Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
USA apple shipments are expected to rise 13 percent in the 2013-14 season, despite a smaller crop from industry leader Washington state.
About 243 million bushels are expected to be hauled, mostly by truck, up from 216 million bushels in 2012 and nine percent above the five-year average.
Major comebacks in Michigan and New York, which were clobbered by late freezes in 2012, helped make up for the smaller Washington crop.
Washington growers are expected to ship about 140 million bushels this year, down from 155 million bushels in 2012 but four percent higher than the five-year average.
New York, the No. 2 producer, is expected to ship about 32 million bushels in 2013, up from 17 million bushels in 2012 and 15 percent above the five-year average.
Shipments from Michigan, the third-largest USA apple shipper, should soar from 2.7 million to 30 million bushels.
In Pennsylvania, the No. 4 USA shipper, about 10.5 million bushels are expected, down from 11.8 million bushels in 2012 and eight percent below the five-year average.
Loadings from Virginia, are estimated at 5.5 million bushels, similar to last year and three percent above the five-year average.
California apple shipments are finished for the season, and were expected to produce about 4.8 million bushels in 2013, down from 7.1 million bushels last year and 32 percent below the five-year average.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $1200 to Chicago.
Looking around the nation, here are some upcoming loading opportunities ranging from Texas, to Idaho, Colorado, New York and South Florida.
New York’s nearly 700 apple growers are expected to harvest approximately 32 million bushels of vintage apples by November – a new record.
After last year’s short crop, there will be lots to celebrate this fall. A year ago, frost led to a crop of only 17.1 million bushels.
New York apple shipments of it top variety McIntosh is currently underway in the Eastern part of the state, and will soon be shipped from orchards statewide. Apple varieties ranging from Zestar, to Gala, and HoneyCrisp area and other varieties are being loaded from production areas across the state.
Hudson Valley New York apples – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
Texas Citrus Shipments
Rio Grande Valley Texas citrus shipments should get underway with a pretty normal start in early to mid-October this season.
About 75 percent of the Lone Star state’s citrus shipments will be with grapefruit, and 25 percent with oranges. Peak loadings typically occur between mid November and the first of the year.
Colorado Potato Shipments
Due to lack of water and poor markets there is a 10 percent reduction in acreage from last year in Colorado. Planted acreage is about 50,000 acres this year. Most shipments from the state originate in the San Luis Valley, although there is much smaller volume coming out of Northeastern Colorado.
San Luis Valley Potatoes – grossing about $1750 to Dallas.
Idaho Potato Shipments
While early season shipments of Idaho potatoes haven’t yielded any significant quality problems (just some small sized potatoes), the state had a lot hot weather during the growing season. It’s just something to keep an eye out for when loading, in case quality problems start developing.
Idaho Potatoes – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
South Florida Imports
South Florida ports are receiving papyas from Central American for distribution throughout the USA. The heaviest arrivals occur between July and March from such countries as Belize and Guatemala. Don’t count on straight loads of the tropical fruit, but sometimes a few pallets can help you get where you need to go.
Here is a round up of loading opportunities for domestic pumpkins and sweet potatoes, plus an outlook for hauling imported tropical fruit crossing our southern border – and at various USA ports.
HaulProduce.com subscriber Mark Yackee sent in this message:
” Pumpkin shipments have begun in the tri-state area of Michigan,Indiana, and Ohio. Volume as of September 16th will increase significantly, peaking around October 10th. Crop quality is very good overall and the area looks to ship more than 400 truckloads. Haulers and buyers welcome!” Thank you, Mark!
North Carolina, the nation’s leading shipper of sweet potatoes, could be down as much as 20 or 30 percent for the 2013-14 season. Nationally, sweet potato acreage is off 11 percent, so fewer may be available in other southern states such as Mississippi and Louisiana.
Last season, the USA had 135,500 acres of sweet potatoes planted, but this season there is only 116,100 acres. The weeks prior to Thanksgiving tend to provide the heaviest time for sweet potato shipments, but with harvests running behind schedule due to weather, volume could be off even for this holiday.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2250 to New York City.
Mississippi sweet potatoes – about $1800 to Chicago.
Fall Tropical Imports
Fall is a strong time for shipments of tropicals, including mangoes, papaya and pineapple. Mexican products will have heaviest crossing into the USA in South Texas, while South American tropicals will be arriving at various ports on both the East Coast and West Coast.
Imports of Mexican mangoes have been particularly heavy, but should be winding down now. However, the Mexican product is quickly being replaced with imports from Brazil.
Consistent imports of papayas and pineapples are predicted this fall.
The year around imports of Mexican limes continues as the old crop is finishing up and the new crop of limes are starting to arrive in the USA.
It’s looking like excellent loading opportunities for fruit out of the Northwest, as well as apples from Michigan from now right into next summer.
While loadings of pears certainly are not one of biggest volume produce items available for hauling, it is substantial. The nice thing about the fruit from the Northwest, is being loaded with apples. The Northwest typically ships as many apples each year as the rest of the nation combined. If the estimate holds, this would be the third largest amount of Northwest pear loadings on record – plus one of the larger apple crops.
Northwest pear shipments this season are estimated to be 19.8 million cartons, about two percent more than a year ago and about four percent more than five year average.
Washington state apples and pears – grossing about $4800 to Cleveland.
Michigan Apple Shipments
About 70 percent of Michigan apple shipments originate from the Fruit Ridge region. While the official estimate for loads this season is 26 million bushels, some observers are predicting as much as 30 million bushels. Michigan apple loadings have been underway since the third week of August. Whatever the final total for shipments this season, it should end up next summer as one the biggest on record.
Michigan also continues to ship a variety of vegetables, blueberries and melons.
Michigan produce grossing – about $2100 to Atlanta.
South African Citrus Imports
Imports of South African summer citrus are at about the half way point through the season. Over 30,000 tons of citrus have arrived, mostly at Eastern seaboard ports.
The final boat is scheduled to arrive during the third week of October, with the season expected to be competed before USA domestic shipments get started. This is the 14th season of citrus imports from South Africa to the USA and average annually approximately 40,000 tons.
Washington state apple shipping estimates indicate that the 2013-14 apple crop will be the second largest in the state’s history. The statewide total is placed at 119.8 million boxes, down 10 million boxes from last year’s record-setting season. But that’s still a bunch of apples to ship this season. Nationwide, apple loadings should be up 13 percent.
There were 10 million boxes left to ship August 1st on the old storage crop. But an orderly transition is expected to take place betwee the old crop and the one that’s gearing up.
Shipments for the new season apples got underway the third week of August and Galas and Gingergolds are already being hauled.
A volume breakdown for top apple varieties for the 2013-14 season is as follows: Red Delicious/33.75 million boxes; Golden Delicious/10.5 million boxes; Granny Smith/15 million boxes; Fuji/16.5 million boxes; Gala/26.4 million boxes;’ Cripps Pink/3.3 million boxes; Jonagold/1 million boxes; Braeburn/2.3 million boxes; and Honeycrisp 5.7 million boxes. The balance of the overall estimate is taken up by all other varieties.
National shipments of apples are expected to be up 13 percent this season, with the biggest increases coming from the Midwest and East. Michigan is making a big time recovery from last season’s weather disaster.
During the 2012-13 season, Washington apple shippers picked everything they could get their hands on to supply the nation, which had experienced bad weather in some other major shipping areas.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
By BC Tree Fruits
The Okanagan orchards are buzzing with preparations with this year’s BC Tree Fruits apple harvest. Apple shipments start this month and will be running to the end of February 2014. Apple season is one of the busiest times of the year for the 500 grower fruit cooperative.
Apples are largest crop grown by BC Tree Fruits of Kelowna, BC with this season’s apple harvest estimated at 2.5 million cartons. From familiar favourites such as the McIntosh and Granny Smith to the newer and very popular Ambrosia, which was a chance seedling created in Oliver BC, a total of twelve apple varieties are harvested. “All our growers are excited for this year’s apple season,” shares Hank Markgraf, BCTF Field Services Manager and Orchardist. “Our orchards consistently produce the best quality apples in Canada, and having a wide variety keeps our fans searching for that familiar BC Leaf at the produce aisles.”
To highlight the work BC Tree Fruits’ growers put into apple season the focus this year is educating consumers on what goes into each apple. “Many people don’t fully realize the care and skill our orchardists put into each of the apples they produce,” says Chris Pollock, BCTF Marketing Manager. “We plan to share as much of the process as possible with consumers so they feel an even stronger connection when they ‘Look For The Leaf’ this season.”
Through traditional and social media, BC Tree Fruits will feature an insider look into their apple harvest. Their website currently offers a full description, including tasting notes, for each apple variety, as well as other seasonal fruit. Apple fans can keep up to date with full apple harvest and apples season details from September to February on the BC Tree Fruits Facebook and Twitter pages.
About BC Tree Fruits:
BC Tree Fruits Industries Limited is part of the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative and is owned by 520 local grower families. The organization markets and distributes a variety of BC-grown fruit including apples, pears, cherries, peaches, apricots, prune plums and blueberries. BC Tree Fruits’ head office is based in Kelowna, B.C.
While there are the more obvious fresh produce loads available out of California this time of year such as Salinas Valley vegetables and San Joaquin Valley grapes, the state has significant volume with other items ranging from Asian pears to apples, kiwifruit , persimmons, and strawberries.
Asian Pears
Asian pear loadings got underwa y in late July from the Central San Joaquin Valley and should be available into October, with normal volume expected.
Apples
Early variety apple shipments started in mid July and volume should total abouit 4.8 million boxes for the season, which will wind down this month. Last year California loaded 7.1 million boxes of apples. Volume this season is about 32 percent bellow the five-year average. Primavera Marketing Inc. of Stockton and Bidart Bros. Marketing of Bakersfield account for about 90 percent of California’s apple shipments.
