Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
From Wisconsin to Michigan and Nebraska; and for good measure we’ve thrown in Colorado; for a look at produce loads.
Wisconsin Produce Shipments
Central Wisconsin potato shipments have leveled off to about 500 truckloads per week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $1000 to Chicago.
About the only other produced items being shipped from the Badger state are cranberries from such as areas as Tunnel City and Toma, or Babcock. There’s also some cabbage coming out of Southeastern Wisconsin.
Nebraska Potato Shipments
Nebraska potato shipments are averaging about 200 truckloads weekly. The Cornhusker state has two primary potato shipping areas. One is at O’Neill in the Northeastern part of the state, while the other is at Imperial, in the Southwestern are of the state.
Nebraska potatoes grossing about $2125 to Dallas.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan potato shipments remain light, but continue to gradually increase.
Michigan also has increasing volume with apples, and onions, although all these items are modest in comparison to the leading states of Washington (apples) and Idaho (potatoes and onions). There are about 300 truckloads of apples being shipped weekly, while potatoes are less than half of this volume.
Michigan apples – grossing about $1000 to Chicago, while onions are grossing about 20 percent less.
Colorado Potato Shipments
The San Luis Valley will become more volume as the harvest has pretty much been completed. Volume is gradually increasing and currently averaging over 600 truckloads per week.
Colorado potatoes shipments – grossing about $2300 to Houston,.
The nation’s two largest apple shipping states, Washington and New York, are gearing up with excellent, if not record breaking apple loads this season.
Washington Apple Shipments
There’s little doubt Washington state will break all records for apple shipments during the 2014-15 season. An estimated 140 million cartons of fruit will be shipped, with the majority being by truck. This volume will easily break the record loadings of the 2012-13 crop, which totaled 128 million cartons. This will be 22 percent more than the 115 million cartons shipped during the 2013-14 season.
The new records reflect higher density plantings in orchards over the past 10 years. The old orchards had about 300 apple trees per acre. In recent years 1,000 to 1,500 trees are being planted per acre. Red Delicious still remains the top variety to be shipped, estimated at 38 million cartons this season. This is followed by the Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. About 72 percent of Washington apples are shipped for the fresh market, with the balance for processing.
Washington apples from the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys – grossing about $8200 to New York City.
New York Apple Shipments
Truck loadings for apples during the 2014-15 season will be less than last season, but more than the average shipments for the past five years. The state expects to ship over 30 million bushels this season.
New York apple shipments should rank second to Washington state in total volume this season. The state moved into volume in September, and loadings will be heaviest from now through the first quarter of 2015.
The leading varieties volume are: McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Crispin and Golden Delicious.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2200 to Atlanta.
The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota already has a serious truck shortage , and the season hasn’t even really got going. Here’s an update on potato shipments out the valley.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Not even one-third of the potato shippers in North Dakota and Minnesota are loading potatoes yet, but the few who are tell of difficulties finding trucks. For example, last Friday, Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks was 7 trucks short of what was needed to fill orders from customers. APG hasn’t really got into volume shipments yet and has opened up only one of it three plants. Other valley shippers are reporting similar problems.
Last season the Red River Valley shipped about 4 million hundredweight (cwt.) of mostly red potatoes and totals this season (2014-15) should be similar, if not a little more. Once the harvest is completed within the next week or two, a better idea of the exact numbers should become available.
The Red River Valley’s red potato acreage is expected to be up one or two percent this year. In 2013, the valley produced 23,000 acres of red potatoes. North Dakota produces a total of about 90,000 acres of potatoes. Beyond red potatoes, these are mostly russets that are virtually dedicated to the processing market. In addition to red potato shipments, there are yellow potatoes, which will represent about 8 percent of the fresh shipments.
Overall, it is expected there will be about 4.2 million and 4.5 million cwt shipped for the fresh market; over 90 percent would be reds, the remainder yellows.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $2800 to Dallas.
After two consecutive years of lower-than-normal sweet potato shipments, North Carolina appears to back on track this season.
Weather factors cut into acreage and ultimately shipments, but the Tarheel state is forecast to have 66,000 acres for the 2014-15 season. Of these total plantings, it is predicted 65,000 of those acres will be harvested, equal to almost half of the nation’s crop.
For the 2013-14 season there were only 54,000 acres of sweet potatoes planted.
