Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Shipments of Prince Edward Island potatoes have been taking place for several weeks across Atlantic Canada, but now loadings destinated for other parts of Canada, as well as the United States are gearing up. A majority of shipments to the US are along the eastern seaboard.
The PEI potato harvest is is approximately 85 percent complete across the Island. Yields are generally close to average and the quality of the crop is reported particularly good this year.
The potato industry continues to a major employer and an economic engine in Prince Edward Island, employing 12 percent of the Island labour-force directly or in spin-off employment. The potato industry in PEI creates a total economic impact of $1.065 billion dollars.
For new recipe ideas on how to include PEI Potatoes into family meals this fall, visit www.peipotato.com.
Prince Edward Island Potatoes are world renowned for the great taste and quality that comes from growing in the unique red soil of PEI. The Prince Edward Island Potato Board is a producer-controlled association dedicated to supporting the highest performance of an economically and environmentally sustainable potato industry.
Source: Prince Edward Island Potatoes
It will be a few more weeks before California citrus shipments really get cranked up from the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
About 88 million cartons of California navels should be loaded this season, down slightly at 2 percent from last season. A few growers started harvest the week of October 7. Limited shipments will be underway at the end of October, with good loading opportunities coming the second week of November, just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Table grapes continue to provide heavy volume from the San Joaquin Valley, and it is little wonder if you’ve tasted the fruit this season. With high sugar levels, consumers, including me, keep going back to the store for more. About 1,800 truck loads of grapes per week are being loaded in California.
Carrot Shipments
There is steady movement of carrots out of the Kern District in the Bakersfield area, averaging over 300 truck load equivalents per week.
Huron Lettuce Shipments
It’s only about a 30-day window for head lettuce loadings coming out of the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley, known as the Huron district. Harvest has just started, but it will be the week of October 28th before significant loadings occur….Meanwhile lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower continue out of the Salinas Valley in light to moderate volume.
Pistachio Shipments
The forecast pegs shipments amounting to 460 million pounds, off from 550 million pounds a year ago. Expect substantially higher prices in your local supermarkets.
We’re entering that time of the year when overall produce volume is declining and it will only get worse during the first few months or so in the New Year. For example, Florida is nothing to get excited about for produce haulers, and will remain that way until spring vegetable shipments take off in April.
Still there are some loading opportunities in the Sunshine state, with vegetables, strawberries and citrus.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
Grape tomatoes and cherry tomato shipments started in mid October from the Palmetto-Ruskin area.
Mature green tomatos should get underway from Central Florida in early November.
Bell peppers, grean beans and cucumbers should begin in light volume in early November from Homestead and Belle Glade.
Sweet corn is running late and is not expected to kick off until about a week before Thanksgiving, which is November 28th.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
Southern Georgia has light supplies of sweet corn, and bell peppers. Loading should continue until about a week before Thanksgiving. It is around this time, the items will get started in Florida.
Florida Strawberry Shipments
Looking ahead, we’re only about five weeks or so away from the intial Florida strawberries coming on in late November, primarily around the Plant City area. Loadings will gradually build in December and January befor peak shipments hit in February.
Winter is never a great time for hauling produce as volumes are less and loading opportunties can become even worse as products are susceptable to the whims of Mother Nature.
It was reported recently adverse weather in Mexico is expected to cut loading opportunities at US border crossings starting next month. Now we’re hearing intial reports of imports of Chilean produce expected to be significantly hit, due to weather.
As US volume and loading opportunities seasonally decline in the latter part of the year, Chile is an important exporter of winter fresh produce to America. The product is typically picked up at ports on both coasts and distributed throughout North America.
There apparently going to be significantly less Chilean produce items for hauling this winter ranging from stone fruit, to kiwifruit, blueberries, grapes, almonds and walnuts.
The Santiago-based Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) is asking the Chilean government to declare a national state of disaster in the wake of the losses.
Up to 50 million boxes of fruit could be lost to freezes last September “….that sets up the biggest crisis that has affected the Chilean fruit industry,” according to one observer.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Shipments of potatoes from North Dakota and Minnesota is light to moderate as the focus still remains on getting the crop out of the ground. It is estimated the harvest is 60 to 65 percent complete.
