Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Florida strawberry shipments got off to a good start this season and while volume is currently down, this should change once we get into the New Year.
As of December 9th, loadings had totaled 1.258 million 12-pound cartons, up from 1.075 million cartons the same time a year ago.
While some plastic covering for the plants had to be replaced, strawberries were unaffected by Hurricane Irma last September. The fruit also came through a cold spell in the middle of December in good shape. However, that colder weather has resulted in fewer shipments the last half of December, but volume to return more to normal as we progress into January.
Because of newer strawberry varieties and planting of plugs there was more volume in November than there used to be. Fruit was being shipped in at the start of November this season instead of after Thanksgiving as in the past. Florida strawberry shipment for the fresh market should continue through March.
Florida strawberry shipments in calendar year 2016 totaled 18.3 million 12-pound cartons, down slightly from 19.2 million cartons in 2015 but way up from 11.5 million cartons in 2010, according to the USDA. Florida strawberry shipments typically peak in February and March, with those two months accounting for 32 and 37 percent of annual shipments, respectively.
In 2016, December accounted for 21 percent of total shipments and January had a 9 percent share of total annual shipments.
Additionally, in 2016, Florida strawberry acreage totaled 10,800 planted acres and 10,700 harvested acres of strawberries.
Each year Easter provides a big demand for strawberries. In 2018, Easter will fall on April 1st, instead of April 16th as it did in 2017. Florida should still have good supplies of strawberries to ship ahead of the Easter observance.
Wish Farms of Plant City, FL accounts for about 17 to 18 percent of the total strawberry acreage.
By CarbAmericas
Ft. Lauderdale, FL. — CarbAmericas, a premier importer of fresh fruits and vegetables, kicks off Florida broccoli shipments next week with a new season of growing in the Sunshine State. Broccoli shipments will continue through mid-April.
The Florida harvest complements the company’s established Mexico and East Coast offerings. This year, the Florida program accounts for more than 400 acres of their broccoli program, nearly doubling their volume from 2016. Growing in Florida allows CarbAmericas to offer a year-round broccoli program.
“Our location in North Florida places us at a perfect location for freight,” said Danny Pollak, vice president of sales of CarbAmericas. “We can utilize trucks coming from various locations south of us who have just come from loading produce such as blueberries and strawberries. We can be in cities like Boston and New York in a day and a half to two days and are able to provide our customers with a quicker and more efficient supply chain.””
“We’ve done a lot of research and continue to work closely with our seed partners to perfect the varieties for this climate,” said Jeff Friedman, president of CarbAmericas. “We currently grow seedlings in greenhouses which helps us get better yields and consistent sizing. We are also working with new seed varieties that we trialed last year and proved worthy of our program.”
Also on their side is their relationship with grower TJ Bratcher, whose family brings over 30 years of experience to the operation.
Later this month, CarbAmericas will begin building a packing plant which will be used to not only pack and ship broccoli but also other items such as cauliflower, potatoes, squash and cucumbers to name a few. The facility is projected to be completed by late summer 2018 and will be in full operation for next year’s December crop.
This season, CarbAmericas will ship Asian Cut Crown broccoli in wax boxes, iced from an onsite machine out of Bunnell, FL.
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About CarbAmericas
CarbAmericas was established in 1993 and is a vertically integrated, year-round supplier and importer of fruits and vegetables. Specializing in asparagus, broccoli, mangos, snow and sugar snap peas, CarbAmericas services both retail and foodservice in the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America.
Chilean avocado exports to the U.S. are projected to increase through next summer….Meanwhile, Florida grapefruit shipments may be the lowest in nearly a century….Better Florida produce shipping news coming with the new strawberry season.
Chilean avocado exports to all countries will reach 155,000 metric tons during 2018, which will be an increase of about 5 percent in shipments. Most Chilean avocados are shipped from August through May.
From January through September, Chilean avocado exports to all markets rose by 42.9 percent in volume and 61.7 percent in value.
The U.S. is the largest importer of Chilean avocados, account for about 30 percent of the South American country’s total exports, which was about 23,000 metric tons in 2017. Current season imports of Chilean avocados has soared this year, however, growing 158.5 percent in volume from January through September 2017 compared with the same period last year. Following the U.S., Chile’s top avocado export markets include the Netherlands, Argentina, China and the United Kingdom.
Florida Grapefruit Shipments
Shipments of Florida grapefruit are now projected to fall to the lowest in nearly 100 years.
Production could only reach 4.65 million boxes in the current crop year, which would be the lowest output since 1919, according to a USDA forecast last week. Texas is aiming to build up some lost output and next year could surpass Florida as the top grapefruit shipper for the first time. Still, the nationwide crop of 14.15 million boxes will be the smallest since 1930, less than half the harvest as recently as 2013.
