Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
I’ve been asked several times recently why produce rates from several areas around the country, including California, have declined in recent weeks. Many factors seem to play into this going beyond just the demand for trucks and for produce shipments by the produce buyers.
- First of all, it is February, perhaps the slowest time of the year for over all fresh fruit and vegetable volume – and shipments.
- It has been one hellacious winter over much of North America. When it is bitter cold, with ice and snow covered streets, people tend to hibernate. They go to their supermarket less frequently and when they do, often purchase less.
- With a hard winter, come added expenses, whether you stay warm by using home heating oil, propane, natural gas or electricity, or a combination of these items. This is resulting in some record setting utility bills for consumers. The more one spends on necessities such as these, the less cash consumers have to spend on food. While food is certainly a necessity, it still can mean fewer purchases, as well as more selective buying of fresh produce items that are cheaper than others.
Hang in there; we’ve got at least another month or so of winter weather. Until the weather improves, winter vegetables quit shivering so much, and start growing more, the winter doldrums will continue.
California and Arizona winter vegetables – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
Central Florida tomatoes and vegetables – about $2500 to New York City.
Here’s a glimpse of produce loading opportunities from across the country, ranging from Florida, to Colorado, Idaho, Oregon and California.
Florida Produce Shipments
There has been a decline of about 14 percent for orange shipments this season compared to a year ago. Florida’s decline is primarily due to the disease citrus greening. So far, Florida has pretty much dodged the winter freezing weather bullet of Mother Nature.
As for Florida strawberries, warmer temperatures in the first week of February, with highs in the 70s and 80s, expects to boost production – and shipments – just in time for shipments for Valentine’s Day. January cold fronts had caused strawberry shipments from the Plant City area to be slashed by about 25 percent.
Florida citrus and strawberries – grossing about $2000 to New York City.
Colorado Potato Shipments
San Luis Valley potato shipments are fairly steady from week-to-week, averaging about 750 truck loads weekly.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1750 to Dallas.
Idaho/Oregon Onions
Onions are being shipped from Eastern Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon. Volume is averaging over 800 truck loads per week.
Idaho-Oregon onion shipments – grossing about $510o to Atlanta.
Desert Produce Shipments
Most of the nation’s winter veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, head lettuce and romaine are being shipped out of the desert area of California’s Imperial Valley and at Yuma, AZ. Moderate volume is reported.
Desert vegetable shipments – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
California Citrus Shipments
California shipping estimates will undoubtedly plunge as more information is becoming available on that December 4-10 freeze in the San Joaquin Valley.
The USDA January estimate lists numbers three to five percent lower than December estimates for oranges and tangerines. But it is worse. The heaviest damage is in Kern County, while other citrus areas in the valley saw only minor effects. The reason – Kern County doesn’t have wind machines to fight the freezing temperatures.
Preliminary damage estimates for the Kern County’s citrus crop may exceed $100 million following the harrowing freeze in the area this last December. Official loss estimates won’t be available until April.
Kern County growers of lemons, tangerines, and mandarins have lost as much as half their crop to freeze damage. One estimate has losses of 15 percent of Kern County’s Valencia orange crop and 35 percent of other large orange varieties being damaged. Lemons took the largest hit, with an estimated 50 percent of the total not meeting fresh market standards. Tangerine and mandarin losses are estimated between 40 and 50 percent.
The cold weather has also changed the timeline for shipments. Normally the valley has navels into June and occasionally into July, but loadings this year will probably end in May, or at the latest by early June.
Southern California citrus and berries – grossing about $6400 to New York City.
Here’s a look at produce loads that may be available for Mexician produce at border crossing locations in California, Arizona and Texas.
Mexican Produce Shipments
In large part because of yesterday’s Super Bowl, more avocados were shipped in the U.S. the week of Jan. 19 than in any other week on record. Nearly 48 million pounds of avocados — almost 44 million of them from Mexico — were shipped during the week. A big marketing campaign on avocados for a number of years now, geared toward the Super Bowl, has significantly increased shipments – and consumer consumption of guacumole at parties surrounding the big game.
Footnote: The Seahawks plummeted the Broncos 43 to 8.
