Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
While California vegetables and citrus have been struggling this season to get going, California strawberry shipments got off to an early and fast start it looks to continue strong throughout the season. Unlike much of the nation, credit unusually warm weather during the winter on the West Cost, which hastened plant maturity.
We’ll also take a glimpse at Mexican imports through Nogales, AZ.
For the week ending March 1, the California Strawberry Commission reported 11.16 million 9-pound tray equivalents had been shipped fresh so far this year compared to 6.89 million at the same time last year and 9 million in 2012. California produces almost 90 percent of U.S. strawberries. The state’s 400 strawberry farms grow fruit on fewer than 40,000 acres.
California avocado shipments
This year, California avocado shipments should be at its peak from mid- to late April and continue through Labor Day. Volume should be about 300 million pounds. The 300 million pounds is more on par with the 10-year average. Loadings originate from various shippers in Southern California.
Southern California produce shipments – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
Nogales Produce Shipments
While Mexican vegetable shipments through Nogales, AZ are on a seasonal down swing, an exception are watermelons being imported from West Mexico. The spring season has started three weeks earlier than last year. The early time frame is attributed to earlier transplanting, improved growing practices and ideal weather conditions. Watermelon shipments from West Mexico should continue in good volume through June.
Arrivals of Mexican grapes will start crossing the border within the next month.
Mexican produce through Nogales – grossing about $3800 to Chicago.
I’m in Georgia this week checking out the crops and visiting with shippers to give you a better idea of loading opportunities as we progress into spring. I’m also visiting with some of you at truck stops along the Interstate 75 corridor.
Vidalia sweet onion shipments were not to legally start before April 21st (at least until a Georgia court ruled otherwise and struck it down), which was the date set by the state’s ag commissioner. Colder weather has put the onions behind schedule. Don’t expect good volume before May. While some observers are predicting shipments could be off as much as 25 percent this season, others are taking a wait and see attitude to measure yields.
Overall, you probably won’t be getting loaded in the Southeast without having multiple pick ups. That could mean starting with pick ups in Florida and finishing off the load with additional pick ups in Georgia. The volume is just not there.
Meanwhile, there is light to moderate shipments of various greens from central and southern Georgia. Items ranging from vegetables such as cucumbers and squash are still a month or more away from being harvested.
Georgia has become a major shipper of blueberries with volume increasing each year. Intial loadings of “blues” will start in April, with good volume arriving in early May.
Another big item for Georgia are watermelons. While current loadings are occurring in Florida, where the harvest gradually moves northward, and usually ends by early June. This is about the time George watermelon shipments get underway.
Finally, the Georgia peach bloom in the Fort Valley area is beautiful. Shipping should get underway the last half of May. If weather conditions hold over the next month there could be up to 2.2 million boxes of Georgia peaches shipped this season. However, there is a freeze forecast for Tuesday night, March 25th. It will take a bit to assess any damage.
— Bill Martin
This can be one of the more frustrating times of the year for produce haulers. Even though spring officially arrives tomorrow, good volume for spring produce shipments are still weeks away. Here’s a look at loading opportunties around the country.
Imported Chilean green grape arrivals by boat at U.S. ports will decline in the next week or two as South American green grape volume is estimated to be 25 percent lower than last year by season’s end. On the positive side, the Chilean red crimson grapes are now entering peak arrivals at U.S. ports for the rest of March and early April. Overall, as of early March, Chilean grape exports were 22 percent lower than last year at the same time.
Arrivals of Chilean asian pears to U.S. ports are expected to be off 60 percent this season. The lower volume will continue to arrive through May.
Florida Produce Shipments
In Florida, strawberry shipments from the Plant City area are averaging about 500 truckloads per week. Out of Central and Southern Florida, the state is averaging about 750 truckloads weekly of mature green and roma tomatoes. South Florida also is shipping moderate amounts of items ranging from celery to potatoes.
South Florida produce – grossing about $3000 to New York
Nogales Produce Shipments
Mexican produce shipments through Nogales, AZ continues for items ranging from tomatoes to cucumbers, peppers and watermelons. Overall Mexican volume through Nogales should start declining as we enter April.
Mexican produce crossing through Nogales – grossing about $3600 to Chicago.
