Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Fresno, CA – Hurricane Hilary delivered wind and rain to many of California’s table grape vineyards at peak harvest time for most of the 90 varieties grown in the state. The immediate aftermath of the hurricane brought additional rain and humidity to many growing areas, compounding problems and loss.
“The impact of the hurricane and its aftermath is devastating
and heartbreaking,” said Kathleen Nave, president of the California Table Grape Commission. “To say that the grower and farmworker community is in shock is an understatement.”
With approximately 30 percent of the crop harvested when the hurricane hit, it is projected that 35 percent of the remaining crop – 25 million boxes – has been lost.
“The revised estimatefor the California crop is 71.9 million 19-pound boxes,” said Nave. “The last time the crop was
under 75 million boxes was 1994.”
Noting that it is typical for California to ship over 65 percent of its crop after September 1, Nave said that based on the revised estimate there are still over 45 million boxes of grapes the industry plans to ship.
“Reaching consumers at retail stores is a major focus of the work done
by the commission,” Nave said. “Partnering with retailers to get grapes on store shelves and to promote them to consumers is work that will continue throughout the season.”
The California fig harvest started several weeks ago and observers are reporting strong volume and high quality. Harvest will continue through November, according to the California Fresh Fig Growers Association.
Commercially grown fresh and dried figs in the U.S. are produced in California, where over 100 producers, marketers, farm managers and processors cultivate 9,300 acres of California figs around Madera, Fresno and Merced.
The USDA has estimated the U.S. national cranberry crop for 2023 at 7.62 million barrels, down 5% from the 2022 crop year. In Wisconsin, the largest growing state, the USDA forecast production at 4.6 million barrels, down 5% from last year.
Production in Massachusetts, forecast at 2 million barrels, is down 12% from last year, the USDA said.
Cranberry growers experienced cold temperatures, with below-normal precipitation and above-normal snowfall during the winter months.
In Wisconsin and Massachusetts, the winter freeze and early snow affected plant dormancy and froze out buds, the release said.
In the spring and early summer months, numerous frosts and hailstorms occurred during the growing season.
Growers in some areas reported severe frost damage, resulting in reduced crop growth and yield loss, according to the USDA.
In Oregon, the crop faced threats from the intensive heat and extreme weather in late June and mid to late July, and growers are concerned about fruit size. With good management practices, cranberry growers expect a good to average season despite the challenging weather during the bloom period, the USDA said.
The New York Apple Association expects nearly 28 million bushels for the upcoming fall harvest, about 4 million bushels less than a year ago. However, this year’s shipments should represent about the five-year average of volume.
Apple harvesting started in the Hudson Valley and immediate surrounding areas in mid-August, followed by central and western New York about a week or two later. Then comes northeastern New York.
Here is a round up on when to expect each variety:
- Early season varieties start in August with ginger gold and paula red, followed by jonamac and Zestar.
- Other varieties, such as mcintosh, gala, Honeycrisp, cortland, macoun, jonagold, empire, New York-grown SweeTango, SnapDragon and New York-grown EverCrisp, are typically ready in early September through October, depending on the geographical location.
- Other varieties, such as red delicious, Crispin, golden delicious, fuji, Cameo, rome and braeburn, follow soon afterward.
Only about 30 percent of California’s table grapes had been shipped with Tropical Storm Hilary hit the San Joaquin Valley on August 20th. So about 20 percent of the remaining 70 percent of the grapes have been affected
The storm crossed Baja California, and also dropped rain in Sonora, en route to California.
Pandol Bros., Inc., of Delano, CA reports about 20% of the remaining California grape crop has been damaged. About 25-30% of the total fresh California table grape harvest was complete. So, of the remaining 70%, 20% was harmed by Hilary.
It was organic and white varieties that were most damaged. The later season red and black varieties have thicker skins and weathered the storm in better shape. So grape shipments from the middle part of the season, which is occurring now, will be affected most.
The 20% loss will be felt immediately, running to the middle of November. The crop should then be normal until it ends in late November.
Since the Peruvian citrus campaign began, shipments have not been able to exceed those of 2022.
Following a bit over half of the season, Peruvian citrus exports have declined, instead of increasing a forecast, according to Agraria.
So far this season, Peru has exported 86,765 tons, reflecting a 15 percent decline when compared to the same period last year. Through July, citrus shipments totaled 7,126 tons, which was 58 percent less than the same period last year.
In this same week, the product reached 21 destinations, of which the three main ones concentrated 69 percent of all shipments. These were the U.S., with 44 percent participation; followed by China, with 13 percent; and the Netherlands, with 12 percent. It should be noted that, unlike last year, shipments to the U.S. decreased considerably, going from representing 70 percent in 2022 to 44 percent this year.
Shipments to the U.S. totaled 3,144 tons, which was 3 percent less than the previous week and 74 percent less than in 2022. As for Peruvian exporters, the ones that stood out the most in this place were Procesadora Laran S.A.C. (22 percent) and Consorcio de Productores de Fruta S.A. (15 percent).
Peru shipped 916 tons to China, 10 percent less than the previous week, but 64 percent higher than last year. This has been a market in which little by little Peruvian citrus has been able to gain more of the market.
