 2017, according to the Chilean Citrus Committee. This estimate for 2018 is about double the exports of 2014.
Additionally, exports of Chilean mandarins for 2018 have been projected at 100,000 metric tons, up 32 percent from 76,000 metric tons in 2017. This year’s projected exports of mandarins are up more than three times 2014 exports of 30,000 metric tons.
Chilean clementines will be available primarily from mid-May to mid-August, while mandarins will be shipped from August to mid-November.
Growers in Chile expect an increase from northern growing areas, as an increase in rainfall in the past year and expanding acreage has boosted crop prospects by about 20 percent compared with 2017.
Heavier volume the first week of June is being followed by peak clementine volume in late June and early July. Murcott mandarin volume will peak in late September and into to October.
Chile controls the biggest share of U.S. summer easy peeler imports, according to 2017 trade statistics.
The USDA reports U.S. imports of Chilean tangerines and mandarins totaled 109,752 metrics tons in 2017, compared with 49,442 metric tons from Peru, 17,010 metric tons from Uruguay and 10,762 metric tons from South Africa.
Chilean exports of clementines began the week of April 2, one week ahead of the 2017 season, with about 1,440 boxes (21,600 metric tons) of oronules destined for the U.S.
Through April 23, Chile had exported 89,358 boxes (1,427 metric tons), down 17 percent from the same date of 2017.
While Halos and Cuties may command 85 to 90 percent of the market in the winter, that percentage is considerably less in the summer months
Counting supply from South Africa, Chile, Uruguay and Peru, shipments of easy peelers to the U.S. have grown from 111,000 metric tons in 2015 to 141,0000 metric tons in 2016 and 183,000 metric tons in 2017. For 2018, the combined volume from those Southern Hemisphere suppliers is projected at 230,000 metric tons.
Philadelphia is a primary port for receiving clementines from Chile.
by Peruvian Avocado Commission
Washington D.C. – The Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC) has kicked off it’s 2018 season with shipments expected to be arriving in the U.S. into September.
“Peru will export to the world 660 million pounds of avocados from the middle of April to mid-September, and 170 million pounds will come to the USA,” says Xavier Equihua, CEO and President of the Peruvian Avocado Commission.
Beginning in June and in celebration of World Avocado Month, Avocados From Peru is the exclusive sponsor of various exciting activations in Washington D.C. during the World Cup and MLB All Star Games. It’s been over 35 years since Peru qualified for the World Cup and 50 years since the MLB All Star Game was hosted in the nation’s capital. Avocados From Peru will be present on air (they play Denmark June 16th and France June 21st), desktop, mobile and apps.
“Given the increased supply of Peruvian avocados this season, we will be focusing many of our marketing tactics around retail trade activity alongside supreme consumer tactics,” said Equihua. “We will be offering various strategic co-marketing opportunities from which retailers can specifically tailor their preferred programs. On the consumer side, we will continue to showcase the nutritional benefits and versatility of Peruvian avocados.”
Avocados From Peru will be renewing their partnership with CBS Radio and bringing back the fan-favorite Avo-Dog to baseball fans attending Orioles baseball games over Father’s Day weekend this summer. Fans will be able to enjoy a free topping of Peruvian Avocado with the purchase of any food item during the game in Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
About the Peruvian Avocado Commission
The Peruvian Avocado Commission (PAC) is headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was established in 2011 to increase the consumption/demand for Avocados from Peru through advertising, retail promotion and public relations. The PAC’s promotional activities are conducted under the guidelines of the federal promotion program for Hass avocados, which is under the oversight of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Following near perfect weather throughout New York state during the spring, apple growers and shippers are beaming with optimism for the upcoming shipping season.
New York apple shipments should get underway in late August or early September.
“Following last year’s below average apple crop and a normal winter, trees this spring responded with healthy and hearty buds that produced a fantastic bloom,” Kaari Stannard, president of New York Apple Sales Inc., of Glenmount, NY, said in a news release. Warm May weather was ideal for pollination, she said.
There also is a positive outlook for apple crops from New York Apple Sales growers across the state.
“As of now, we are not seeing any skips or holes in the 2018 crop,” Jeff Crist, partner in Crist Bros. of Walden, N.Y., said in the release. “We have a great opportunity with this crop, but as always we are cautiously optimistic.”
Jason Woodworth of Lamont Fruit Farms, of Waterport, N.Y., sees plenty of potential for this season’s crop of SweeTango apples.
“We are off to a great start with our SweeTango crop. We had an excellent return bud and bloom, and the conditions were fantastic,” Woodworth said in the release. “Because of our newer plantings and growing systems, we have the potential to produce the highest-color and best-sized SweeTango crop ever.”
New York Apple Sales is one of two New York companies authorized by Next Big Thing to market SweeTango apples in select markets.