Wish Farms Launches Strawberry Season
By Wish Farms
Plant City, FLA — Wish Farms, grower-shipper and year-round supplier of Florida strawberries has big plans for its new strawberry season.
“The recent cooler weather we’ve experienced is great for the berries and is helping us kick off Florida strawberry season,” said Gary Wishnatzki, owner of Wish Farms. “Consumers are seeing Florida fruit in stores now.”
Plant City, Florida is known as the winter strawberry capital of the world. Wish Farms is growing and marketing almost 2,000 acres of Florida strawberries this year. Florida’s season lasts from November through April, with peak production in February.
Wish Farms has dedicated a large portion of acreage to the Sweet Sensation, a University of Florida variety known to retain its sweetness by maintaining its sugar content and consistent brix (sugar) levels throughout the season.
The mid-season, and navel orange shipments forecast for Florida is now at 19 million boxes, down 10 percent from November and off 42 percent from a year ago.
The report from December 12th places the Florida orange forecast at 46 million 90-pound boxes, down 8 percent the November estimate and 33 percent lower than last season’s final shipments.
Florida’s valencia orange forecast, at 27 million boxes, is 7 percent lower than November and 24 percent down from last season, according to the USDA.
Florida grapefruit production was estimated at 4.65 million (85-pound) boxes, unchanged from November but down 40 percent from last season Now three months after Hurricane Irma, the crop shipping forecast reductions come as the Florida citrus industry seeks federal emergency funding to support growers hurt by the hurricane.
“This second reduction underscores the dire need for federal disaster assistance,” Shannon Shepp, executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus, said in a news release. “Florida citrus growers are making decisions on next season’s crop now and they need to know they have the support necessary to keep this American icon alive.”
In October, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services estimated that growers suffered more than $760 million in damages due to Hurricane Irma.
“This is exactly what we thought would happen as the true damage begins to rear its ugly head in the groves across Florida,” said Michael Sparks, executive vice president and CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “Unfortunately the situation is going to get worse before it gets better; we think the actual size of the 2017-2018 crop will not be known until the season is over and all the fruit is picked”
Sparks said the latest estimates are evidence that Congress needs to pass a citrus relief package so Florida growers can rebuild.
In the December crop production report, California and Texas orange production forecasts were carried forward from November and were not changed, the USDA said.
Florida’s total orange shipments are still slightly ahead of California. According to the December crop estimate, Florida will produce 2.07 million tons of oranges in 2017-18, slightly more than the 1.84 million tons of oranges forecast in California.
There are a lot more apples remaining to be shipped in the U.S. compared to this time last year, thanks mostly to Washington state.
New York Apple Shipments
New York state’s apple shippers expect apple supplies for the Christmas and New Year holidays to be good with good quality, variety selection and quantity.
The Empire State had 11.5 million bushels in storage for shipping on November. 1st. The U.S. Apple Association’s monthly Market News reported ample supplies remain of best known and most popular New York varieties, including Empire and McIntosh, as well as consumer favorite Gala, as well as Rome and Idared. The preseason forecast saw a crop amounting 28 million bushels.
While more over 50 percent of the New York crop has been shipped, apple shippers contend there will be good supplies to meet year-end holiday demand.
More U.S. Apples Remain in Storage
As of December 1st, more apples in the U.S. for the fresh market remained to be shipped than at this same time last year — 9 percent more to be precise.
The U.S. Apple Association’s report for December observes apples remaining to be shipped are 16 percent more than the five-year average.
Apples for processing remaining in storage totaled 51.5 million (bushel) cartons, 20 percent more than last year and a whopping 21 percent above the five-year average.
At 115.97 million cartons, Washington state apples alone accounted for 88 percent of the entire U.S. fresh apple remaining to be shipped. Michigan accounted for 3 percent remained to be shipped, while New York state has 5 percent.
Variety count
The report said U.S. fresh varieties in storage on December 1st, compared with last year at the same time, were:
- Red delicious: 31.52 million cartons, down 11 percent;
- Gala: 24.77 million cartons, up 8 percent;
- Honeycrisp: 8.7 million cartons, up 56 percent;
- Granny smith: 16.69 million cartons, up 38 percent:
- Fuji: 15.08 million cartons, up 12 percent;
- Pink Lady/cripps pink: 4.952 million cartons, down 9 percent.
Yakima Valley Washington apples – grossing about $7900 to New York City.
There’s probably no single California produce item having more truck loads per week than table grapes, although this should be changing soon as volume is headed towards a season ending slide. Still, San Joaquin Valley shippers loaded about 975 truck loads last week. The first Chilean grapes to arrive at Philadelphia by boat are expected the week of December 18th.