Finally, exports of 861 tons were shipped to the Netherlands, which was 5 percent higher than the previous week and 12 percent higher than 2022.
The California stone fruit season is at its peak. Favorable growing conditions have increased supplies compared to years past, according to Markhon Cooperative of Salinas, CA.
Peaches
- The season will wrap up in mid-October
- Size is dominated by large sizes (54- and 56-count fruit)
- Quality is very good: sugar levels typically range from 10 to 11 Brix
- Expect steady markets and ample supplies over the next four to six weeks
Plums
- The California season is at its peak
- California supplies are expected to run through the first week of October
- Size is dominated by small fruit (60- and 64-count stocks)
- Expect very good quality; sugar levels typically range from 14 to 17 Brix
- After the California season wraps up, plums will be sourced from Chile until mid-January
Nectarines
- The season will wrap up in mid-September
- Size is dominated by large sizes (54- and 56-count fruit)
- Quality is very good: sugar levels typically range from 11 to 12 Brix
- Expect steady markets over the next three to four weeks
Average volume for onion shipments are expected this season from the Columbia Basin, as well as from Treasure Valley, according to extension personnel at Washington State University and Oregon State University.
With total acreage virtually unchanged from a year ago, yellow onions account for about 80% of total onion acreage. Red onions now account for 15% of total Columbia Basin onion acreage, with white onions totaling about 5%.
Columbia Basin’s early onion harvest will likely start in early August, with storage onions beginning at the end of August or early September. Onions will be harvested and put in storage through September and into October.
Most of Washington’s storage onions are grown in the Columbia Basin, with the majority planted in Grant, Franklin and Adams counties.
Onion acreage in the Columbia Basin shared by Oregon and Washington totals about 25,000 acres. Onion harvest begins in the region begins in the late summer and can extend into the fall. Storage onions can be marketed from storage for up to eight months.
Storage onion acreage in the eastern part of Oregon and southwest Idaho, called the Treasure Valley region, accounts for about 20,000 to 25,000 acres.
Many onions in the Treasure Valley will be shipped to the East, while many of the Columbia Basin onions will move north and south, as well as to export markets.
Strong imports of Mexican mangoes are predicted amounting to nearly 3 percent on a weekly basis, according to The National Mango Board.
Imports reached a peak in the second week of May with 17,900 tons, a 50% increase over the same period in 2022.
The highest volume of mango imports by the U.S. from Mexico is from February through September.
Imports from Brazil usually start in August, followed by supplies through March from Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Haiti, Australia, and more recently Jamaica and Colombia.
This results in mangoes being a year-round product in the United States.
In the NMB’S latest crop report, the Kent variety leads with a 56% share of total shipments into the U.S., reaching 969,090 boxes by the last week of June.
It is followed by Ataulfo, with 22.5%, and Tommy Atkins, with 19%.
Mexico is the leading mango exporter into the U.S., with over four million 8.8 pound boxes shipped.
Weekly mango volumes to the U.S. rose by 17.72% marking a 565,866-box increase at the end of July with over 3.7 million boxes.
Ciruli Bros. of Rio Rico, AZ, reported recently there was six consecutive weeks of at least four million boxes in sales, and the Mexican season should conclude in late September for the company.
The Mexican mango season began the first week of January and will run until the first week of October with a projection (up to week 40—Oct. 7, 2023 – ) of approximately 101 million boxes.
Despite rainy winter and a cool spring, the California Almond Objective Measurement Report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) estimates that the 2023 crop will come in at 2.6 billion pounds, 1% percent above last year’s 2.57 billion pounds.
This new estimate is up 4% from USDA-NASS’s subjective forecast back in May and comes after one of the wettest winters on record, limited bee flights because of rain and wind, and a cool spring.
USDA’s Forecasted yield is 1,880 pounds per acre, down 20 pounds from 2022 and the lowest since 2009.
The slight increase comes partly because of larger nut size and despite difficult conditions, USDA-NASS’s report says, “Record level rainfall and unprecedented stormy conditions hindered bee pollination activity in orchards across the state. Cooler than normal temperatures continued through early summer and delayed the maturity of the crop.”
“Almond farmers have faced a series of challenges in recent years, and this wet, cool winter and spring created different obstacles after three years of drought. Yet the forecast for a larger crop shows the resiliency of California almond orchards,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC).
“Almond farmers have worked hard while dealing with higher production and financing costs and a bloom with highly compromised bee flight hours. They are very thankful, however, for the abundant rain and snow which vastly improved the water situation, at least for now, and for shipping logistics that continue to improve. The perseverance of California’s almond farmers is admirable as is their commitment to meet future growth in global demand with high-quality California almonds.”
The forecast for the average nut set per tree is 3,953, 3% down from 2022. The Nonpareil average nut set of 4,004 is 1% more than last year.
The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.67 grams, up 14% from the 2022 average weight. The Nonpareil average kernel weight was 1.69 grams, up 9% from last year.
The survey was conducted from May 26 to July 3 and 1,824 trees were sampled in 912 orchards, 32 more orchards than in 2022. USDA-NASS conducts the annual Subjective Forecast, Objective Report and Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions.