Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Polk remained Florida’s top citrus county in the 2014-15 season, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It led Florida citrus production with more than 16.8 million boxes, or 15 percent of the state total.
Polk ranked second in production of oranges with more than 15.2 million boxes – 16 percent of total state production of 96.8 million boxes – and just 19,000 boxes behind top-ranked Hendry County. It led in “specialty citrus” production, tangerines and tangelos, at 915,000 boxes, or 31 percent of percent of Florida production.
Polk’s 2014-15 grapefruit harvest was 670,000 boxes, third highest in the state behind Indian River and St. Lucie counties, each with nearly 5 million grapefruit boxes.
Still Polk County citrus production fell compared to the past several seasons, as it has across the state. In 2013-14, Polk growers harvested 19.9 million boxes of citrus, including 17.5 million orange boxes, 1.2 million grapefruit boxes and nearly 1.2 million tangerine and tangelo boxes.
Polk had the most citrus grove land in Florida with 80,488 acres, the USDA reported. That was down 1.6 percent from 81,810, half the statewide loss of 3 percent.
Trailing Polk were DeSoto County citrus with 66,302 acres, Hendry County with 64,063 acres, Highlands County with 58,287 acres and Hardee County with 58,287 acres. None of the remaining 23 major citrus-producing counties has more than 30,000.
Polk also ranks No. 1 in the citrus tree count with 9.9 million trees, the USDA reported. Following are Hendry with 9.7 million trees, DeSoto with 8.9 million trees, Highlands with 7.7 million trees and Hardee with 6 million commercial citrus trees.
Christmas tree shipments started a couple of weeks ago, and in some areas this puts a crunch on truck available for hauling fresh produce.
While fresh fruits and vegetables typically pay better than dry freight, the annual shipments of Christmas trees means even higher paying rates – sometimes 10 to 20 percent more. The downside is some trucker don’t like hauling the trees because they can damage in the inside walls of the trailer. Still produce shippers say it’s more difficult finding enough trucks for fresh produce hauls, especially if you are located in one of the leading states for Christmas tree production.
Christmas tree shipments are rapidly increasing in volume and will actually continue until two or three days before the December 25th observance of the birth of Christ.
Here’s the leading Christmas tree shipping states, based on 2012 USDA numbers: 1 – Oregon, 6.4 million; 2 – North Carolina, 4.2 million, 3 – Michigan, 1.7 million; 4 – Pennsylvania, 1 million; 5 – Wisconsin, 611,000; 6 – Washington, 587,000; 7 – Virginia, 478,000; 8 – New York, 274,000; 9 – Maine, 195,000; and 10 – Connecticut, 159,000.
Christmas trees are grown for sale in 45 U.S states on 174,000 acres of land in the United States.
About 24.5 million live Christmas trees were purchased in 2012, down from 30.8 million in 2011, according to the National Christmas Tree Association. Of those, 85 percent were pre-cut and 14 percent were harvested at cut-your-own enterprises. In the same year, 24 percent of Christmas trees were sold from cut-your-own tree farms and another 24 percent from chain stores. Significant percentages of Christmas trees were also sold from retail lots (15 percent), nonprofit groups (15 percent) and nursery/garden centers (11 percent).
Bustard’s Christmas Trees in Lehighton, PA. has been selected to provide the national Christmas tree this year. The tree chosen is a Fraser fir to be used in the White House Blue Room this coming holiday season. The tree stands 19 feet tall and measures about 11 feet wide. The Bustard family has been in the Christmas tree business over 85 years.
The projected total U.S. avocado shipments are expected to set a record 1.7 billion pounds from July 1, 2015, through June 30, 2016. This includes shipments of imported avocados from Mexico.
Through September, about 1.6 billion pounds of avocados had shipped in the U.S. year-to-date, and 1.2 billion pounds of that came from Mexico. The reason so much more product comes from Mexico is it is the only country, primarily due to climate, that has the ability to ship the fruit year around.
The total from all sources compares to 1.2 billion pounds through September 2014, 14 percent less than this year
The jump for Mexican product is even greater. The 900 million pounds shipped through last September was 38 percent lower than this year’s total.
October, November and December tend to be slower months for avocado shipments, but by the end of 2015, a projected 2.1 billion pounds will have shipped in the U.S. An estimated 1.7 billion pounds of that will be Mexican fruit, up from 1.3 billion bounds in all of 2014,
The contrast to only eight years ago is pretty amazing. The Mexican avocado industry has grown in less than a decade (2007), from 479 million pounds exported to the U.S. That’s barely more than the amount by which exports increased from 2014-15. Increasing volume isn’t expected to plateau anytime soon.
Mexican exports to the U.S. are increasing so rapidly, there’s less room for fruit from countries like Chile. Chile is following a similar path set by California, where domestic demand is so strong, so there’s little incentive to export.
Mexican avocado and other imported produce entering the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas – grossing about $2400 to Chicago, $4000 to New York City.
Now is the heaviest time of the year for shipments of California dates….Plus here’s news on an expansion of a major Florida strawberry shipper.
With the harvest in storage, California has a bumper date crop this year. Although dates are shipped year around, the November-December holiday season is the heaviest. Dates are a great fall item and common on holiday menus. A significant change has occurred in recent years with date shipments. Retailers used to order a heavier volume in early November, stack up the date cartons in their warehouse and keep an inventory for the two end-of-the-year holiday months. Now many retailers want weekly shipments on date and many other items as they seek to cut warehousing costs.
SunDate LLC of Coachella, CA is a major date shipper in the Coachella Valley where most of the product is grown and shipped.
Florida Strawberry Sipments
PLANT CITY, FL – Family-owned and operated Astin Farms, is continuing to expand its operations on the heels of a recent 200-acre farmland acquisition in Plant City, FL.
Astin, which was formed in 2001, has begun to make its mark in the produce industry. Recently the company added 10,000 square-feet of refrigerated old storage space and two new cooling units to address the growth of Astin’s conventional and organic strawberry program.
New expansion will now allow the company to pre-cool about 13,000 cases at a time. The new cooling space is slated to be in operation by mid-December.
In addition, Astin will have 160 acres of blueberries this spring and just recently planted another 100 acres. Astin produces over 40 million pounds of fruit each season which is shipped across and to Canada.
Here’s a round up of produce shipments, ranging from sweet potatoes from the four leading states, to Washington apples, Texas grapefruit and pineapple imports.Due to dry weather Mississippi sweet potato shipments are down this season along with yields of the crop. The state has over 100 sweet potato growers with 23,200 acres of the crop. That is up about 12 percent from acreage planted in 2014. Mississippi, as well as neighboring Louisiana, plus the Atwater, Livingston district in California, are all averaging between 40 and 50 loads of sweet potatoes being shipped weekly. By contrast, the industry leading North Carolina is shipping nearly 300 truck loads a week, primarily from the eastern part the of state.
Washington Apple Shipments
The Washington state apple harvest is virtually finished. Estimates now vary between a low of 110 million bushels and a high of 115 million bushels to be shipped this season. There will still be plenty of opportunities for apple haulers, even with the small crop.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $4400 to Chicago.
Texas Grapefruit Shipments
The Texas grapefruit harvest, which got underway in late September should continue through April. Normal shipments are seen this season, with heaviest volume occurring during January and February from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. About a 25 percent decrease is expected compared to last year’s record-crop of 150 million bushels.
Texas grapefruit, oranges, as well as numerous imports from Mexico – grossing about $2200 to Atlanta.
Pineapple Imports
El Nino weather conditions had hit Costa Rica pineapple exports, where most pineapple are sourced this time of the year. As a result, shipments of the fruit to the United States and are now about 17 percent below normal. The lower volume is expected until January.
Here’s a look at the final months of California table grape shipments and the outlook for the new crop of California Navel oranges.
Adverse weather reduced California table grape shipments the first part of the season, but the second half of the season has been more stable with steady shipments. Approximately 15 percent of the crop is left to harvest and about 25 percent of the crop has yet to be shipped. Still, about 2,000 truck loads are being shipped weekly from the San Joaquin Valley.
Actually more shipments are now occurring in the fall and less in the off-season, considered to be spring and summer. Loadings can go up to four million boxes a week during the season and only about two-and-a-half million boxes when not in season.
California grapes – grossing about $5100 to Atlanta.
California Orange Shipments
With harvesting of the California Navel orange crop under way, there is a pre-season estimate of nearly a 10 percent increase in volume. California is projected to ship an estimated at 86 million cartons this season, with all but 3 million of that coming from the Central San Joaquin Valley. This would represent an 8.5 percent increase over last year’s volume.
A survey of orchards indicate a fruit set per tree of 412 in California’s 122,000 acres of bearing trees. That number is 20 percent higher than the five-year average of 336.
California citrus shipments occur from October into July, with the January to April time frame being the peak season. California is bracing for above-average rainfall for the first time in five years as the El Nino weather condition is expected to drop a lot of water, especially in the southern half of the state. The Central Valley runs from the south to the north, but the majority of citrus groves are in the southern half.
California citrus – grossing about $6600 to Boston.
They may not necessarily be truck loads, but at least partial loads should be available in a number of Eastern produce shipping areas, ranging from the deep south, to New York and Michigan.