In an update from last week’s report, the desert shipping areas for winter vegetables in California and Arizona are pretty much history. Heat in the desert is taking its toll on any leaf lettuce left, and it’s best to avoid hauling that product. The transition to the San Joaquin Valley, Salinas Valley and the Santa Maria district continues and light volume loadings are underway.
In the weeks ahead, produce haulers should see a dramatic improvement for produce loads. Not only is California weather bringing the crops along nicely, but weather around the country is on the mend. That means more consumers getting out more often, buying fresh fruits and veggies, which increases demand for product. It all translates into more produce shipments, and higher freight rates.
Light shipments of broccoli and cauliflower are coming out of Salinas and some oberservers are predicting record volume this spring.
The Central San Joaquin Valley produce shipments are limited with broccoli and cauliflower, while light volume of head lettuce gets underway around March 21st in the Westside district. These loadings out of the Huron area should continue through mid April.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
The forecast for Florida citrus shipments continues its trends showing fewer loading opportunities as the season continues. The March USDA report shows losses in most oranges, grapefruit and tangerine production. However, late season valencia shipments are pegged to remain the same as the February report.
Additionally, there will be more loading opportunities for later season apples than on averge for the past five years, with most of those opportunties being in Washington state.
For March, the USDA estimates the state’s production of all oranges to decline 1%, non-valencia oranges to decrease by 2%, all grapefruit down by 6% and all tangerines to fall by 7%. With grapefruit, both colored and white fruit are each lowered by 500,000 equivalent cartons, lowering production to 16 million cartons, smaller than the 18.8 million cartons the state shipped in 2013.
Since the valencia shipping report is showing no losses from the previous month, it may be a sign of stability as Florida moves into its late season shipping of oranges. Florida is expected to ship 114 million cartons of oranges for the season, down from last year’s 133.6 million cartons. Total Florida citrus shipments are expected to be 134 million cartons, down from 156 million cartons last season. Most of the state’s oranges are sent to the processors.
Florida citrus, vegetables – grossing about $3000 to New York City.
National Apple Shipments
About 61.5 million bushels of fresh market apples remained to be shipped by U.S. producers as of March 1, 3% less than last year at the same time. The total is, however, 6% above the 5-year average of 58.2 million bushels, according to the U.S. Apple Association.
Washington state accounted for 53.1 million bushels of the U.S. total still in storage. Michigan had 3.9 million bushels, New York 3.3 million bushels and Pennsylvania 762,000 bushels.
Washington apples from the Yakima Valley – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
As we enter spring (officially March 20th) two things are certain regarding California vegetable shipmens. Number one, a seasonal shift is coming relatively soon from the desert areas of California and Arizona to the Central San Joaquin Valley and the Salinas Valley. Number two, there is going to be a gap in in some California produce shipments as the transition take place.
However, the question remains, just when is this shipping gap going to occur given the roller coast weather?
Cold crops are grown in Central California and the Salinas Valley and shipped the year round, and celery is a 12-month mainstay from Oxnard to Oceano. However, items such as lettuce, broccoli and caulifower and some others shift growing areas during the year. Cold weather in Salinas and the central valley knocked out some plants in their early stages and delayed plantings for about a week. About 90 to 100 days later, one would expect to see a gap, It will happen, but when? The guess in within the next couple of weeks.
California Avocado Shipments
Avocado shipments in 2013 crop came in around 500 million pounds, which is larger than normal volume. This year, volume should be around 300 million pounds, which is closer to average.
In 2014, shipments should start ramping up anytime and showing sizable volume increase by late-April, before making a significant bump in volume entering the summer months.
Shipments of Mexican sweet onions have been crossing the border into South Texas since mid February and are about three weeks or so later than normal, due to cold weather. The Texas 1015 sweet onion crop in the Lower Rio Grand Valley is pretty much mirroring the Mexican onions and are behind schedule as well.
The Texas 1015 onion shipments should get underway within the next week and loadings should continue through May. The Winter Garden District just south of San Antonio should start shipping sweet onions the first week of May and continue for about eight weeks.
A number of Mexican produce loads are crossing the border in South Texas ranging from carrots to strawberries, raspberries and roma tomatoes, among other items.