Today, we’ll take a look at some loading opportunities starting in South Texas before extending up to Colorado and then over to Idaho and Oregon.
South Texas Produce Loads
The Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas is becoming more important every year for produce haulers. It’s not so much the area is growing more fruits and vegetables, as it is farming operations in Mexico, many with investments by people north of the border, who are expanding operations. Much of that produce is being shipped into the US for distribution throughout the states and Canada.
Everything from Mexican grown carrots to lemons, plum tomatoes, other vegetables and tropical fruits are crossing the border at McAllen is greater volume. In the Texas valley itself, shippers are gearing up for shipments of grapefruit and oranges, that will start in the next few weeks.
Colorado Produce Shipments
The San Luis Valley is easily providing the biggest volume and loading opportunties, averaging about 500 truck loads of potatoes per week. In the north and northeastern part of the state, the volume is much lower, but potatoes and onions are providing at least some partial loads.
San Luis Valley potatoes – grossing about $2200 to Houston.
Onion Shipments
The potato harvest in Idaho continues, but there are still about 1,600 truck load equivalents of spuds being shipped each week, although a higher percent is going by rail than in most other produce shipping points around the country….In Malhuer County, Oregon and eastern Idaho, about 750 truck loads of onions from storage are being shipped.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $3100 to Chicago.
Here’s a round up of some produce items being shipped from Florida, Michigan, Washington state, central Wisconsin and West Texas.
Florida Produce Shipments
The Florida grapefruit harvest got underway from the Indian River District September 30th and light shipments are underway. By mid October loadings should be in good volume.
Florida’s citrus season usually begins with fallglo tangerines in mid- to late September, followed by grapefruit and navel oranges. Initial estimates on the navel orange crop indicate shipments this season will be similar to a year ago.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Michigan is shipping light to moderate volume of several fall produce items. While sweet corn and several other vegetable items are ending their season, there are partial loads of items such as celery and carrots. Volume is now increasing on what promises to be a record amount of apples this season. There also is increasing volume with potatoes and onions.
Washington Produce Shipments
Washington state is shipping nearly 2,000 truckload equivalents of apples weekly with the new crop, primarily from the Yakima and Wenathee valleys. There also are about 750 loads of storage onions coming out of Washington’s Columbia Basin and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon.
Washington apples – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
The Badger state is moving over 500 truck loads of potatoes weekly, primarily from Central Wisconsin, as volume continues to increase.
West Texas Potatoes
The High-Plains region in west Texas, south of Lubbock, is shipping about 250 truck load of spuds a week.
Tropical storm Manuel hit Western Mexico the week of September 15th, killing dozens and bringing extensive damage to growing areas around Culiacan, a major growing area for tomatoes, squash and many other produce commodities shipped to the USA during the late fall, winter and early spring seasons.
More than 350,000 acres of crops were damaged by the storm, mostly due to heavy rains ranging from around eight inches to 15 inches.
This is expected to hurt loading opportunities for Thanksgiving green beans and other products in the Los Mochis area of northern Sonora. Some loadings that would have started in early November will not be ready until late November. Squash, cucumbers and eggplant were among the crops most heavily affected.
A majority of these Mexician produce items cross the border at Nogales, AZ.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
Moderate amounts of vegetables continue to be shipped from California’s Salinas Valley, led by head lettuce, romaine lettuce, then celery, broccoli and cauliflower. These items also are being shipped in smaller volumes from the Santa Maria district to the south of Salinas.
Moderate shipments of strawberries also continue from the Watsonsville district, as well as from Santa Maria.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – grossing about $7400 to New York City.
Record cranberry shipments could occur for the second year in a row, plus here is a review of recently completed seasonal shipments for potatoes and citrus.
There were record shipments of cranberries last year and a similar amount of the fruit is expected to be coming out of Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Washington state bogs this season. Only about 10 percent of the crop is shipped as fresh, while the remainder mostly is processed for juices and sauce.
One estimate has the cranberry crop at around 11.1 and 11.5 million barrels, similar to the 2012 production of 11.2 million barrels. That 2012 crop was a record. Most shipments occur mid-September through mid-November.
