Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Washington fresh apple shipments for 2022-23 are expected to be slightly below 100 million cartons, down from 119 million cartons for the 2021-22 crop.
U.S. fresh apple inventories in storage on Dec. 1 were off 7% compared with last year and down 14% compared with the five-year average, according to a new survey from the U.S. Apple Association.
Despite a substantial reduction in crop size compared with 2021, Washington accounted for about 77% of fresh apple shipments in mid-December. Larger crops of fruit in Michigan and New York have allowed shippers in those regions to gain new customers this season.
Even so, current 2022 production is well above the 65 million boxes of fresh apples shipped in 1990.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, Wash. reports the 2021-22 season was a tight crop in terms of supply, and this season is even tighter.
With the shorter crop in Washington, Evans Fruit Co. of Cowiche, Wash. reports it is a little more strict than in the past. The shipper is aiming to help its loyal customers get through the season, with a supply into the summer.
A greater percentage of apple shipments may be directed to the domestic market rather than the export market because of the stronger U.S. dollar and continuing logistic problems in some countries.
One of the main issues affecting Chilean blueberry exports in the current season is the increased supply from other countries, such as Peru, South Africa and Mexico.
ASOEX’s Chilean Blueberry Committee reports the increase in supply is requiring new promotional efforts to increase demand. The growth of these countries has been focused mainly in those windows where there was less supply from Chile, Argentina, the U.S. and Canada.
ASOEX forecasts shipments will reach over 98,000 tons of fresh blueberries for 2022-2023, an 8% decrease compared to the previous season. Over 50% of Chilean blueberries are exported to the U.S. It is followed by Europe and Asia with 35% and 15%, respectively.
Peruvian grape exports were off to a good start in October, as shipments abroad totaled $98.1 million, reflecting a growth of 29 percent compared to the same month in 2021 ($76.2 million), according to Gestion, citing statistics from the Association of Exporters (Adex).
For the 2022-23 season, the U.S. ($27.5 million) positioned itself as the largest market, receiving 28 percent of the total, reflecting an increase of 164 percent. In second place was the Netherlands ($17.01 million) with a share of 17 percent, reflecting a decrease of 33 percent.
They were followed by the UK ($10.7 million), Mexico ($5.7 million), and Canada ($5 million). Hong Kong, China, Spain, Colombia, and South Korea completed the top ten.
There is some concern political unrest in Peru could threaten exports. Peru’s agricultural industry is losing some $100 million a day as a result of political unrest, says Luis Fernando Helguero, the nation’s minister of foreign trade and tourism.
According to the ADEX Data Trade Business Intelligence System, grape shipments totaled $690.2 million from January to October 2022, reflecting an increase of 14.5 percent compared to the same period in 2021 ($602.8 million).
Its largest destination was the U.S. (about $310.5 million), followed by Hong Kong ($70.7 million), the Netherlands ($65.2 million), China ($50.9 million) and Mexico ($36.6 million).
The Table Grape Committee of ASOEX (Chilean Fruit Exporters Association) has released its fourth export forecast for the 2022/23 season. It shows a 1.2 per cent increase from the previous forecast, with exports estimated at 555,483 tons, equivalent to 67.742 million (8.2kg) boxes.
Although slightly higher than December’s estimate, the new forecast shows a decrease of 8.9% from 2021/22. This is largely the result of varietal replacement within the table grape industry in Chile.
North America will continue to be the main destination for Chilean grapes, taking around 37.2 million boxes, followed by Asia with almost 14 million boxes and Europe with 9 million boxes.
ASOEX president Iván Marambio commented: “Our new estimate shows a slight increase from December, driven by an increase in exports of new varieties, especially white and red, versus a decrease in shipments of traditional varieties. It’s great news that the industry’s commitment to varietal renewal is beginning to be seen in our shipments, because consumers will be able to enjoy better tasting, higher quality Chilean grapes.”
The committee’s coordinator, Ignacio Caballero, stated that new varieties will account for almost 37 million boxes, while traditional varieties, including Red Globe, will make up around 31 million boxes this season.
“More than 50 per cent of grape exports will consist of new varieties, especially in white and red grapes. The new white varieties will exceed 13 million boxes, black varieties 4 million boxes and red varieties 18 million.”
