Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
El Nino is adversely affecting many produce shipments in North America.
Unseasonable heat brought on an early, heavier-than-normal shipments for the Florida strawberry season, which started before Thanksgiving and lasted through Christmas. Now strawberry shipments are in a lull and are not expected reach decent volume by Valentine’s Day, February 14th, which is a popular event for the fruit. Assuming shipments ever get on “normal” track this season, loadings should continue through March.
Changing weather patterns are impacting fruit and vegetable production across North and South America, and it is not just field-grown produce that is being affected.
The El Niño phenomenon has played a major role in the various weather patterns and is affecting production on all items ranging from beefsteak, cluster, heirloom and roma tomatoes as well as grape tomatoes, mini roma grape tomatoes and medley tomatoes. Additionally, there are long sweet peppers, mini sweet peppers, bell peppers, seedless cucumbers, mini seedless cucumbers and baby eggplant, among others.
Lower than normal temperatures in combination with lower light levels reduce yields across the board for greenhouse grown produce during the spring and summer out of Canada, and during the winter in Mexico.
Mexican vegetables through Nogales – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
While weather related issues continue to adversely affect produce shipments around the country, keep your fingers crossed shipments are getting back towards a more normal track in the deserts of Arizona and California.
The unprecedented run of low shipments and shipping gaps appears to be over, with the possible exception of celery. This means higher volume and more consistent shipments of various types of lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower.
Since the week of January 11 it has been warmer and temperatures are in the mid- to high 40s for lows and the highs are in the high 60s to low 70s. Let’s hope the good desert weather continues.
Meanwhile, much of Central and Northern California have been hit with above-average rain since the beginning of the year, something the desert areas were spared for the most part.
Growers in the coastal California valleys (Santa Maria and Salinas), which will be shipping the majority of the nation’s vegetable crops in the spring are having a few problems getting into the fields to plant. The shift in lettuce production to Santa Maria typically occurs around April 1. Those fields harvested in April need to be planted this month. If the storms continue, that could be an issue.
There’s complaints about a lot of low produce freight rates now. Just look at the desert, which is grossing under $2 per mile.
Desert vegetable shipments – grossing about $5800 to New York City.
Unfavorable Chilean weather has resulted in arrivals of grapes being well behind a year ago, while favorable weather has increased arrivals of mangoes from Peru and Ecuador.
Chilean table grape arrivals on the East Coast have been well below the year-to-date arrivals from a year ago, which had itself suffered from a short supply of early season grapes. Usually, there are late domestic supplies from California and Peruvian product to lessen demand for light volume early arrivals from Chile. However, California wrapped up shipments early this season and Peruvian seedless grape inventory on the US East Coast is depleted.
Imported Chilean table grape arrivals on the East Coast will be nearly 50 percent lower than last year through the same date. This has resulted in only 2.6 million cases of Chilean table grapes arriving the first two weeks of the season. More steady arrivals and heavier volume will occur in February.
Mango Imports
Both Peru and Ecuador are shipping higher volumes of mangoes than projected due to favorable weather conditions. Peak mango shipments (imports) from Peru mangoes will continue arriving at U.S. ports though January.
Mangos are available in the US year-round and imported from four other countries besides Peru and Ecuador:
- Mexico has the largest mango season, starting at the end of January and continuing through September.
- Guatemala’s season starts in March and extends until May, sometimes early June.
- Haiti supplies mangos from April until July.
- Brazil’s season lasts from August through November.
Here’s an update on the amount of fruit remaining in storages around the country for fresh apple shipments, as well as another look at declining Florida citrus loadings.
The amount of domestic U.S. fresh apples remaining in storages totaled 90.5 million bushels on January 1, 20 percent fewer than last year at the same time. However, the January total was similar to the five-year average of 90.7 million bushels, according to the U.S. Apple Association, Vienna, Va. Washington accounted for about 76.6 million bushels of those still in storage, New York 5.7 million bushels, Michigan 4.5 million bushels and Pennsylvania 1.3 million bushels.
Washington’s Yakima Valley apples and pears – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
Florida Citrus Shipments
While about 96 percent of the Florida’s oranges are shipped to processers, 65percent of navels, 63 percent of tangerines, 40 percent of grapefruit and about 10 percent of the state’s overall citrus is shipped fresh.
Navels, grapefruit and tangerines showed declines in the latest USDA report on Florida citrus production. The USDA reported January 12 no changes in other orange production, noting navels declined 100,000 boxes to 1 million cartons.