In the Southern San Joaquin Valley in the Bakersfield area, there is pretty steady movement of carrots averaging around 375 truck loads weekly.
As the seasonal shift of vegetable shipments is nearly completed from the Salinas Valley, light volume of items ranging from broccoli to cauliflower has started from Central and Western Arizona. Heavier volume already is underway, particularly from the Yuma area with lettuce. The combination of head lettuce, as well as romaine and leaf lettuce totaled nearly 2500 truck loads last week and volume is still increasing.
Low Tomato Shipments
Thanks to Hurricane Irma last September, Florida tomato shipments this season are down 54 percent compared to the same time a year ago. Florida, as of December 9th has shipped 3.44 million cartons, down 54 percent from 7.4 million cartons in 2106. For example, Florida tomato shipments the week of December. 3-9 totaled 500,000 cartons, down over 65 percent compared with 1.492 million cartons the same week last year.
The USDA reports total supply of domestic and imported tomatoes the week of Dec. 3-9 was 1.9 million cartons, down 25 percent from 2.56 million cartons the same week a year ago.
Tomato prices at shipping point had hit $35 in mid-December resulting in high prices at retail stores and resulting in fewer sales as consumers balked at the high prices. The f.o.b. (shipping point) price for central and south Florida tomatoes on Dec. 12 was $37.95 per carton for some mature green tomatoes, four times higher than the $8.95 per carton the same time a year ago.
Cold weather in central and eastern parts of the country limited some Mexican tomato shipments coming through south Texas in early December. For imports coming in through Nogales, tomato shipments from Sinaloa, Mexico should experience significant volume increases in January.
Florida may not have normal tomato shipments until mid-January.
A look at the three leading apple shipping states; Mexican avocado imports; and the approval of imported mangoes from Vietnam.
U.S. Apple Shipments
Christmas apple shipments are always big in the U.S. and vast amount of loading are coming out of Washington’s Yakima and Wenachee Valleys. Washington state is shipping around 3500 truck load equivalents of apples a week! A distant second is the state of New York, which is moving about 250 trucks weekly, led by the Hudson Valley, although there are probably a half dozen production areas spread across the state. In Michigan, mostly from the western part of the state centered around Grand Rapids, about 225 truck loads of fruit is being shipped each week.
Washington apples – grossing about $8000 to New York City.
Mexican Avocados
Hass avocado volume from Mexico is forecast at 1.8 million to 1.9 million metric tons, up from 1.7 million metric tons in 2016-17. Nearly 80 percent of all Mexican avocadoes are exported to the U.S., though shipments to Canada, Japan and European countries have risen in recent years.
Mexican exports of avocados should hit nearly 1 million metric tons (95 million 23-pound cartons) in 2017-18, up 15 percent from 873,963 metric tons (83.5 million cartons) in 2016-17. Mexican avocado plantings increased 7.3 percent in 2016-17 to 544,457 acres, and another increase is predicted for 2017-18.
The Mexican state of Michoacan is the world leader in avocado production and accounts for 80 percent of all the country’s avocado production.
Mexican produce crossing the South Texas border – grossing about $4700 to New York City.
Vietnam Mango Imports
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is amending its regulations to allow the importation of fresh mango fruit from Vietnam into the continental United States. After analyzing the potential plant pest risks, APHIS scientists determined that mangos from Vietnam can be safely imported.
The final rule was published in the Federal Register on November 29th, and will become effective 30 days after publication, or on December 29th.
Florida tomato volume is rebounding as the recovery from Hurricane Irma continues. Meanwhile, double digit freights on potatoes from some states in the Western U.S. are occurring.
Florida tomato shipments remain much lighter than normal thanks to Hurricane Irma last fall, that is fixing to change. Volume is gradually coming back as the replantings mature, but it will be around Christmas or perhaps early January before volumes return to normal. Irma dumped a ton of water of some fields, so use caution loading. There’s a chance of bacterial and general quality problems with some product, until a little later in the season.
North American Potato Shipping Update
North American fall potato shipments in the most recent USDA update is pegged 505 million cwt. (per hundredweight), down 1 percent from last year. Canadian growers harvested 106 million cwt., up slightly from 2016, and U.S. growers are expected to produce 399 million cwt., down 2 percent from 2016. U.S. growers planted 906,500 acres, down from 923,800 in 2016, and harvested 900,600 acres, off from 909,600 in 2016.
Canadian growers planted 345,800 acres and harvested 342,200, both amounts similar to the previous crop. The USDA reported yields per acre at 443 cwt. for growers in the U.S. and at 309 cwt. for growers in Canada.
