Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Poor quality peaches, and poor tasting, waterlogged watermelons are a few examples of how heavy rains have affected many produce crops in the South.
The Southeast had its second-wettest January through July on record. South Carolina has had more rain at this point in the year than in almost 50 years. Some South Carolina shippers have lost up to 25 percent of their peach crops.
Georgia has seen the heaviest rains, about 40 percent more than usual at this point in the year. Peach growers in the Fort Valley, GA area got lucky and escaped most of the excessive rains, with peach shipments all but over for the season.
If you haul Georgia pecans, loadings could be seriously affected this fall and winter. Pecan scab disease affects stem, leaf and nut growth, causing reduced yields — and loading opportunities. The disease is extremely susceptible to moisture.
Further south in Georgia, around Tifton and on towards the Florida state line, there has been tremendous amounts of rain. The regions has had 55 to 62 inches since the first of the year compared to about 17 inches this time a year ago. As result, fall vegetable shipments could be off significantly.
Specifically, this could hurt loadings of bell peppers, cantaloupe, broccoli, squash, cucumbers and tomatoes.
Blueberry shipments in most seasons are coming from different areas of the USA and Canada, but weather factors have resulted in a lot of “blues” maturing at the same time….With other produce, California navel orange shipments will soon replace valencias….The Eastern Shore is shipping watermelons.
Blueberry Shipments
Blueberry loads have been available at the same time this year from New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia during parts of the season.
Blueberry shipments have double over the past 20 years, not only because people love eating the fruit, but there has been countless publicity over studies touting the health benefits of “blues.” And in typical fashion, growers see a good thing, over plant, and prices fall (which is good for produce haulers and consumers, but growers).
Orange shipments
The California valencia season should wind down in October just as the navel shipping season begins. The navel orange crop looks slightly smaller than last year, when 90 million 40-pound cartons were trucked to markets.
East Coast
Watermelons continue to be shipped from the Delaware, Maryland, and the eastern shore of Virginia. Melons tend to start getting ify this late in the season and quality problems can certain be cropping up if the shipping areas have had to much rain. Just a word of caution.
Delaware/Maryland/Virginia watermelons – grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
Michigan blueberries and vegetables – about $2100 to Atlanta.
It’s looking like there will be more apples to haul during the 2013-14 season than last year’s huge crop. The major difference will be other major apple shipping states will be offering a lot more loads. Last year, it was primarily Washington state having any apple volume.
Nationwide new apple shipments could be anywhere from 250 and 252 million bushels, compared to the 215.7 million bushels produced nationwide a year ago. Bad weather conditions in 2012 for New York state cost apple haulers about half of its loading opportunties. Michigan was hit much harder as it shipped only 2.738 million bushels in 2012, compared to the state’s five-year average of 16.238 million bushels. This season Michigan apple shipments should come back with a vengence topping 26 million bushels.
The Michigan apple harvest got under way last week with paula reds, with ginger golds following closely behind.. It is a pretty normal start for fruit from Michigan’s Fruit Ridge, which produces 70 percent of the state’s apples.
California Grapes
California growers ship over 70 varieties of table grapes and the vast majority of those graped will be transported to markets across the USA and Canada from August through October. Record loads are predicted to be shipped by refrigerated trucks this season, mostly from the San Joaquin Valley.
Chilean Avocados
At various USA ports on both coasts, one the big items for the new season are avocados being imported from Chile. It is predicted that trucks hauling the product from ports to north American market will transport 30 to 35 percent mor of the tropical fruit than last year.
Last season was a record breaking year for Hass avocados, with shipments, mostly by truck, topping 1.5 billion pounds. For 2013, loadings are projected to increaseby another 10 percent to 1.65 billion pounds.
San Joaquin Valley grapes, melons veggies, stone fruit – grossing about $7300 to New York City.
It may not be a Rocky Mountain “high” for many shippers in Colorado this summer or fall due to a winter than lingered on and on, combined with some drought conditions. In a nutshell most Colorado vegetable shipments will be okay, but not great, while Western slope peaches may not be worth a produce hauler’s time. Potato shipments will be off some from last season.
