Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota historically has been the largest red potato shipping area in the country. However, devastating weather factors may change that for the 2016-17 shipping season.Ted Kreis, editor of Potato Bytes, the weekly online news publication of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association (NPPGA) reports the heart of “Potato Country” in northeast North Dakota was devastated by baseball size hail that lasted up to 35 minutes on the night of July 19th.
The worst hail damage was along Highway 18 from Mountain to Hoople in Pembina and Walsh Counties but heavy rain, hail and strong winds caused damage to a much larger area extending south into northern Grand Forks County and east to the Red River
Bruce Huffaker, publisher of North American Potato Market News (NAPMN) projects an 8.6 percent jump in red acres for the U.S. fall crop. A small increase was projected for the Red River Valley, but that doesn’t jive with the NPPGA’s own surveys of valley wash plants that showed a small decrease. Weather damaged red potato acres will trim harvest acres even further.
Huffaker’s analysis projects an increase of nearly 5,000 acres in the top ten fall crop states. Most notable is a 1,450 acre increase in Washington and just under 1,000 additional acres in Michigan.
The largest potato shipping state, Idaho, is projected to hold at 9,750 acres. Those are high yielding irrigated acres which mean that Idaho’s red potato production could rival the Red River Valley this year, especially if crop losses are as heavy as projected in northeast North Dakota.
Twin Falls, ID area russet potatoes – grossing about $3800 to Atlanta.
Here’s a round up of opportunities for California produce shipments.
Complaints continue to be heard about the lousy westbound freight rates across the country. There also isn’t a lot of excitement over refrigerated loads for fresh fruits and vegetables. Even California seems subdued this summer, the West Coast is still your best bet.
Salinas Valley Produce Shipments
Adequate truck supplies seem to be the norm anymore in California. The reasons given are numerous, but we won’t dwell on that now.
Head lettuce is accounting for around 1,000 truck loads per week in the Salinas Valley, but volume with other types of lettuce (romaine, leaf) are substantially lower. There’s also the usual suspects in the fields ranging from celery to bell peppers, among many others. In the nearby Watsonville district, strawberries are finally in a consistent mode, with both volume and quality. Over 900 truckloads of strawberries are being shipped each week. The Santa Maria district just to the south of Salinas is shipping similar items, but in much less volume.
Salinas vegetables and Watsonville berries – grossing about $7000 to New York City.
San Joaquin Valley Produce Shipments
The heaviest volume out of the San Joaquin Valley now is probably grapes and cantaloupe. Table grapes are heaviest in the Southern part of the valley closer to the Bakersfield area, but are gaining in volume as the season spreads northward in the valley. Cantaloupe loadings are now good out of the Westside district of the San Joaquin Valley from places such as Firebaugh. Both grapes and cantaloupes are averaging around 1,250 truckloads per week.
Growers in Fresno County ship almost 250,000 tons of cantaloupes from 11,400 acres.
Tomato shipments are now originating out of the central valley. There’s also is moderate loadings with peaches. Both items are averaging around 500 truck loads each per week. Nectarines and plums also are being shipped, but in relatively light volume.
San Joaquin Valley produce – grossing about $4100 to Dallas.
American citrus shipments are expected to be down this season. Meanwhile, off the radar a bit, might be loading opportunities in Maine for – of all things – broccoli.
U.S. growers are expected to produce about 138 million boxes of oranges this season, down from 147 million boxes in 2014-15.
The drop continues a years-long trend in U.S. orange production, according to the July citrus forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
About 156 million boxes of oranges were produced in the U.S. in 2013-14, 190 million boxes in 2012-13.
By state, Florida orange shipments should hit about 81.5 million boxes this season, up from the June estimate of 81.4 million boxes but down from 97 million boxes last season, 105 million boxes in 2013-14 and 134 million boxes in 2012-13.
California’s orange shipments are projected to be 55 million boxes and Texas orange shipments are estimated at 1.7 million boxes in 2015-16.
About 19.6 million boxes of U.S. grapefruit are expected this season, down from the June estimate of 20 million boxes. It’s also fewer boxes than the 2014-15 total of 21.5 million boxes, the 2013-14 total of 25.2 million boxes and the 2012-13 total of 29 million boxes.
U.S. growers should ship about 23.4 million boxes of lemons this season, up from the June estimate of 22.5 million boxes, 22.6 million boxes in 2014-15, 20.6 million boxes in 2013-14 and 22.8 million boxes in 2012-13.
U.S. tangerine production also continues its upward trend. About 23.4 million boxes are expected in 2015-16, comparable to the June estimate and up from 20.9 million boxes last season, 17.8 million boxes in 2013-14 and 16.4 million boxes in 2012-13.
Southern California citrus and avocados – grossing about $5600 to Atlanta.