Potato shipments for Christmas are getting underway and truck rates from both Idaho and Colorado have increased 10 to 20 percent to many markets. Wisconsin, which has the lowest volume of the three states, is not experiencing volatility in rates. Idaho is shipping moving nearly 1700 truckload equivalents of spuds a week, although a significant amount of this is going by rail. Colorado is shipping around 750 truckloads per week, while Wisconsin is loading about 400 truckloads. The Columbia Basin and Umatilla Basin on the Washington/Oregon border has similar volume (about 350 loads) to Colorado and rates have generally went up 10 to 15 percent recently.
Twin Falls area Idaho potatoes – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
San Luis Valley Colorado potatoes – grossing about $2000 to Dallas.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin area potatoes – grossing about $3300 to Atlanta.
Washington’s Columbian Basin potatoes – grossing bout $5100 to Chicago.
By Branch
South Bay, FL — Branch: A Family of Farms, the country’s largest distributor of sweet corn, is thankful that their crops were not impacted by Hurricane Irma and they are excited about the many new varieties that they will be offering as they enter into another leaf season.
Branch Farms grows and ships a full assortment of leafy vegetables including; escarole, endive, Chinese cabbage, green and red leaf lettuce, kale, butter, Bibb, Boston, romaine lettuce, cilantro and also Italian and plain parsley.
This winter’s forecast is predicted to be much cooler, which are ideal growing conditions for leafy greens in Florida. They are forecasting a strong season due to overall crop outlook as well as the improvements in varietal development and increased interest in local programs.
“We are extremely grateful to have escaped major damage unlike others who were impacted by the hurricane,” says Brett Bergmann, president of Branch. “As we look ahead to our leafy vegetable season, we expect to see increased demand due to excitement around our regional offerings, as well as advantages for our customers in freshness and overall delivered cost.”
Branch continues to invest in trialing new varieties to find better offerings each season, and will have multiple new varieties rolling out for the 2017 and 2018 season. The primary goal of the research and development of these varieties is to continue to improve upon the eating experience for the consumer, as well as improve upon how varieties perform in the Southern climates. They are especially excited about a new Endive variety that is in production this season. When trialed, they discovered this variety has shown better tolerance to heat and humid growing conditions, allowing their farmers to grow and pack a more superior product. Branch is also experimenting with a new pack on Cilantro, Curly and Plain Parsley. They plan to trial this in 2-3 markets this season and anticipate a wider expansion in the 2018 – 2019 season.
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About Branch
Since 1957, our founding principles still drive us at Branch: integrity, quality, service – a commitment to our industry and the sustainability of our environment. As a family owned and operated business, we are a premier grower, packer, shipper of sweet corn in the United States also offering our customers green beans, leafy greens, radishes and celery.
An early start for West Mexican vegetables crossing the border at Nogales, AZ is a result of warm weather and good growing conditions. It is resulting in earlier-than-normal good supplies of winter produce items.
Good volume has started this week with vegetables ranging from green bell peppers to squash. Mexico’s biggest volume produce item, tomatoes, should start crossing the border at Nogales no later than the third week of December.
Of particular interest to many produce haulers should be the fact that there may be more loadings of Mexican vegetables at Nogales destined for the East Coast this season since weather factors in the East have delayed plantings.
Loading delays in Nogales has been an issue for years, but observers say the situation is improving at the Nogales-Mariposa Port of Entry, although more customs agents are still needed. A load of produce crossing the Mexican border into Arizona used to take six to eight hours, but this has reportedly been cut to two hours or less.
Here are examples of what some shippers of Mexican produce are doing.
Calavo Growers Inc. has shade house-grown tomatoes through mid-May and the Santa Paula, CA based company expects to increase its volume by 10 to 15 percent this season from Mexico.
Del Campo Supreme Inc. in Nogales, Ariz., will start shipping a full line of tomatoes, ranging from vine-ripes, beefsteak, tomatoes-on-the-vine and grape tomatoes, starting in mid-December. The tomatoes are grown in both shade house and green house facilities.
During the 2016-17 season, Mexican growers exported approximately 1.2 billion pounds of round, roma, cherry and grape tomatoes to the U.S.
Some of the shippers for Mexican vegetables through Nogales are:
Big Chuy Distributing Co. Inc, Nogales, plus Ciruli Bros. LLC, Grower Alliance LLC, IPR Fresh, and Thomas Produce Sales Inc. all located in Rio Rico, AZ.
Here are some of the Mexican vegetables and when they will be shipped.
** Eggplant, and squash started in early November
**Beans will be in peak volume all of December
** Roma and beefsteak tomatoes start in mid December
** Hothouse-grown red, yellow and orange bell peppers and shade house-grown green bells are being shipped September through May
**Green bell peppers are shipped from mid November though April
Mexican veggies crossing at Nogales – grossing about $3600 to Chicago; $6500 to New York City.