Vegetable loadings from areas such as Brighton, Eaton and LaSalle are running nearly a week and one-half late. We’re talking items ranging from potatoes and onions to sweet corn and cabbage.
The Rocky Ford area is loading peppers, tomatoes, squash, carrots and green beans, among other items.
Colorado Fruit Shipments Hit
Colorado isn’t widely known for its cherry shipments, and will become even less so this year, thanks to a late freeze in May. While peaches fared better, it also will be significantly off — possibly by 30 percent. There will be some pear shipments into early October, and some apple loadings through at least Thanksgiving and possibily into December.
Colorado Potato Shipments
The Rocky Mountain state has about 49,700 acres of potato acreage for the 2013-14 shipping season, which is down over 5,000 acres from a year ago. Spud loadings get underway after Labor Day.
Gearing up for the new season of storage onions out of the Northwest, here is some information as produce haulers you might find interesting, if not helpful.
Oregon and Washington state, rank number one and number two respectively when it comes to shipments of onions out of storage.
In July 2012 the Oregon Department of Agriculture issued some facts and figures. In the 2011 season Oregon onions ranked 11th in the state’s top 40 commodities list at a value of approximately $92 million.
Oregon was ranked first nationally for storage onion production, accounting for 27 percent of total USA supplies.
The Pacific Northwest provides the nation with strong volumes of storage and non-storage onions. Oregon ranked first and Washington ranked second nationally for onion production during 2011. A total of 174.5 million hundredweight of storage onions were produced in 2011.
Onions grown in Malheur County are part of the Idaho-Eastern Oregon Onion growing region and represent significant volume for the state. According to the 2012 Agripedia, published by the Oregon Department of Agriculture, Malheur County accounted for 56 percent of Oregon’s total production.
The Pride of Washington State was released this past October. Washington ranked number two nationally for its production of all summer onions in 2011, accounting for 21.2 percent of national supplies. The commodity ranked number 16 among the state’s top 40 commodities during 2011, with an approximate value of production of $121.6 million.
While northern New Jersey is heavily populated, the southern part of the state is very much rural and agricultural. It also is is one of the top 10 states in produce shipments of several items, many which are being loaded on trucks now for shipments up and down the east coast, as well to Eastern Canada and even the Midwest, but mostly east of the Mississippi River.
The Garden state has 730,000 acres of farmland. New Jersey produce shipments make up 40 percent of the state’s agricultural shipments. For example it ranks 3rd in cranberry (mostly for processing), 3rd with bell peppers and spinach, 4th with peaches, 5th with blueberries and cucumbers, 6th in squash and 7th with tomatoes.
The state typically ships over 1,600 truckloads of blueberries a year. and about the same amount of peaches.
Its produce shipments started in late March and will wrap up in early October. Fall loadings from New Jersey range from apples to squash, sweet potatoes, greens, cranberries and broccoli and last until the first hard frost.
New Jersey volume is down some, plus crops are maturing later than usual due to weather factors.
Labor Day (September 2nd) produce shipments should see fair to good volume with watermelons, sweet corn, avocados and table grapes, among others.
Sweet corn loadings are originating from New York state, Delaware, Virginia, Michigan, Colorado and even from Canada. Don’t expect any barn busting volume on corn. Like many produce items this year, cool weather, rain and late planting have adversely affected volume, if not quality in some instances.
Watermelon Shipments
Watermelon shipments have followed a similar shipping path to corn. Watermelon volume has been lower than normal since July. For example, shipments have been off as much as 30 percent from Indiana, but has since improved some.
There also should be moderate shipments for Labor Day of watermelons from Missouri’s bootheal and parts of North Carolina. West Texas has light watermelons shipments in July, but have rebound with better volume for Labor Day.