Georgia Produce Shipments
Southern Georgia should ship around 110-120 million pounds of pecans this year, making it one of the best seasons in the last three years. Georgia is No.1 in U.S pecan shipments…..Elsewhere in South Georgia are a number of vegetables being shipped, but it is light volume with only partial loads available. For example, about 75 truck load equivalents of beans are being loaded weekly. There also is light, but increasing volume with items ranging from peppers to eggplant and greens.
North Carolina Produce Shipments
Eastern North Carolina sweet potato shipments are currently your best bet in the Tar Heel state. About 250 truck loads per week are being loaded….Meanwhile the cabbage harvest has just started, with very light loadings just getting underway.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
New York Produce Shipments
The Hudson Valley provides the majority of apple shipments, although there is lighter volume from other parts of the state including central and western New York. All total, New York apple shipments are averaging a little over 300 truck loads per week….Cabbage shipments from central and western areas are averaging about 225 truck loads weekly. Storage onions, primarily from Orange County, are amounting to around 150 truck loads per week.
New York cabbage – grossing about $1200 to Boston.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Not much going on here. Your best bet is with apples, primarily from the Grand Rapids area. Michigan is averaging about 250 truck loads weekly. There also very light volume with storage onions.
Michigan apples – grossing about $3400 to Orlando.
Here’s a look at loading opportunities for California kiwifruit, as well as imported kiwi and blueberries.
If you’re looking for California kiwifruit shipments, loadings are purposely being delayed. The reason is imported Chilean kiwi is still in the pipeline. California shippers are holding off for the end of the Chilean season so prices will improve. California volumes will probably be down about 10 percent this season, but there will still be plenty of product. Look for good California loading opportunities to start by late November.
Meanwhile, imported Italian kiwifruit should start shipping in volume on the East Coast by late November. Italian kiwifruit shipments to the U.S. are expected to be about 10 percent higher than last season. Imported New Zealand kiwi will be available through November.
Southern California kiwi, citrus and vegetables – grossing about $6400 to New York City.
Argentina Blueberry Imports
Frost in Argentina affected blueberry production, so imports of Argentine berries have been light in the United States. Argentina blueberry imports are now increasing, but have been off by as much as 60 percent due to cold weather and rain in South America and will remain lighter than normal for weeks to come. Arrivals by boat are occurring on both coasts.
Here’s a national produce shipping round up ranging from both domestic and imported onions, to South Texas and imported Mexican items, to Western U.S. vegetable shipments.
Caution is recommended for hauling onions out of the Northwest, including Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Weather problems earlier in the year are being blamed.
Meanwhile, quality apparently is much better for onion shipments out of Utah and Colorado. Loadings involve red, white and yellow storage onions. Northeast Colorado onion shipments will continue through the end of the year and Utah onion shipments will be available into February.
Imported Peruvian sweet onions continues, with the heaviest volume being available through Thanksgiving. Lighter volume imports of onions from Peru will continue into February.
Western Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon onions – grossing about $3400 to Dallas.
Columbia Basin, Washington, potatoes and onions – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
South Texas Produce Shipments
Texas grapefruit shipments and Texas orange shipments from the Lower Rio Grande Valley got underway a couple of weeks ago and are moving into steady volume. Total volume this season is expected to be about normal. There also are numerous items from Mexico crossing the border into Pharr, TX. There’s over 600 truck loads of avocados and nearly 400 truck loads of limes crossing the border weekly. There ‘s also lesser amounts of lemons and other items.
South Texas citrus and imported Mexican tropical fruit – grossing about $2500 to Chicago, $3900 to New York City.
KALE SHIPMENTS
The trendy vegetable item kale will continue to be shipped from the Salinas Valley, while loadings out of Yuma, AZ will start in mid November, along with several other desert vegetable shipments such as lettuce.
For the first time in about a decade, total North American blueberry shipments in 2015 were lower, according to preliminary estimates.
The crop was down 22 million pounds from last year’s 744.8 million pounds. The final numbers would be released in March.
The only regions that grew in volume were the western U.S. and Mexico. The rest of the United States and Canada saw comparable or smaller blueberry shipments.
The biggest drop in volume for any region was in Michigan, which had a rough year due to weather, and the states of Georgia and New Jersey were moderately down. British Columbia remained the largest producing region on the continent and experienced flat figures this year. Meanwhile, Washington State saw the largest increase as the U.S.’s leading blueberry state.
Elsewhere, California and Oregon saw only minimal increases and Mexico registered a gradual increase. However, Mexican production was still relatively small, and will have less than 30 million pounds of blueberries. Weather was a major factor for the decline, while labor was also an issue in many areas. North American blueberry shippers have been growing at 80-100 million pounds a year for a number of years, so perhaps a decline was over due.