California Produce Shipments
Mexico is sending a lot of produce across the border into the U.S. this time of the year, such as Baja California pennisula tomatoes crossing into the state of California.
Texas Produce Shipments
Most of the avocados mentioned in the opening paragraph are coming into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. South Texas also is receiving a lot of tropicals from Mexico, as well as vegetable items.
South Texas produce – grossing about $4600 to New York City.
Nogales Produce Shipments
Nogales, AZ continues to be a big importer. Currently about 900 truck loads of vine ripe and plum tomatoes are crossing the border weekly. There’s also melons, cucumbers, squash, eggplant and other veggies being imported.
Nogales mixed vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Chicago.
About 91 million bushels of fresh-market U.S. apples were in storage on Jan. 1. That is one percent more than last year at the same time. The January total also is eight percent higher than the five-year average for remaining apple shipments.
The nation’s biggest shipper, Washington state, accounted for about 76 million bushels of the total.
Michigan still had about 6.5 million bushels in storage and has been setting weekly volume shipping records. The estimate for total Michign apple shipments this season still remains at 30 million bushels.
New York apple shipments have 5.4 million bushels and Pennsylvania apple shipments 1.3 million bushels of apples remaining to be hauled.
January apples remaining in storage are up over last year despite holdings for several leading varieties being lower.
About 28.6 million bushels of red delicious were in storage, down from 31 million bushels last year. Fuji holdings fell from 14.9 million to 9.7 million bushels, golden delicious from 9.9 million to 8.7 million bushels and cripps pink from 2.9 million to 2.8 million bushels.
Gala holdings increased from 15.1 million to 15.6 million bushels and granny smith holdings from 9.2 million to 11.4 million bushels.
Much higher volumes of mcintoshes, empires and other traditionally Midwestern and Eastern varieties had yet to be shipped as of Jan. 1 compared to last year at the same time, as Michigan, New York and other states east of the Mississippi continue to bounce back from devastating 2012 freezes.
Washington state apples grossing – about $4600 to Clevelnd.
Michigan apples – about $2200 to Atlanta.
New York state apples – about $1900 to Orlando.
Florida produce shipments have been even slower than normal for winter, primarily due to a prolonged cold weather period that also included some freeze damage.
South Florida growers are recovering from late January freezes that have cut shipments of sweet corn and green beans. In freezes that struck Jan. 19-24, temperatures dropped to the mid-20s in Palm Beach County, the major growing region for beans and corn and hit 31 degrees in Immokalee.
Freezing temperatures also hit central Florida’s strawberry growing region located just West of Tampa. South Bay, Fla.-based Hugh H. Branch Inc., reportedly lost up to 700 acres of winter corn.
The freeze struck the Pahokee, Fla.-area next to Lake Okeechobee. Florida corn loads in other growing regions were not hurt by the cold, including Indiantown and Homestead Homestead ships most of Florida’s winter production.
Florida vegetable shipments are anything bu heavy this time of the year, but what production there is has faced tremendous reductions in yield — well below 50 to 60 percent.
Beans in the south Florida are of Immokalee were hit by the freeze,but are not showing significant damage, with a few exceptions. However, iIt will just lessen the yields and shipments, which are down 30 percent.
It’s recommended you take a closer look than normal at what is being loading into your truck.
Central and South Florida vegetables – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
F
rom California strawberry shipments to Maine potato loadings, here is a round up of several areas across the nation shipping fresh produce.
Strawberry volume from California’s Ventura County has picked up, but won’t be peaking until spring. Mexican strawberries from Baja California are also being loaded at San Diego packing sheds. Both areas will be shipping strawberries through June.
A heads up, if you haul Huron district head lettuce and romaine out of the San Joaquin Valley in the spring and fall. Due to water rationing, at least one major shipper will not ship this spring, and other major shipper is significantly cutting back acreage. There are some plans to attempt extending the Imperial Valley and Yuma district lettuce loadings in a attempt to make up the difference.
Southern California berries and citrus, grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Red River Valley potatoes in North Dakota and Minnesota is reporting steady shipments of red potatoes, averaging around 375 truck loads per week.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.
Upstate New York apple loads are totalling about 250 truck loads weekly, while New York onion shipments are hitting around 200 loads each week.