The short crop last year resulted in some growers halting shipments in late August after running out of supplies of stored sweet potatoes, before they could harvest and cure their 2014-15 crop. Curing takes five to 10 days, and then they are stored at 55-60 degrees for up to a year.
On September 14 about 27 percent of the sweet potato crop in North Carolina had been harvested. Plantings hit a high for the 2011-12 season in the United States with 134,000 acres planted. Of that total 65,000 acres were in the Tarheel state.
Acreage planted dropped for the 2012-13 season to 130,500 acres nationwide, with 63,000 acres planted in North Carolina.
Among the major sweet potato shipping areas in North Carolina, are such rural towns as Chabourn, Faison, Sims, Snow Hill and Wilson.
North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2250 to Miami.
Mississippi sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1100 to Atlanta.
Louisiana sweet potato shipments – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
California strawberries shipments are shifting to Ventura County, while the state’s citrus volume is predicted to be down this season.
While California strawberry shipments got off to a roaring and early start at the beginning of they year, the late season shipments are well below normal as a result. Now the situation finally moving back to increased volume as the season shifts from the Watsonville area in the north to Ventura County in Southern California.
California Citrus Shipments
The estimates for the 2014-15 California citrus shipping season stands at 78 million 40-pound cartons, which would make it the smallest crop since the freeze year of 2008-09. However, California Citrus Mutual thinks the crop is even smaller than the USDA’s estimate, since it does not take into account losses due to the current drought conditions.
“After canvassing a significant number of producers and shippers, CCM believes the crop estimate is high,” CCM President Joel Nelsen said in a recent statement. “We know acreage has been removed from production” due to the drought, but getting figures for a range has been difficult. We know the lack of water has affected fruit size during the growths stages, but surveying 126,000 acres is almost impossible. We also agree there is more fruit on the tree as compared to last year” in terms of the number of pieces of fruit. “However fruit size is a concern. All of this affects the number of cartons ultimately packed.”
Unlike Navels, Mandarins should be up in volume this year because of more acreage in production.
California supplies 85 percent of the nation’s fresh citrus,
Southern California Citrus – grossing $5600 to Atlanta.
Here’s a round up of loading opportunities from three leading potato shipping states — Idaho, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Most of Idaho’s potatoes are grown and shipped from the eastern part of the state. Loadings got off to a slower start than hoped for this season, but are now picking up. Acreage is believed to be up about 8,000 acres and that has a lot of shippers in other areas of the country gnashing their teeth because prices are in the tank. So there will be no shortage of spuds for hauling this season out of Idaho — unless something major like the late blight virus hits. Idaho, easily is the nation’s largest potato shipper. It is currently moving about 1,700 truckload equivalents per week – and would be shipping even more product, if there was not a shortage of trucks.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5800 to New York City; $3200 to Chicago.
Colorado Potato Shipments
In the San Luis Valley of Colorado, there has been an eight percent increase in acreage this season, or about 5,000 acres more by some estimates. The state as a whole has about 60,200 acres of spuds in the ground, of which about 54,200 acres is in the San Luis Valley. Shipments of mostly russets are underway. Colorado is averaging about 300 truckloads of potatoes being shipped a week, but volume is expected to increase.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $2300 to San Antonio.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
About 500 truckload equivalents of potatoes are being shipped from Central Wisconsin each week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $3150 to Atlanta.
As North American shipments of fruit ranging from mangoes to avocados and blueberries come to a seasonal end, the slack is picked up with similar importedfruit arrivals at various U.S. ports.
South American Mango Imports
The first Brazilian mangos arrived at the Port of Miami September 5, three weeks later than normal to due weather factors during the growing season. Volume should peak in October with decent supplies in November. Ecuador is also late. Initial shipments by boat have just started with the Ataulfos (yellow-skinned mangos). The red fruit will begin shipping around October 15. Following Ecuador, Peru should enter the U.S. market with fruit by early January. Peru should have a good supply of mangos throughout January and well into February.
Chilean Avocado Imports
U.S. importers are estimating about 60 million pounds of avocados will arrive by boat at American ports during the 2014-15 season. Limited amounts of the imported fruit have already arrived as seasons have just wrapped up for California and Peru. The Chilean avocados are joining Mexican product, which is now cranking up. About 70 percent of the Chilean avocados arrive by boat at ports on the West Coast. East Coast ports accept about 25 percent of the fruit, while around five percent comes into the Gulf of Mexico headed to ports in Texas.