Arra 15, Timpson, Sweet Globe, Autumncrisp, Blanc Seedless and Cotton Candy are among the main new white varieties. The standout black varieties include Sweet Favors, Sable Seedless, Sweet Sapphire, Maylen and Midnight Beauty, while Timco, Allison, Sweet Celebration, Scarlotta Seedless, Arra 29, Jack Salute, Candy Hearts and Ralli Seedless are among the main players for newer red varieties.
Elgin, MN — Even with the challenging apple supply from Washington, this is the best Pazazz crop on record, reports Honeybear Brands. Shipments will continue throughout the winter and spring.
“Growers in the Midwest, New York, Washington and Nova Scotia harvested a beautiful Pazazz crop that will uniquely increase in brix throughout the coming months. Pazazz apples are harvested with high starch content that benefit with some time in storage, so as other apple varieties start to fade in flavor, Pazazz apples get better and better” says Don Roper, VP sales and marketing, Honeybear Brands. “In addition, our customers get the benefit of their fruit coming from closer to home, which is an important attribute.”
Growing Locations
Shoppers are aware their product choices have an impact on the environment and are more regularly seeking foods grown closer to home, when possible. The domestic Pazazz crop fits that bill with orchards and packing facilities that stretch east to west and can provide quick, packed-to-order freshness and shorter travel times.
Unique Flavor
Great flavor drives consumer purchase behavior, and this sets Pazazz apart from other apples in the marketplace. The unique flavor and balance of sweet and tangy is the biggest part of the Pazazz success. This clean and refreshing apple packs a strong crunch with a flavor that is enhanced as the season progresses.
Pazazz Boosts Moods and Brand Awareness
An apple a day keeps the blues away! Pazazz is engaged in a multipronged marketing campaign highlighting the mood boosting benefits of apples as well as the physical benefits. A swath of social media content from influencers and podcasters to giveaway sweepstakes of The Happiness Diet book are targeting consumers in markets where Pazazz is on shelf.
In February, Pazazz and The American Institute for Cancer Research will again team up with Celebrity Chef Elle Simone from America’s Test Kitchen to promote the cancer-fighting benefits of apples with unique content reaching millions of viewers via multiple media platforms and in-store assets.
About Honeybear Brands
Family owned and operated for more than forty years, Honeybear is a dual hemisphere grower, packer, shipper and importer of apples, pears and cherries year-round. A pioneer in the commercialization of Honeycrisp, the company has been an industry leader in responsible, sustainable growing practices and land stewardship for many years. Honeybear Brands is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wescott Agri Products. For more information about Honeybear, visit www.honeybearbrands.com and follow us on Facebook.
California almond production in the 2022-2023 season is expected to drop 11%, according to the USDA.
California’s driest three-year period on record has spurred unprecedented cuts to usual water supplies, driving up costs. That’s forcing some producers to tear out orchards in favor of other crops, or simply stop watering trees.
California supplies 80% of the world’s almonds and volume is shrinking for the first time in over 25 years. This is the result of the state’s historic drought which is leading farmers to abandon orchards or forgo new plantings altogether.
The state had an estimated 1.64 million acres at the end of August, down slightly from a year earlier, according to the Almond Board of California. Further, the number of new trees planted from 2020 but are not yet bearing almonds fell 17%.
Wonderful Citrus headquartered in Delano, CA reports its Halo loadings could be down about 2 percent this season, due to torrential California rains. The company accounts for 25% to 30% of the total category volume in North America.
Any decline in the fruit this season is being attributed to unharvested citrus.
Soaked land in a grove can suffer substantial damage from harvest equipment.
This winter the greatest rainfall is flooding the central and northern parts of the San Joaquin Valley. Wonderful grows Halos through much of the valley’s 200-mile length, ending at Madera north of Fresno.
Recent precipitation levels across the state are well above average for this time of year at about 130-160% of average. Still, despite the storms, most major reservoirs – before the January 9 storm – were still anywhere between 40-60% of their historical average fill.
Wonderful Citrus has geographically and climatically diverse plantings to optimize market availability through the season. The strategy also helps dodge widespread damage, as is being proven this month.
Halos are shipped from November until about June. In recent years, new varieties were planted to extend this season from mid-May. Halos’ largest volume peaks in February and March. Last year’s volume was very light. The 2022-23 supply is up at least 20 percent.