Grapefruit production declined 700,000 cartons, with most of the losses coming in red grapefruit, which saw a 500,000-carton decline. On tangerines, decreases in early and midseason fruit, the fallglos and sunbursts, as well as the later season honeys lowered production 200,000 cartons.
Fruit droppage on oranges, however, is reported to be high across all varieties as well as with grapefruit and tangerines. Droppage is at 32 percent for the non-valencias, well above the maximum and for valencias, is reported to be the highest in more than 50 years.
In other words, Florida citrus shipping woes continue, primarily due to disease problems.
Florida citrus and vegetables – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Wintertime any year can pose it own set of problems relating to shipping volume, gaps, and quality for California produce shipments. But this year is becoming even more unpredictable with the California El Niño storm season underway, which can translate into weeks of frequent rain, resulting in harvest delays or damage to strawberries, citrus and vegetables.
Rain is predicted through the end of January, which can affect late March and early April produce shipments after the seasonal transition from the California and Arizona deserts.
The Yuma, AZ shipping area has already been experiencing much lighter shipments of cauliflower, broccoli and celery.
Central California plantings (San Joaquin Valley), including the Huron district, is already a concern to many produce growers who hope to plant on the schedule. Huron often prevents or lessens a shipping gap between the desert and Salinas for items such as lettuce.
Concerning citrus shipments, California packinghouses have been stepping up harvest in anticipation of coming rains. Thus far, shipping gaps have pretty much been avoided.
Citrus is more resistant than vegetables to rain damage, so growers work to increase picking and packing during storm breaks.
Luckily for strawberry shipments in the months ahead, the Watsonville and Salinas districts completed planting before any storms. However, drops in strawberry shipping volume is expected from Ventura and Orange counties.
Over 2016 California strawberry shipments are expected to have decreased volumes.
Above average rainfall is forecast through March in California, Texas and Florida by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Based on NASA satellite imagery, climatologists say the warming trend in the Pacific Ocean equals that of the same months in 1998, when heavy rains and flooding rolled through the regions. It was one of the two strongest El Niño’s on record.
The Salinas Valley had extensive flooding in 1998.
BOTTOM LINE….There’s a pretty good chance lighter than normal western vegetable shipments will be with us for a while.
California and Arizona desert vegetable shipments, grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
Florida sweet corn and watermelon shipments are showing an increase, although moderate, while we take a look at onions shipments out of the Northwest.Florida Vegetable Shipments
Sweet corn shipments and other vegetables from Florida continue to be light due to the lingering effects of seven days of heavy rains the second week of December. Sweet corn loadings are expected to return to normal the week of January 18th, barring other adverse weather events. Only Florida and Mexico have sweet corn shipments during the winter months….South Florida watermelon loadings are underway, although volume is light.
Central and South Florida vegetables, tomatoes, watermelons and strawberries – grossing about $2800 to New York City.
Northwest Onion Shipments
The National Onion Association is reporting estimated nationwide production levels dropped by nearly 7.6 million bags so far this season from a year ago, a 7.7 percent decrease. Much of that decrease is attributed to Eastern Oregon and Malhuer County, Idaho, as well as Washington state, where production cumulatively fell by approximately 5 million bags.
While many onions that were harvested and placed into storage looking great. The product began to show flaws three to five weeks later. This is resulting in quality problems being higher than normal. It also could result in a number of northwest onion shippers finishing up in March instead of late May.
Oregon/Idaho onion shipments – grossing about $4600 San Antonio.
Columbia Basin potatoes and onions – grossing about $4100 to Chicago.
From Peruvian imported mangoes, to Oregon pears and Washington apples, here’s an update on opportunities to haul produce.
Peru plans to export 10.5 million boxes to the U.S. this season, up from 7.8 million boxes last season. An early start in Peru and continued big imports from Ecuador pushed mango volumes up in December, and fruit arrivals should remain in good volume through January.
Ecuadorian mango volumes peaked through the week of Dec. 21 before sliding and by mid-January Peru should account for most of the volume.
About 65 percent of the late December arrivals were slated for the East Coast, 35 percent for the West Coast, because of faster delivery times to the East Coast.
Oregon Pear Shipments
Jackson County, Oregon where Medford is located, is one of the state’s big pear-growing regions. The rest of the state’s commercial pear trees are mostly in the Hood River area. Together, those two regions account for about 25 percent of pear shipments in the U.S.