Maine Broccoli Shipments
Shipper Fresh from the Start expects to start shipping Maine broccoli anytime and continue through October out of Fort Kent Mills, Me.
Once the Maine broccoli is harvested, it is boxed and packed in the field. The product is then pre-cooled with a Slush Ice Injection System and the vast majority is shipped the same day. The company ships broccoli year-round between its broccoli crop in California and Maine program. The company is part of Hapco Farms LLC, headquartered in Riverhead, NY.
Hapco also ships potatoes year-round, as well as watermelons, vegetables and fruit year-round from all production areas, including California, Florida, Canada and offshore imported produce.
Here are shipping updates on for Northwest potato shipments starting soon, as well as U.S apple shipments that are winding down before the new crop is ready.
Potato shipments from the Northwest could get underway a week or more earlier than usual this season.
Unlike a year ago when drought and triple digit heat was hitting potato fields, weather this year has been much more favorable. Columbia Basin potato shipments from Washington and Oregon should get underway in late July. That’s a significant change from last year when both potatoes and tree fruits suffered from heat stress.
While estimates have not yet been released on projected volume many see similar volume to last year and probably more. Because of great growing conditions there are concerns of oversupply as shipments take off in August and September.
The great growing conditions in the Northwest includes Idaho, easily the nation’s largest potato shipper.
For Washington’s Skagit Valley potatoes, one of the later starting regions in the Pacific Northwest, is expected to start earlier this year. Harvesting could begin as early as August 15th. For the past few years, Labor Day has been a more typical kickoff.
Apple Shipments
About 238 million bushels of U.S.-grown apples were grown in the U.S. in 2015, 12% fewer the current season that is winding down in the next month or so.
The July estimate, the last one of the 2015-16 season from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, was also 1% lower than the five-year average and 2% lower than a preseason estimate, according to an analysis of the data by the Vienna, Va.-based U.S. Apple Association.
The estimate was higher, however, than the 235 million bushels forecasted at U.S. Apple’s 2015 annual marketing conference.
Shipments by industry leader Washington fell from 174 million last season to 142 million bushels this season.
Washington’s 2015 total was also 4% below the five-year average, and 8.3 million bushels lower than the 2015 USDA preseason estimate.
Shipments from industry No. 3 Michigan also fell, from 24.4 million to 23.7 million bushels. That was 3% less than last year but 14% above the five-year average and comparable to the preseason USDA estimate.
The second and fourth largest U.S. shippers, New York and Pennsylvania, both saw volumes increase in 2015.
New York jumped from 30.8 million to 32.4 million bushels, Pennsylvania from 11.7 million to 12.4 million bushels.
New York’s total was 5% above last season and 13% above the five-year average, Pennsylvania’s 5% above last season and 7% above the five-year average.
The final USDA estimate for New York was 6.2 million bushels, or 24%, higher than its 2015 preseason estimate.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
by Northwest Cherry Growers
Through July 5th, the Northwest cherry industry has shipped over 15 million boxes (20-pound equivalent), including 13.97 million boxes of dark sweets. Contributing to that was a June that finished even larger than predictions, with a total of 12.3 million boxes. That’s a 3 percent increase over last year’s new record of 11.9 million boxes.
Cherries were everywhere for the 4th of July. And with more retail ads breaking nationally, momentum for cherry shipments out of the holiday appears to be maintained. In fact, this July 5th saw more cherry shipments than ever before, topping 2012’s record of 523,000 by another 50,000 boxes. The 7-day shipment average through the 4th holiday (6/28-7/4) was the second highest on record at 452k boxes, with only 2009’s ultra-compressed season seeing more boxes per day at 505,652.
Total Rainier shipments are just below 1.47 million 15-pound boxes. Rainier shipments per day have decreased from a daily high this season of over 95,000 boxes to a weekly average ending on the 5th of 17,000 per day. However, beautiful cherries remain in some orchards and shipments of yellow cherries will continue to trickle out to displays worldwide.
A study performed by the Nielsen Perishables Group in 2014 found the biggest factor behind a late-season purchase decision by a consumer was, in fact, the awareness that it was the “late season” for cherries… Put another way, roughly 1 out of 3 cherry buyers don’t make their first purchase until they realize it’s their LAST CHANCE TO BUY CHERRIES FOR THE SEASON.
Top retailers each season use that to their advantage, and communicate the late season opportunity by communicating that at the shelf level. Participants in the North American in-store radio program will be hearing the switch from trivia & Holiday related ads to Buy Now, Freeze Now messaging to support multiple-unit sales. For those with an NWCG Promotional Ad Program in place, promotions are available for circular-inclusion of similar messaging.
Washington cherries – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Southeastern peach shipments will be wrapping up earlier than usual this season. In Texas, new funding should translate into more Mexican produce crossing the border.