Growers also describe a great start to the growing season for up-and-coming varieties such as Koru, EverCrisp, SnapDragon and RubyFrost, as well as for more established varieties like Honeycrisp, gala, fuji, mcintosh, cortland, empire, red and golden delicious.
New York is the second-largest apple producing state in the country. Only Washington State produces more apples than the Empire State. Perennially, Michigan ranks third; Pennsylvania and California round out the top five.
New York State apples are grown on about 41,000 acres, in six major production districts around the entire state:
- Champlain Valley
- Eastern Hudson Valley
- Western Hudson Valley
- Central
- Lake Country
- Niagara Frontier
(Source: USDA 2007 Agricultural Census)
Top 10 apple-growing counties are:
- Wayne
- Ulster
- Orleans
- Niagara
- Clinton
- Columbia
- Monroe
- Orange
- Onondaga
- Dutchess
California is expected one of its larger grape season shipping season on record. Meanwhile, Washington state stone fruit shipments are gearing up.
San Joaquin Valley grape shipments get underway in the southern district of Arvin next week and will have a significant growth in several newer table grape varieties and an overall increase in volume compared to a year ago. It also is expected to be the second-largest California table grape shipping season in history.
The 2018 crop estimate statewide that also includes the Coachella Valley is estimated at 115 million boxes [19-pound equivalent], up from last year’s 109 million boxes. This increase will be coming from the San Joaquin Valley. The record is 117.5 million boxes for the 2013 crop.
Although most of the volume increase in 2018 will be in Kern and Tulare counties, there are also more plantings in the Arvin district , which is traditionally the earliest district in the valley.
By contrast, volume is down in the Coachella Valley in California’s southern desert, where the season is coming to an end. The 2018 estimate for the Coachella Valley is 4.5 million boxes, down from 5 million last year. The Coachella season precedes the San Joaquin Valley season and corresponds to the timing of the Sonora, Mexico, grape deal. Sonora and Coachella are often referred to, collectively, as desert grapes (although sometime, in the California context, the term is used in reference to Coachella only).
Sonora grape growers are estimating a harvest this year of 16 million boxes, down from 21 million last year. A smooth transition from the Sonora and Coachella seasons into the early San Joaquin deal is expected. Coachella and Sonora are roughly about 20 percent less than what they were last year.
Washington Stone Fruit Shipments
Early season stone fruit shipments start in July and will peak in volume from mid-August to late September. About one-half Washington state stone fruit acreage in now planted organic and by the end of 2018 it will be over two-thirds organic.
Washington peaches, nectarines, apricots and Italian prunes are expected to be similar in volume to 2017.
In 2017, Washington’s 400 stone fruit growers harvested 8,400 tons of peaches, which is an average size crop. Nectarines had 7,000 tons, while apricots came in with 6,600 tons, trending upward from previous years.
Peach and nectarine shipments start in July and peaking in August and September. Apricots started in June and go through July, with some extending into August. Prune shipments occur during July and August.
Higher freight rates, particularly from western shipping states, are making Michigan summer produce more attractive to buyers and receivers. The result is boosting Michigan produce demand and truck rates, because of the freight advantage of being closer to markets in the eastern half of the U.S.
The electronic logging device (ELD)mandate also is created with making trucking cost significantly more expensive.
For example, E. Miedema & Sons of Byron Center, MI will be shipping more summer vegetables to markets closer to home. Michigan sweet corn shippers have a significant freight advantage over Florida corn to midwestern markets. Sometimes Florida corn may cost as much in freight as the f.o.b. Additionally, shipping to closer markets means the corn is that much fresher. Sweet corn will not start for a few more weeks.
Superior Sales of Hudsonville, MI is another shipper noticing higher freight rates determining where receivers source their product.
Van Solkema Produce of Byron Center, MI is another shipper finding more interest in their Michigan grown produce in part due to the lower transportation costs.
As a result over the past five years the shipper has started handling items beyond the traditional staple produce items such as brussel sprouts and green onions.
Naturipe Farms of Estero, FL also handles Michigan blueberries. They ship Michigan “blues” to practically every major midwestern retail chain.
Michigan asparagus shipments also has experienced changes in the last few years. Michigan “grass” used to be known as a local product with distribution mainly limited to in-state receivers. It eventually widened its appeal and extended to markets on the east coast. This season a significant amount of Michigan asparagus is being shipped to destinations west of the Mississippi River. There are now even a couple of West Coast companies that are marketing asparagus for Michigan shippers. The asparagus season in Michigan is just wrapping up.
Close-up on woman’s mouth with cherry
By BC Tree Fruits Cooperative
KELOWNA, BC – With the sunshine in the Okanagan Valley and summer on the horizon, the excitement is growing as the summer fruits from the orchards of BC Tree Fruits Cooperative (BC Tree Fruits) growers’ are near. A combination of ideal weather conditions through bloom and the post-bloom periods as well as new production coming on has resulted in an estimated 12 million pound cherry crop this season.
