Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
U.S. potato growers continue to ship a strong 2024 crop out of storage as the year progresses, and they anticipate an equally solid crop for 2025.
Potatoes USA of Denver, total grocery store fresh potato sales were up 3% last year to about 4.8 billion pounds. Dollar sales were down about 5%, however, to just over $4 billion.
Russet potatoes were the top-selling variety, accounting for 64% of potato sales, followed by yellow (16%), red (11%) and white (4%).
The Idaho Potato Commission of Eagle, ID describes the crop this year a “beautiful.”
Eagle Eye Produce of Idaho Falls, ID reports growing and harvest conditions were excellent. The grower/shipper wrapped up harvest faster than ever, breaking records for acres harvested per day.
The company already is planning for the upcoming 2025 crop saying it should be similar to the current one.
Eagle Eye Produce grows and packs russet, red and yellow potatoes. Norkotah russets are the top sellers followed by Burbanks. Red and yellow potatoes make up about 20% of the company’s volume.
The firm ships potatoes year-round by transitioning through key growing regions across the U.S.
Wada Farms Marketing Group of Idaho Falls, ID, offers primarily russet, red and yellow varieties.
Quality of the current storage supply remains sound, the company notes.
Wada supplies potatoes year-round due to its diverse network of growers and will soon plant its 2025 storage crop.
Volume in 2025 should be similar to the 2024 crop.
In the North Dakota/Minnesota region, red potatoes have been a favorite since they were first planted in 1946, reports the Northland Potato Growers Association, East Grand Forks, MN.
This current crop is a good with the red and yellow fresh market varieties holding up well. The current season is pretty much a mirror what the valley had last year.
A small number of suppliers are now harvesting iceberg and leaf lettuce in the Huron, California growing region, according to a news release from Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Desert supplies will remain available through the week of April 7, but Salinas will become a bigger player starting next week. Current iceberg supplies in Huron are exhibiting high weights and strong quality.
Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Iceberg Lettuce is available. Leaf lettuces such as romaine and green leaf are struggling with elevated insects at the base of the heads (mostly small black gnats). Harvesting crews will be trimming heavily to reduce insects but cannot eliminate them all.
Heading towards the final weeks of the Chilean table grape export season of 2024-25, plenty of volume is expected although it appears the market will not be as saturated as it has been in previous weeks.
Portal Agro Chile reports about 66 million boxes will be exported, a growth of 2.3 percent compared to the previous season. By week 6 of the current season, exports had already reached 14 million boxes, driven by the implementation of the “System Approach” in the regions of Atacama, Coquimbo, and Valparaíso, which has allowed for more efficient delivery of fruit to destination markets, according to Trading Logistics Management (TLM).
There was an increase in volume resulting in the accumulation of 8 million boxes due to fear of a port strike resulting in market saturation. Additionally, there was strong competition from Peru, South Africa, and India, whose harvests have flooded both the North American and European markets with fruit.
Grape volumes are expected to be more down and more manageable in April 2025, as arrival volumes make possible better management of supply and demand.
California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA is ramping up its domestic blueberry shipments.
A promising start to the domestic blueberry season has come with early season harvests underway, the company said in a news release.
Conventional blueberry production is ramping up, with the Florida season commencing the week of March 17th and Georgia is anticipated to begin the first week of April. California’s Central Valley will follow suit, with harvests expected to begin in early May, ensuring a consistent supply of fresh, conventional blueberries, the company said.
On the organic front, Oxnard, CA, is currently experiencing peak production, yielding high-quality fruit, said California Giant, adding that these supplies will be supplemented by organic harvests from the Central Valley beginning in early April.
California Giant also said it will highlight the availability of its premium Giant Blueberries. These large (20-millimeter-plus) berries are now available in a new label design, selected by California Giant’s consumer audience.
The Giant Blueberries, known for their size and flavor, undergo rigorous sorting on a Unitec sorting line at California Giant’s Santa Maria, Calif., packing facility, the company said. The company said this process ensures that only the highest-quality berries, selected for color, firmness, size and other quality indicators, are packaged into each clamshell.
California Giant said it continues to deliver on its mission to provide the best berry experience by offering a year-round supply of fresh berries that represent the highest standards for quality and consistency.
The Vidalia onion season is set to begin, as Georgia’s agriculture commissioner and the Vidalia Onion Committee say the sweet onions will start shipping to grocery stores April 15, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper said in a news release.
With nearly 10,000 acres planted in Southeastern Georgia, which is considered normal, Vidalia Onion Committee of Vidalia, GA is expecting an average crop with both yields and quality. This is despite weather issues ranging from Hurricane Helen to receiving five to six inches of snow.
In 2024, 6.5 million 40-pound boxes were collected thanks to near perfect weather and exceptional yields, VOC reported. That was up from 4.3 million boxes in 2023, when the onions endured freezing temperatures and reduced acreage.
Bland Farms of Glennville, GA is ready to start shipping Vidalia onions as soon as the official pack date is announced by the Vidalia Onion Advisory Panel, which should be in mid-April.
The company sees this year’s crop being a bit smaller in volume due to some colder, rainy weather during the growing season. However, it should be a solid crop in line with a typical season.