Southeastern Peach Shipments
Georgia and South Carolina peach shippers expect to end peach harvesting earlier than normal due to winter growing conditions.
Most South Carolina peach shipments should be ending by late August, earlier than the typical September 10-12 end. A big production drop of late-season varieties is expected by July 15th.
For example, in a typical week in late July, Titan Farms harvests 180,000 cartons and ships 120 truckloads. This season, the company expects to harvest 70,000 boxes and ship 45 loads a week, 35 to 40 percent of Titan’s 2014 and 2015 production.
Georgia Peach Shipments
Fourth of July shipments were high for Georgia peach shipments, but due to dormancy issues, shippers expect to ship lighter than normal late season volume through late July before seeing a flush of production in early August. While strong August peach shipments are seen, loadings should be completed during the week of August 15th, a little earlier than normal.
Georgia peaches and vegetables – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Texas Port of Entry
Loadings of fresh Mexican produce at warehouses in the Lower Rio Grande Valley are only expected to keep increasing in the years ahead, and new funding by the federal government will help spur this trend.
Pharr, Tx, is one of the three Lone Star State recipients of Donations Acceptance Program funding from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Pharr will use funds from the public/private partnership for expanded cold storage facilities; an agricultural identification and training facility, which will ultimately reduce waiting times on insect identifications; and expanded secondary inspection docking space.
The Pharr project is specifically focused on facilitating and expediting shipments of fresh produce from Mexico. This is seen as crucial in building trade and helping grow the Texas produce import industry.
The Texas produce industry contributed more than $475 million in economic activity and 4,500 jobs to Texas in 2015. Additionally, there are CBP funded projects in Donna, Tx, and at Red Hook Terminals.
Created in 205, the agency’s Donations Acceptance Program helps expedite U.S. port of entry improvements.
Mexican tropical fruits and vegetables at Pharr, Tx port of entry – grossing about $3800 to New York City.
California pear shipments have gotten underway with volume expected to be down a little, but similar to a year ago.
California is forecast to ship about 2 million 36-pound boxes of Bartlett pears, the leading variety.
However, Bosc and golden bosc are down about 30 percent from 2015, with most of the reduction in the early shipments coming out of the Sacramento River district. Red pears are also down from last year, particularly from the early district.
Bartlett pear shipments started the week of July 3rd. Rivermaid Trading Co. ships over half of California’s fresh pears, and expects to load over 1 million boxes of bartletts. The other three California pear packers are Scully Packing, David J. Elliot & Son and Greene & Hemly. The California pear industry has experienced considerable consolidation. Just a few years ago there were over a dozen packers.
Pear loadings have gotten off to a fast, early start, beginning with Lake County.
Mountain bartletts are expected to begin around July 25th in Lake and Mendocino counties, and boscs by August 1st. Remaining pear varieties pears will be available by mid- to late-August.
The northern reaches of California production will overlap with Pacific Northwest production, with bartletts available all the way into October from the Golden State. The Yakima Valley in Washinton state typically starts with pear shipments in the second week of August,
Last year’s combined volume for all California pear varieties was 3.1 million boxes.
The crop might be down a little, possibly 5 to 7 percent on the bartletts from last year. The red pears are going to be very comparable to a year ago with the new varieties coming on. Golden bosc pears will probably be off 15 to 20 percent due to a severe blight problem on the river that hit the crops. Lake and Mendocino counties will have significantly less pear volume than last year, when a bumper crop materialized.
Southern and Central San Joaquin Valley stone fruit and tomatoes – grossing about $5800 to Atlanta.
Imports of Southern Hemisphere citrus continues to increase as American consumers are becoming more accustomed to purchasing citrus year-round. Improving quality and taste are cited as factors.
As navel oranges, minneolas and clementines experience increasing volume from the Southern Hemisphere, it opens up the window for more sales of citrus.
Seedless easy peelers such as Murcotts, and the mandarin varieties continue to be the most popular items in produce departments. Imported citrus primarily arrives at three major ports in the West (Long Beach), Southeast (Florida) and Northeast (Philadelphia), reducing logistic and distribution costs.
Chile’s first shipment of Navels to the U.S. — comprising 7,960 boxes arrived in early June, a earlier than in 2015.
Importers are very optimistic for the season ahead. Total global citrus exports from Chile (Navels, easy peelers and lemons) rose by 30 percent last year, and estimates are that volume is expected to climb another 10 percent in 2016. While the largest increase is expected for easy peelers, projected Navel volumes are also slightly higher than 2016, 68,261 tons compared to 67,644 tons in 2015.
Easy peelers are clearly the up and comers in citrus, because not only are they a great-tasting, but are convenient to eat.