California Grapes
As about any time of the year, California will be providing the best loading opportunities since it accounts for about 50 percent of the nation’s produce shipments. Salinas Valley vegetables are moving in moderate to good volume, plus the San Joaquin Valley has its seasonal mix of veggies, stone fruit, melons and grapes.
During the 2012 season, California harvested 100.1 million 19-pound box equivalents of table grapes. The estimate for this season, if holds, will mean another year for record grape shipments, with 106.9 million boxes predicted.
Bootheal of Missouri watermelons – grossing about $1800 to Atlanta.
North Carolina watermelson – $3000 to New York City.
Harvesting of pears in Washington state and Oregon got underway last week and there are light shipments taking place. Volume is increasing on a weekly basis.
California grapes are now in heavy volume.
The region is expected to ship about 19.4 million, 44-pound boxes of pears this season, which would be up about two percent from the 2012-13 crop.
If estimated pear shipments hold true for the season this would be 4 percent higher than the five-year average for loadings.
Pear volume for summer/fall pears from the Pacific Northwest is expected to be 4.7 million boxes, which would be about 5 percent less than 2012 season. Volume for Northwest winter pears is expected to come in at 15 million boxes. The total Northwest winter pear volume is anticipated to be approximately 15 million boxes, up 4 percent from 2012.
California Grape Shipments
After an early and fast start to the California table grape season, the rapid paces is expected to continue well past Labor Day. Shipping volume is running about two weeks earlier than normal.
During the 2012 season, California harvested 100.1 million 19-pound box equivalents of table grapes. Last April the preliminary estimate for this season was 106.9 million boxes.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $7500 to New York City.
Washington pears and apples – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Potato shipments from the old season are rapidly coming to a close, which is probably best since quality problems are showing up in product coming out of storages. There are less late season spuds available and loading opportunities are going to be relatively scarace until the new crop gets going.
You are seeing the results in high potato prices at your local supermarket.
The USDA reports US potato shipments for the weeks ending July 27 and Aug. 3 were down 15% and 24%, respectively, compared to the same weeks in 2012.
Shipments for new crops of potatoes have just started from Wisconsin, Colorado and Nebraska.
Even with the new crop of potatoes, some problems are already being reported. For example, diggings in Rupert, Idaho, began August 6, and growers are experiencing some skinning problems. That means a potential for potato haulers facing claims or rejected loads.
Shipments from Idaho are not expected to be significant until late August.
Texas is shipping some russets shipments and Washington state began in late July with light volume.
After this past season’s disaster with low prices on a huge crop, Idaho growers planted fewer acres and the new season is expected to be more normal in terms of volume.
Volume of old crop shipments from Idaho and Washington-Oregon have been higher in late July and early August than the previous season. However, shipments from Colorado this season were off by as much as a third.
Red potato shipments from the Big Lake area of Minnesota have started within the past week. In the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota, it will be late September or early October before decent shipments occur with red potatoes.
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
California avocado shipments should hit about 12,500 truckloads equivalents this year, up about 1,000 truck loads from 2012. Because of the larger crop, California avocado loadings are expected to run later than last year, continuing at peak volume through August and into September, with shipments running into November.
About 2,050 truckloads of fruit is expected to be hauled from September through November.
Weekly avocado shipments in the USA this year have reached as high as 1,000 truckloads. Loadings take place mostly in Southern California.
California tomato shipments
California mature green tomato shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley remain good, but are lighter than when loadings got underway in mid- to late June. That steady, but lighter volume should continue through the end of the year.
Around the Oceaside area of Southern California, there are loadings of cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and romas in addition to the vine ripened tomatoes.
Mature greens are typically sold to foodservice operators for their use with burgers or other dishes, or repackers, who package them in multiples, complete the ripening process and shipped to a variety of customers. Vine-ripe tomatoes are often shipped directly to the retailers.
Meanwhile volume shipments of Salinas Valley vegetables and San Joaquin Valley produce loadings of vegetables, stone fruit, grapes and melons continue.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5300 to Chicago.
Southern California avocados – grossing about $7500 to New York City.