Halos shipped from November into early January are Clementines. In the second half of the shipping season, the Halos brand is composed of mandarins, Tango, and Western Murcott.
While Wonderful Halos are shipped across North America, the heaviest distribution is in the central United States, as well as the length of the eastern seaboard. To a lesser extent, the company has a presence west of the Rockies.
Torrential rains and flooding in the Salinas Valley has continued and many growers are looking to other areas for spring plantings.
Church Bros. Farms of Salinas, CA expects shipping gaps this spring for vegetables.
Normally leafy greens harvest in Salinas starts about April 1. That harvest date requires a Jan. 1 planting. Salinas growers – with those in much of California’s Central Valley – received constant waves of torrential rainfall through the first two weeks of January. The Salinas River is overflowing.
Cole crops in the Salinas Valley are planted in November and December. Those plantings are lost. Church reports two of its growers have 2,000 acres underwater. In all, 20,000 acres are flooded in the valley. However, the company is unsure exactly how much of that total is cultivated. Some of that acreage will have to be disked if it was already planted with crops.
The grower/shipper reports loss of acres could create a gap in April and the following months as there are new food safety rules in place which did not exist in 1995. These rules restrict planting fields that were affected by the flood waters for 60 days and the soil must be sufficiently dried out. After 30 days, growers have to test the soil again before it can plant.
The company indicates that the Salinas River level in 1995 reached 30 feet and the flood level was 23 feet. Church notes that in a recent comparison photo, the river was measured at 24.6 feet and the damage was nowhere near what it was in 1995.
Some growers were already shifting to plant in Yuma. That inherent danger is the potential crop-killing heat in April. If those fields can withstand heat through April 10-20 they will still be better off than trying to plant using a pontoon boat in Salinas. Other growers are planting in Mexico to compensate for saturated Salinas fields.
The USDA is projecting a 51% decrease in overall production for Florida citrus, with both Valencia and Non-Valencia oranges showing the biggest drops.
According to the entity’s Agricultural Statistics Board, harvest for next month will close at 20 million boxes. This is down 8 million from the October forecast.
The Sunshine State’s produce industry is among the most affected by Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, with many vegetable production areas flooded in the Everglades. This negatively impacted both growing plots and yields, as crop planting was largely just beginning when Ian hit Southwest Florida.
Regarding varieties, Valencia oranges would show the largest decline in production with 13 million boxes, down 4 million from the October forecast. Current fruit size is below the minimum compared to the previous 10 seasons, the report states.
This is similar to the projection for non-Valencia oranges (early, mid-season, and Navel varieties), which is also to decrease by 4 million, dropping to 13 boxes. Fruit size is currently below average and is projected to remain so at harvest.
Grapefruit production is also expected to decrease by 200,000 boxes to 1.8 total. Red grapefruit forecast lowered from 180,000 to 1.62 million boxes, while white grapefruit forecast decreased 20,000 boxes to 180,000.
Tangerine and tangelo yields are also predicted to go down by 100,000 boxes, for a total of 600,000.
“Chances are 2 out of 3 that the current all orange production forecast will not be above or below the final estimates by more than 8.4 percent, or 8.3 percent excluding abnormal seasons (three hurricane seasons). Chances are 9 out of 10 (90 percent confidence level) that the difference will not exceed 14.5 percent, or 14.4 percent excluding abnormal seasons,” the report said.
Hapco Farms of Westhampton Beach, NY, has tripled its broccoli acreage on the East Coast this year and now ships domestically grown broccoli 12 months a year.
With new acreage in Florida and North Carolina, Hapco Farms reports it is now the largest grower of broccoli on the East Coast.
The company’s goal is to grow product as close to its customers as possible. It is moving acreage from Mexico to the United States, specifically the East Coast, which allows delivery of product fresher, faster and cheaper.
Since Hapco Farms already had acreage in these areas, expanding growing operations there was the natural next step, and it now has the ability to supply U.S.-grown product on a year-round basis.
Hapco’s broccoli season in Florida runs from December through March. It transitions to North Carolina for a small window in mid-May to early June before moving to Maine for the summer. North Carolina production resumes in late October and runs until Florida picks up again in December.
Having expanded acreage also will provide opportunities to grow and ship other commodities, such as cauliflower and sweet corn.