Though just 9.9 percent of the citrus volume sold, Mandarins represented 36.4 percent of dollar sales in the U.S. retail market for the year September 2014 to September 2015. By comparison, oranges, which form 30 percent of the category volume, represented a lesser share — 29.2 percent — of the overall spent.
Through early June, Chilean citrus exports were at 25,906 tons (just over 1.6 million boxes), 80 percent of which were destined for the U.S. Exports to the U.S. market through early June included 121 tons of Navels, 14,069 tons of clementines and 6,349 tons of lemons.
The period June-August is the primary season for Chilean lemons. Of all the lemons entering the U.S. from the Southern Hemisphere, Chile had an astounding 95 percent market share last year, shipping nearly 34,000 tons to the U.S. This year, Chile’s exports of lemons totaled 20,372 tons by mid June, up 104 percent from last season. Out of this volume, 55 percent were destined for North America,
YTD volume shipped to the North American market is 119 percent greater than the same time in 2015. Despite the initial increase in volume shipped to this market, it is expected to slow down, as the total forecast of 60,000 tons is four percent less than last year’s volume of 62,196 tons.
Peru shipments are expected to start arriving the first week of July.
California citrus is nearly finished, opening the door for imports that will last from from July well into October.
South African clementines, Cara Caras and other varieties were beginning to arrive at U.S. ports. However, while South African citrus exports were running early and had good volumes, the total imported this season could be less than in previous years due to weather conditions.
Here’s a round up of North American blueberry shipments that are shifting areas in the coming weeks, plus we take a glimpse at upcoming Quebec apple shipments and western U.S. onions.
Blueberry shipments are making the seasonal shift to new areas and are hitting peak volume from British Columbia, New Jersey and Michigan.
While Georgia an California blueberries, as well as North Carolina blueberry shipments are nearly finished, Michigan got underway the week of June 27th and is now entering peak shipments.
British Columbia blueberry shipments started a little early this year and loadings are currently heavy.
Typically there’s a gap between Pacific Northwest and British Columbia blueberry shipments, but this year is an exception. However, Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia are all hitting good volumes at the same time, with peak shipments to hit in mid-July.
British Columbia was in full volume by about June 29 and New Jersey by the week of July 4th, while Michigan is expected to peak by the week of July 11.
New Jersey and Pacific Northwest blueberry shipments will likely start to taper off in the second half of July, when Michigan is expected to take over the lion’s share of blueberry loadings.
Washington state blueberries, and apples – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Southern New Jersey blueberries, – grossing about $1900 to Boston.
Quebec Apple Shipments
Quebec apple shipments are expected to get underway the week of September 12th. Apple loadings for the province’s 2015-16 crop are expected to wind down during the last half of July.
Onion Shipments
Onion shipments from the new crop are expected to get underway during the middle of August from Western Idaho and Mulheur County, OR. Volume should be up this season as a slight increase in acreage is reported. Onion shipments typically last through April. The area is known for its sweet Spanish onions, as well as whites, reds and yellows.
Here’s a glimpse of cherry shipments from around the U.S., as well as blueberry loadings from the Northwest. There also is a final outlook at late season sweet corn shipments from Georgia, and some states that will follow.
Cherry Shipments
U.S. sweet cherry production is projected to be down 6 percent this year.
About 318,000 tons are likely to ship in 2016, down from 338,000 tons in 2015, according to the June 22 Cherry Production report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Production is down this year in both industry leader Washington and in California, which produces the second most sweet cherries, according to the report. Washington cherry shipments are now hitting a peak, while California cherry shipments are virtually finished for the year.
Washington production is expected to fall from 210,000 tons to 195,000 tons. Shipments from California, which was hit hard by spring rains, decreased from 68,000 to 60,000 tons.
Production in industry No. 3 Oregon is expected to increase from 41,000 to 42,000 tons. Michigan production also should be up, from 15,900 to 21,000 tons.
Washington cherries – grossing about $5500 to Atlanta.
Blueberry Shipments
Oregon’s 350 growers grow and ship blueberries from 11,000 acres.
Looking at 2016 production, the Beaver State is expecting to break 100 million pounds for the first time.
Washington’s 275 growers in the Evergreen State farm blueberries on 15,000 acres. The Washington blues harvest ramped up on May 30 in eastern Washington, and production started from Skagit around June 20 with shipments picking up in Whatcom a few days later.
The state’s producers are looking at production of 118 million pounds of blueberries, up from 103 million a year ago.
Sweet Corn Shipments
This is the last week of peak shipments of sweet corn out of Georgia. However, declining volume will be available until mid July.
Corn loadings then switch to Delaware in mid-July, in Ohio about July 20th and in New York about July 25th . Once Georgia finishes shipping, most of these other area are typically shipped regionally.
Southern Georgia corn, blueberries and vegetables – grossing about $3200 to Boston.