Consumers will start seeing Okanagan cherries from the orchards of BC Tree Fruits in stores starting the end of June and with the anticipated record crop over the warm summer months.
The 12 million pounds of BC Tree Fruits cherries estimated for this season matches the estimate from last season – although the crop in 2017 came in short of the initial estimate at 10.1 million pounds due to weather challenges across the region. In addition to cherries, BC Tree Fruits is anticipating a very good peach, nectarine, prune, plum and table grape crop with volumes either slightly up or similar to last year.
“Mother nature served our growing regions with ideal weather conditions through bloom into the post-bloom period, which has resulted in a lot of fruit on the trees,” says BC Tree Fruits Marketing Manager Chris Pollock. “Our growers are excited and prepared for great summer fruits crop this year with harvest starting end of June for cherries in the South, with the fruit hitting retail shelves very soon after.”
The primary market for BC Tree Fruits summer fruits remains Western Canada. BC Tree Fruits also continues to export increased volumes of cherries to the United States and key export markets.
About BC Tree Fruits Cooperative:
BC Tree Fruits Cooperative is comprised of over 430 local grower families who grow a variety of tree fruit commodities including apples, cherries, pears, peaches, nectarines, apricots, prunes, plums and grapes. BC Tree Fruits head office is located in Kelowna, BC.
by NJ Peach Promotion Council
Glassboro NJ — After a warmer than normal February and a cool March, New Jersey peach growers had a full bloom in mid-April and New Jersey peach shipments will be getting underway by the Fourth of July.
Leonard Grasso, owner of Angelo Grasso and Son Farms with his father Angelo, grows peaches south of Mullica Hill, in Gloucester County, NJ. “We are in good shape with all of our trees pruned, new trees planted, and anticipate a full crop of flowers,” stated Grasso. “We also grow a variety of vegetable crops, which gives us a hedge against financial loss in case we get some flower injury from lower temperatures, or other adverse weather that might reduce our peach crop. The Grassos expect to be marketing peaches from early July into September under the Top Crop label through the marketer Donio Inc in Hammonton. New Jersey.
“We continue to expand our peach and nectarine plantings and are optimistic about a full crop of peaches and nectarines,” said Lewis DeEugenio, owner of Summit City Farms and Winery near Glassboro and president of Jersey Fruit Marketing Cooperative in Glassboro. “We have a planting of the best new yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines on our new farm on Rte 538 near Monroeville, NJ, which will produce its first big crop this year. We are always looking at new ways to market our Jersey Fruit label and this year have put in a new specialty pack line at Eastern Pro Pak in Glassboro that packs for us and other growers under the Jersey Fruit Brand.”
Recent statistics published by the National Peach Council estimate that NJ growers are producing about 5500 acres of peaches and nectarines and should harvest between 55, and 60 million pounds of fruit in 2018. “We are always optimistic at this time of year,” said Maccherone.
The San Joaquin Valley’s Westside District appears on the verge of having good melon shipments this season for with improved water availability and favorable weather. A significant increase in volume is expected over last year.
For example, Turlock Fruit Co. Inc. of Turlock, CA begins it initial harvest of honeydew and cantaloupe this week. The past several years there has been a lot of fallow ground in the area, but there will be less unused farm land this year.
Melon shipments continue from the deserts of California and Arizona and will be the primary supplier leading up to the Fourth of July, when volume will rapidly decline. The transition between the desert and the Westside districts is expected to be smoother than a year ago, with no gap in supply anticipated.
Westside Produce Inc. of Firebaugh, CA is just getting started, with volume expected to increase after Independence Day.
Last year California conventional cantaloupe shipments from the San Joaquin Valley totaled 14.82 million pound cartons, compared with 2.55 million cartons from the California’s Imperial Valley and 407,000 cartons from California’s Palo Verde Valley.
Those figures were off from 2016, when the USDA reported conventional shipments of California cantaloupe at 18.74 million cartons from the San Joaquin Valley, 4.09 million from California’s Imperial Valley, and 431,750 cartons from California’s Palo Verde Valley.
According to the USDA, conventional shipments of cantaloupe from the San Joaquin Valley in 2017 were 21 percent below 2016 levels and combined conventional cantaloupe shipments from all districts of 17.77 million cartons were off 24 percent from 23.26 million cartons in 2016.
By contrast, organic cantaloupe shipments showed mixed results in 2017, with San Joaquin Valley organic volume up in 2017 and Imperial Valley organic cantaloupe shipments down compared with 2016.
The USDA reported 2017 California organic cantaloupe shipments at 406,000 cartons from San Joaquin Valley, compared with 205,000 cartons from Imperial Valley.
Organic shipments in 2016 from San Joaquin Valley were rated at 396,500 cartons, compared with 337,500 cartons from Imperial Valley.