Kiwifruit
California expects to load about 7.5 million of kiwi in 7-pound trays this season. Fruit originating out of Butt County in northern California will be similar to a year ago, as will production coming out of southern areas of the San Joaquin Valley. Kiwi shipments should continue though May 2014.
Persimmons
San Joaquin Valley persimmons is more of a speciality item with small volume compared to many California produce items, with shipments from October through Thanksgiving. It can help fill a load and is compatable for shipments with items ranging from grapes, to stone fruit, strawberries and even artichokes.
Strawberries
Strawberry shipments have been declining as loadings shift from the Watsonville District southward to the Santa Maria area and Ventura County. Quality hasn’t necessarily been awful this season, but at times it also has left a lot be desired.
North Dakota potato shipments could be off 22.6 percent this season, according to the North American Potato Market News. If this holds 5.7 million less hundredweight than in 2012 will be loaded. Blame is being placed on a cold, wet spring. Hardest hit are red potatoes for the fresh market and chip crops, with the processing potatoes closer to normal. Total US potato loads also will be off from last season.
The Red River Valley potatoes from North Dakota and Minnesota is the fourth largest spud shipping region in the country.
If predictions hold, North Dakota harvest acres could be down nearly 11 percent from last year with the average yield dropping from 300 bags per acre in 2012 down to 260 this year.
In neighboring Minnesota, it is predicted there will be a 2.7 percent increase in potato shipments, sighting close to ideal weather conditions which should push the average yield up from 400 to 410 hundredweight per acre in the state.
Additonally the Market News sees a 5.4 percent drop in shipments of fall potatoes across the U.S. North Dakota and Nebraska will have by far the largest drops in shipments on a percentage basis at 22.6% and 18.2% respectively. However the largest drop in actual shipments will occur in Idaho potato shipments projections show a drop of 14.4 million cwt. compared to last year. Idaho easily leads the nation in potato shipments every year.
If all the state projections hold true, North Dakota would drop from 4th place down to 6th place in potato shipments in 2013-14 season, and only slightly ahead of Minnesota.
The USDA will have its fall potato projections out later this month.
Big Lake, MN red potatoes – grossing about $3300 to Atlanta.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5500 to New York City.
Here’s a round up of New Jersey fall produce loads – if that is possible. Just keep in mind this is the fourth consecutive year that adverse weather has affected shipments during the spring and summer. We’ll see if the fall is any better.
So if your planning to haul Jersey fall produce, remember the loads won’t be available until the product it safely out of the ground.
New Jersey’s 11 principal fresh market vegetables are tomatoes, sweet corn, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, eggplant, escarole, snap beans and asparagus. The five main fruits are strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples and cranberries for processing. New Jersey is still shipping declining volumes of summer produce. Peaches started normally this year in mid-July and will finish up any time now. Warm season herbs, such as basil and mint, are also finishing. All of these products will be done at frost by mid-October.
New Jersey fall shipments include spinach, escarole/endive, lettuces, turnips, radishes, and sweet potatoes, which have just started. There also are lesser amounts of cabbage, collards, kale, beets, Swiss chard, pickles, cucumbers, radishes, butternut and acorn squash, and herbs such as parsley, dill, coriander, arugula and cilantro.
Partial loads of New Jersey non-storage apples began in early September, with the Gala, McIntosh, Jonathan and Courtland varieties. Available anytime now will be Red Delicious, Empire, Jonagold and McCoun. Golden Delicious, Rome, and Stayman Winesap start shipping by early October. Braeburn, Fuji and Granny Smith will start in mid-October.
Here’s a round up on tomato shipments from Southern California, Baja, as well as the Wisconsin potato loading outlook, and finally peaches from Colorado’s Western Slope.
There has been light to modern shipments of roma, round, grape and cherry tomatoes from the San Diego/Oceanside area of California since June, with peak loadings expected be from mid-October through November. A similar situation holds true for the nearby Baja pennisula in Mexico. Quality is reported good and shippers are having no problem finding customer to ship tomatoes since demand is excellent, in part due to poor weather and tomato growing conditions on the East Coast.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Wisconsin potatoes for the 2013-14 season should have higher quality than a year ago when there was a high percentage of culls, and grade-out, which increases the chances of claims for a produce hauler.
Wisconsin potato observers are predicting a high-volume of shipments this season, with most of the volume being with russets….The Badger state’s red potato loadings have been in good volume since mid-August. Russets have been moving in good volume since late August.
Colorado Peaches
Colorado peach shipments will be in far smaller volumes this season due to spring freezes in and around Palisade, CO. Peach shipments in Colorado run from about mid-July through September. Loading are expected to be down to as much as 30 to 40 percent of normal in the Palisade area, making it the smallest peach crop since 1991.