Some good news on the berry front is that TransFresh Corp. of Salinas, CA is working with a warehousing facility to provide its Techtrol CO2 process for Mexican berries crossing the border. Bagged pallets of berries with the gassing process has been found to extend the shelf life and quality of berries. It also reduces the chances of claims relating to the quality of berries.
Texas citrus shipments led by grapefruit and oranges are moving in steady volume from the Lower Rio Grande Valley. About 100 loads of Texas oranges are being shipped weekly.
South Texas and Mexican produce – grossing about $5000 to New York City.
Everyone from produce truckers, to produce shippers and consumers a like can’t wait for spring given the wicked winter it’s been for much of the country. The further into March we get the more volume and available loading opportunities will be, particularly with Southeastern produce shipments.
For example, Nicaraguan mangoes will be arriving in heaviest volume at South Florida ports, although some will be delivered to ports int he Northeast.
Florida blueberry shipments are just starting and will work their way northward in the state, before giving away to south Georgia blueberries in late April. Strong volume is expected in part because of a late Easter (April 20) that is closer to Mother’s Day (May 11). Florida expects to ship 25 million pounds of “blues” this season, a 14 percent increase over a year ago. Florida should peak the second and third weeks of April.
Georgia blueberry volume is also showing significant increases each year.
However, the big push comes in Florida in April with a host of mixed vegetable items reaching peak volume, particularly from southern and central parts of Florida. Good volume should continue into May.
In Georgia, Vidalia sweet onion shipments will begin in light volume in late April. Vidalia onion shipments could be down about 20 percent this year. Central and southern Georgia are currently shipping moderate amounts of greens ranging from kale to collard. Cucumbers, squash and other veggies will start maturing in April.
Florida mixed veggies, tomatoes and blueberries – grossing about $3100 to New York City.
Opportunities for South Texas produce loads have been increasing over the years, but we haven’t seen nothin’ yet. Produce truckers will have a lot more chances for Lower Rio Grande Valley produce loads than ever.
The reasons are two-fold. First, more fruits and vegetables are being grown in Mexico, with many of the operations financed by U.S. produce companies. Second, the completion of a Mexican highway between West Mexico’s Mazatln and Eastern Mexico’s Matamoros is reducing transit times to South Texas warehouses. This also is cutting mileage and reducing freight costs for produce receivers thoughout the eastern half of the United States and Canada.
40,000-pound shipments of produce through Texas ports soared from 101,400 truckloads in 2007 to 159,482 truckloads in 2012, an increase of 58 percent.
Much of the produce used to go through Nogales, AZ and still does. During this same period, Arizona ports had 112,328 truckloads in 2007 and increased to 130,022 by 2012, a 16 percent hike. Additionally, at California ports there were 43,336 truckloads of produce crossing in 2007, which increased to 61,716 truckloads in 2012, up 42 percent.
Based on these trends of the last five years, a USDA study projects total Mexican imports at U.S. ports will hit 470,000 truckloads by 2020, an increase of 32 percent. Texas ports are projected to grow to 260,000 truckloads, a 62 percent increase.
There are also plans by Mexico to make improvements to Mexican Federal Highway 40 connecting Mazatlan and Reynosa, the latter, which is located just across the river from McAllen and Pharr, TX. This could increase Mexican produce imports to South Texas another 73 percent by 2020.
Texas produce and Mexican produce crossing into the Lower Rio Grande Valley – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
While much of the nation has been in an icy deep freeze, warmer than normal temperature in California have been excellerating growth of winter mixed vegetables on the West Coast and in the desert. The only problem is the lousy weather in so much of the country has stifled demand for California vegetable shipments.
Veggies ranging from head lettuce to romaine and broccoli continuet to be shipped from California’s Imperial Valley and the Yuma district. At times it isn’t the best quality, so make sure your receiver knows what kind of quality is being delivered to help reduce problems such as claims with deductions, or rejections.
You should expect a seasonal transition of desert vegetables to the Central San Joaquing Valley around the middle of March.
California strawberryshipments are coming out of Ventura County, Southern California and on a more limited basis from the Santa Maria District. Rains last week in Southern California resulted in some damage, so keep an eye out of off grade are mariginally grade berries at least throught this week.
Coastal California blueberry shipments should start ramping up the last week of March with a peak in mid-April followed by the Central Valley through June.
Desert vegetables grossing – about $6000 to New York City.