Washington Apple Shipments
Washington apple and fruit shipments were hit last season due to the 2015 drought. The Washington State Department of Agriculture reports drought caused 85 percent of the state to be in “extreme drought” status at the drought’s peak in late August. The result of the heat and lack of rain caused Washington apples to suffer a 5 percent drop in loadings and a 7 percent decline in blueberry shipments.
Early harvested varieties were most affected by low water availability and high temperatures in the Yakima basin. However, growing regions in the north were not hurt as badly by the drought. The 2015 Washington apple crop was first estimated at near 125 million cartons, but that estimate was reduced by 5 percent to 118 million cartons by the end of the summer. Shipments for the harvested crop should continue through most of the summer.
Washington state apple and pear shipments – grossing about $5500 to Atlanta.
Here’s an update on light to moderate Florida produce loading opportunities.
Florida strawberry shipments this season will come from product off of 11,000 acres in the Plant City area. Those plantings are expected to yield about 42 million flats of eight 1-pound clamshells, up from last season’s 38 million to 40 million flats.
Although a few farmers harvest through mid-April, most grower-shippers finish packing by mid- to late March.
More normal supplies and shipments of Florida strawberries are expected anytime now. In mid- and late December, shipments were only about two-thirds of normal due to warmer than normal weather.
Strawberry shipments are hitting about 200 truckloads per week now, but this number should increase significantly in the days ahead.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
Meanwhile, tomato shipments easily lead the pack when looking a vegetable loadings. About 400 truckloads of tomatoes are being shipped per week from central and southern Florida locations.
There are a number other vegetables in Florida being shipped in light volume ranging from bell peppers to radishes and eggplant, among others. However, Florida certainly isn’t a panacea for finding produce loads this time of the year. But loadings overall in the Eastern time zone of the U.S. this time of year, prompts us to give you as much information as possible. At best, Florida loadings most likely will involve multiple pick ups and drops.
Florida produce – grossing about $2600 to New York City.
Produce shipments should start returning to more normal movement now that we are past the holidays and receivers are starting to replenish their stocks. Here’s a look at produce shipping from several areas around the country.
Western Lettuce Shipments
Lettuce shipments, led by Iceberg and romaine are originating primarily out of the Yuma district of Arizona. Other leading items are celery, broccoli and cauliflower, although cold weather has cut into volume. Loadings are much lighter from the California desert, primarily from the Imperial Valley, Coachella Valley and Palo Verde.
Apple Shipments
Washington’s Yakima and Wenatchee valleys are averaging bout 2500 truckloads per week. New York state, led by the Hudson Valley, is shipping about 250 truckloads weekly. Michigan is third in volume about 175 trucks per week.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $4500 to Dallas.
Texas Produce Shipments
Overall, it’s still relatively light for produce items here. This is light to moderate shipments of grapefruit and oranges from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The is better volume of Mexican tropical fruits and vegetables crossing the border.
South Texas citrus and Mexican produce freight rates were up 15 to 20 percent during the holidays, depending on the destination; for example, grossing about $2900 to Atlanta. Rates could drop with the holidays past us.
East Coast Produce Shipments
Pretty slim pickin’s over all. If you’re coming out of Florida with a partial load, there’s very light volume of cabbage and greens being shipped from Southern Georgia…Eastern North Carolinas is loading sweet potatoes in moderate volume….Dry onion shipments are coming out of Orange County, NY. Partial loads of cabbage are coming out of central and western New York. Apples are available from the Hudson Valley, Champlain Valley, plus central and western areas….Aroostrock County, Maine has light volume with potatoes.
North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $3000 to Boston.
Weekly boat shipments between the Mexican ports of Veracruz and Altamira and the port of Philadelphia have been scheduled by Miramar, Fla.-based SeaLand of Miramar, FL.
The service will provide goods such as avocados, lemons and tomatoes, according to a Sealand news release. It is geared for producers and exporters of perishable goods to the U.S. and provides the economies of scale, security and reliability of an ocean service combined with expedited transit.
From Philadelphia, Mexican shippers can reach up to 40 percent of the U.S. population within a day’s drive by truck. The service features a six-day transit time, and its first sailing is planned for January 26 out of Veracruz.
The SeaLand Atlantico service will have the following port rotation: Veracruz-Altamira-Philadelphia, the release said.
“We are pleased to provide Mexican exporters an alternative to land transport with a high level of security and care for their products,” Jorge Monzalvo, SeaLand Mexico commercial manager, said in the release. “With the SeaLand Atlantico customers avoid transloading cargo, congestion at the border and limited truck power between countries.”