Port of Long Beach imported fruit – grossing $5500 to Chicago.
South American Blueberry Imports
Blueberries from Argentina and Peru have recently started arriving at American ports and should continue into January.
About 9,000 tons of “blues” from Argentina came to the United States last season, up from about 7,700 tons a year earlier.
Last season was the first time Peruvian blueberries had been imported to the U.S. The country expects to have about 12,000 acres of blues by 2020, and imports by the U.S. are expected to increase each year for the foreseeable future.
Georgia fall vegetable shipments are typically more moderate, but steady. In Wisconsin, the potato harvest continues and shipping is under way.
Eggplant shipping got underway from Southern Georgia in mid September. There is normal volume and shipments should continue steady in the weeks ahead.
Georgia grower-shippers are preparing for normal fall seasons with sweet corn and green beans. Corn is expected to start in late September and early October while growers typically begin harvesting beans in early to mid-October.
Meanwhile, Georgia sweet corn should finish shipments in mid-November and make for a seamless transition to Florida production in late November.
South Georgia green bean shipments are expected to get under way in mid-October.
Georgia cabbage shipments are shaping up to be steady, and normal in volume. The first loadings should begin in early to mid November and continue through December.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Wisconsin is expecting average volume and shipments this season, similar to a year ago. While loadings are underway from the central part of the state, the harvest will continue until around October 10.
Nationally, there will be plenty of spuds for hauling in the newly started season, which will continue into next summer. Idaho has planted 8,000 additional potato acres this season.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $4100 to Boston.
Michigan potato shipments will soon be underway, although fresh spud volume is much smaller than those for processing.
Approximately 70 percent of Michigan’s produce is for chip production. During the 1980s, the industry underwent a transition away from potatoes slated for french fry processors toward providing long-term storage for the potato chip industry.
Michigan supplies almost every potato chip manufacturer east of the Mississippi River 10 months out of the year.
Approximately 20 percent of the state’s potato crop is shipped to the fresh market.
The remainder of the crop is split between processed potato products and seeds for the following year’s crop.
When it comes to the fresh market, Michigan growers tend to tout quality over quantity. Farmers find it difficult to compete with the higher volumes of potatoes coming from states like Idaho. For example, Idaho potato shipments increased by an additional 40,000 acres in 2012. The amount of land Idaho farmers added that year nearly matched the total acreage dedicated to Michigan’s potato crop.
Statewide, Michigan potato shipments have increased 17 percent over the last eight years, up from 1.4 billion pounds in 2004 to approximately 1.6 billion pounds in 2012. Michigan potato production is spread across more than 47,000 acres. About 21 growers are active in West Michigan and more than half of them (12) are located in Montcalm County, northeast of Grand Rapids.
Michigan vegetables – grossing about $2500 to Oklahoma City.
While California’s overall fruit shipments in the fall may not match those of summertime, there are some exception when looking at individual commodities. Here is a round up on leading California fruit shipments this fall.
Grape Shipments
At least 60 percent of California grape shipments occur after Labor Day and continue into January. Since California is easy the biggest table grape shipping state, we are talking about a lot of fruit. The shipping season actually started last May from the desert and the total season forecast calls for 116.5 million, 19-pound cartons to be shipped. That is less than one million cartons away from last season record setting shipments.
Citrus Shipments
Larger volumes of tangerinees (which includes mandarins) are forecast this fall. Numbers are not yet available, but last season there were 26 million, 40-pound cartons of tangerines shipped….Navel orange loadings should become available sometime in October, with full volume coming in November — and in time for Thanksgiving shipments.
Kiwi Shipments
Kiwifruit loadings are predicted to be about 7 million tray equivalents, similar to last season.
Pomegranate Shipments
Loadings of pomegranates have been increasing 20 percent annually in recent years, and volume once again should be bigger – estimated at 6 million 25-pound box equivalents.
Apple Shipments
California apple shipments pale in comparison to that of Washington state. Shipments have been underway since late July and will last into November.
Strawberry Shipments
Peak shipments from the Watsonville area occurred during July and August. There still good volume, but seasonally lower amounts are still occurring there. In October, strawberry shipments will shift to Oxnard and the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.
Watsonville strawberries, Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5600 to Cleveland.
Central San Joaquin Valley table grapes, stone fruit, vegetables – grossing about $6,600 to Orlando.