Historically, about 80 percent of a season’s crop is consumed in North America, and about 20 percent of the crop is consumed during Thanksgiving week.
Potato Shipments
USA potato shipments increased eight percent in 2012, but citrus production was down 4 percent.
About 463 million cwt. of potatoes was shipped in the U.S. in 2012, according to a USDA report released September 19.
Citrus Shipments
Citrus shipments dropped four percent last season, and totaled 11.2 million tons during 2012-13.
Florida accounted for 63 percent, and California 34 percent of all citrus shipped in the USA. Texas and Arizona made up the balance.
Florida’s orange shipments, at 134 million boxes, fell nine percent from the previous season. Bearing citrus acreage in Florida, at 489,600 acres, was 5,500 acres below the 2011-2012 season.
California table grapes have been shipped at a record pace in recent weeks. According to USDA data through Sept. 13, five of the past six weeks have seen week-ending shipment totals of over 4 million boxes. Last year, only one week in the entire season surpassed 4 million.
Idaho, which rules potato shipments, will have less loads available this season, but there are still a lot of spuds for hauling.
With nearly 45 million boxes of California grapes already shipped, the industry is on pace for another record crop year.
The vast majority of California grape shipments are delivered by trucks to markets throughout North America.
August 2013 saw 18.4 million boxes shipped, a record-high for that month. This is 6 percent more than August 2012. The previous record of 18.1 million boxes was set in August 2007.
The total volume surpassed the 100 million 19-pound box equivalent mark for the first time in history last year and set a new record. The 2013 season estimate is 105.7 million 19-pound box equivalents.
Grape loadings from California will be available through January 2014.
Idaho Potato Shipments
The 2012 potato harvest in Idaho was remarkable in several respects. Acreage was up about 25,000 acres over the previous year. In fact it was so huge potato farmers in effect dumped (or at least sold spuds very cheap) totalling over 4 million cwt to feedlots.
The 2013 harvest, which got underway with Russet Norkotah potatoes as well as some red, gold and fingerling varieties in August, should have more normal shipments. Loadings should be down eight to 10 percent for the season compared to last year for Idaho.
San Joaquin Valley grapes and other produce – grossing about $7200 to New York City.
Idaho potatoes – about $3200 to Chicago.
Halloween, and then Thanksgiving will be here before we know it, and one big hint of those events coming are pumpkin shipments. Those loadings have actually been going on since August in some places, but now bigger volume is taking place.
A vast majority of pumpkins are shipped relatively short distances, primarily because the item is grown in virtually every one of the lower 48 states. Still, some pumpkins are shipped several hundred miles.
From upstate to New York down to the Carolinas a significant drop in pumpkin shipments are expected due to excessive rains. Much better growing conditions and the resulting volume is seen from the upper Midwestern states. New Mexico is reporting good loadings, but most destinations are to regional markets in nearby states such as Texas, Oklahoma and some to Colorado.
The five leading pumpkin shipping states are: Illinois, California, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
NE Colorado Onion Shipments
Northeast Colorado onion shipments are not expected to be signficantly affected from heavy rains in the state in mid September, just some harvesting delays. At least this is what Colorado onion shipper are saying. Up to eight inches of rain pounded the area over a six-day period. It is still recomended looking for possible quality problems when loading these onions coming out of storage.
Northeastern Colorado has about 2,000 to 2,500 acres of onions, which is only about 2.5 percent of total storage onions in the USA….There also are some norkotah potato shipments from this area, but no word as yet on how quality or volume may be affected.
Sweet Potato Shipments
North Carolina is the nation’s leader with sweet potato shipments. Both the Tar Heel state, as well a loadings from other leading sweet potato states are expected to be down around 20 to 25 percent, compared to the season that recently ended. Some other areas with significant sweet potato volume are California, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.
Shipments are so light right now as farmers have just finished the old crop and are starting to harvest the new crop, that shipments of uncured, green sweet potatoes are taking place to meet demand. Just make sure your receiver is aware of this. It takes about 30 to 45 days once sweet potatoes are harvested, to be cured. Weather issues have resulted in harvests running two to four weeks late. Curing should be completed by late October.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.