Growers generally ship Vidalias through Labor Day.
G&R Farms of Glennville, GA will be ready to start shipping Vidalia onions in mid-April as the crop is progressing well. The size and quality of this year’s Vidalia onion crop are reported as excellent.
Shuman Farms of Reidsville, GA has expanded its operations following the Generation Farms acquisition.
The acquisition in 2024 has given the company the ability to increase its storage, packing capacity and overall efficiency.
Vidalia onions are grown in a unique region spanning 20 counties in south Georgia.
Avocado shipments remain limited. Harvesting was curtailed in Mexico last week due to Benito Juarez Day. Expect elevated prices for the next three weeks as Mexican growers are uncertain about the potential tariffs scheduled to begin April 2, 2025, according to a news release by Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Mexico
- All sizes are tight; the Benito Juarez holiday is limiting production
- Size and grade substitutions may be requested to fill orders
- Quality is good; checkerboarding (uneven ripening within a case) has been reported
- Expect elevated markets and tight supplies for the next four weeks
California
- New crop production is in full swing
- California supplies will help fill the void from Mexican-grown product
- Supplies are dominated by medium sizes (48- through 60-count fruit)
- Quality is good; firm fruit has been reported even when ripe
- Expect high prices; demand is strong due to Mexican shortages
Colombia
- Imports will ship into the East Coast through May; these supplies only account for 5% of U.S. demand
- The crop is currently dominated by small sizes (60- to 84-count fruit)
- Quality is comparable to that in Mexico; texture is creamy and oil content is high
Blueberry shipments in the United States typically occur from spring to late September and Florida kickoffs off the nation’s first fruit.
Florida is the eighth-largest blueberry-growing state, alongside Oregon, Washington, Georgia, New Jersey, and Michigan, Maine, North Carolina and California. Depending on the weather, growers typically begin harvesting in late March.
Observers of Florida blueberries are generally seeing a crop of 20 million pounds, which is considered normal.
The Florida Blueberry Growers Association expects lower than last year, with more normal tonnage after last year’s oversupply.
FBGA optimism is boosted since Georgia’s blueberry season seems to be a little later than usual this year, not starting until late April, early May.
Although Mexican production is seen for April, it is believed volume will be light at that point.
The California/Arizona weather forecast calls for a heatwave in the desert vegetable growing region, according to a news release by Markon Cooperative of Salinas, CA
Temperatures will climbed into the mid-80°s through last weekend and may reach triple digits by Wednesday, March 26.
Growers will adjust harvesting schedules and pack ahead to avoid peak temperatures as much as possible. Markon inspectors will be closely evaluating commodity and value-added desert row crops while working with suppliers to minimize heat-related challenges.
Markon First Crop (MFC) Lettuce items will become difficult to attain as the desert season winds down; Markon Best Available (MBA) will be substituted as needed.
California Crema label avocados will be shipped exclusively by Index Fresh of Corona, CA into the summer. The company is a global avocado production, distribution and marketing company.
California Crema avocados are the Gem variety — gold-flecked, creamy and in season annually between April and July, while supplies last, according to a news release.
Index Fresh said California Crema avocados are harvested by California farmers, pack flavor and nutritional density and pair resilience with responsibility. The offering is sold bagged and in bulk with eye-catching, innovative packaging, the company said.
Index Fresh cites the rich, creamy avocados are already staples of California cuisine and the go-to ingredient for restaurants and home chefs that want to deliver on exceptional flavor. The company partners with farmers who have invested years in cultivating a promotable level for the 2025 crop.
Index Fresh said Gem avocados are often associated with farming practices that strive to minimize their environmental impact, like growing on compact trees that have a more dense and efficient fruit set, producing more within a smaller footprint. The fruit grows inside a lush canopy, where they are insulated from direct sun and more resilient to extreme weather, the release said.
Minneola Tangelos loadings are underway from Bee Sweet Citrus, Inc. of Fowler, CA with a strong supply of the specialty citrus variety available.
“Minneola Tangelos are one of the many specialty citrus varieties that we offer to our customers, and this season’s crop eats well,” stated Bee Sweet Citrus Sales Representative Joe Berberian. “The fruit’s sugar levels are high, and the variety possesses the perfect blend of sweet, tangy flavor.”
Minneola Tangelos are a cross between a grapefruit and a tangerine and are in season now through April. Popular for its pronounced neck and distinct red-orange rind, the variety is excellent for anyone looking for a healthy, versatile snack.
“Minneolas are incredibly unique and shouldn’t be overlooked by consumers this season,” stated Bee Sweet Citrus Director of Communications Monique Mueller. “Visually, they’re easy to tell apart from other citrus varieties, and their distinctive flavor caters to citrus fans who appreciate both sweet and tangy flavors.”
Bee Sweet’s Minneola Tangelos are available in bag and bulk items, and the company reports that the fruit’s sizing complements 2#, 3#, and 5# bags. In addition to Minneolas, Bee Sweet Citrus also has Navel oranges, Heirloom Navels, Cara Cara oranges, Royal Red oranges, mandarins, lemons, Meyer lemons, pummelos and grapefruit are available.