Aroostrock County potato shipments in Maine are averaging about less than 200 truck loads weekly.
Maine potatoes – grossing about $1750 to New York City.
Chilean grapes have replaced season ending California grapes within the past week. Arrivals by boat are occurring at ports on both the East and West coasts. March and April are expected to provide the heaviest loading opportunities.
A Chilean port strike should not significantly affect Chilean grape shipments to North American ports such as Philadephia, Wilimington, NC and Long Beach, CA. However other imported Chilean produce items imported to the U.S. could feel the brunt of the strike more than grapes.
Workers seeking retroactive pay for half-hour lunch breaks began striking January 3 at Chile’s Port of San Antonio.
The port strike appartently is not affecting table grapes loaded in bulk reefers. However, containerized fruit loading at San Antonio and other container ports are being affected.
Strike or no strike, Chilean stone fruit shipments to the U.S. will likely be significantly lower this season. As of mid-January, estimates projected industry-wide losses of 64 percent for Chilean peaches, 59 percent for nectarines and 63 percent for plums.
Depending upon worldwide markets, fruit slated for other countries, could wind up in the U.S. instead. It is a 12-day voyage from Chile to the U.S. East Coast.
Depending on the variety, Chilean stone fruit losses will likely be in the 45-65 percent range this season. Losses were heaviest early in the deal, meaning volume should increase later in the season. While Chilean nectarine and plum import arrivals may pick up later in the season, peaches are more “ify.”
Losses as of January 13 were in the 30-60 percent range, depending on the commodity.
Florida citrus shipments continue to decline, with a disease known as citrus greening being the primary culprit, according the the latest USDA forecast. The shipping estimate shows continuing declines in Florida citrus production, which includes grapefruit as well as oranges and tangerines.
In a Jan. 10 report, the USDA predicts the state’s loadings of oranges, grapefruit and tangerines will decline from one to six percent. All orange volume is now estimated at 115 million equivalent-cartons, down five percent from the December forecast and 14 percent less than last season.
Valencia shipments are off six percent non-valencia oranges — which include early and mid-seasons — declined four percent, with navels decreasing by 200,000 cartons to 1.9 million boxes.
White grapefruit loads dropped one percent from the previous month’s estimate to 4.5 million cartons with the larger-produced color grapefruit unchanged.
For tangerines, loadings dropped six percent with early season fallglo and sunburst tangerines accounting for the 200,000 carton decline. Honey tangerines are seen as remaining unchanged at 1.6 million cartons. Tangelo production remains at 1 million cartons.
Citrus greening has been described by one ag official as “an unprecedented situation dealing with this disease and today’s crop estimate only emphasizes how important it is for research to uncover a solution.”
Though a majority of the state’s oranges ship to processed channels, nearly 70 percent of its navels, about half of its grapefruit and two-thirds of its tangerines ship fresh.
Though a majority of the state’s oranges ship to processed channels, nearly 70 percent of its navels, about half of its grapefruit and two-thirds of its tangerines ship fresh.
Florida citrus, vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $2800 to New York City.
As one of the leading volume spud states, Wisconsin potato shipments have been flying out storages this season, at times nearly 20 percent greater than at the same time a year ago.
20 years ago there were probably 15 or 20 major potato shippers in Wisconsin, but now it’s down to only four – Okray, Alsum, RPE and Bushmans. Loadings should continue through June and into July.
Most Wisconsin packing sheds will finish in April or May, but the big packinghouses have advanced in technology and they ship the year around, because they source potatoes grown outside of Wisconsin.
Wisconsin yields of the crop harvested in 2013 were a little lower than the 2012 crop. But recent shipments have been around18 percent higher than the same period in 2012.
Wisconsin had 63,000 acres of potatoes in 2013, down about 500 acres from 2012.
The early harvest of the new crop of potatoes usually begins in late July, with around 80 to 90 percent of the crop being dug in September, with harvest running into the first two weeks of October.
Wisconsin historically has shipped mostly russet potatoes, but over the decade or so have started growing red potatoes, yellow potatoes and several special items such as purple potatoes.
Central Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $1,000 to Chicago; $3200 t0 New York City.