Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
California is the top producer of peaches and its lead over second place South Carolina third place Georgia is even greater this year. While excellent growing conditions is producing a big California crop, a March freeze means anywhere from 70 to 90 percent fewer peaches in the Southeast, depending on the area.
The California Fresh Fruit Association reports the biggest supplier of U.S. peaches is in good shape.
California tree fruit shippers also report full crops of tree fruit are seen for the remainder of the season, which includes July and August. Shipments started in June. The combination of ample water, plenty of chill hours and little stress on the trees should result in good quality and good sizing.
Meanwhile, growers in middle Georgia may have only 5% to 10% of a crop, and whatever harvesting there is will be accomplished by bagging fruit in the field rather than running their packing lines.
In 2022, Georgia’s 24,800 tons of peaches ranked a distant third in the U.S., trailing California’s 475,000 tons, and South Carolina’s 67,400 tons.
The Ridge growing area, which is the biggest peach area in South Carolina, has some growers with as little as 10% of a full crop and most have about 20% of a full crop. However, at least a couple of growers are expecting 30% or more of a full crop, in part because of the use of wind machines during a cold snap.
South Carolina will have much more volume than Georgia but much of it might not get packed. The season also has advanced two to three weeks for many mid- and late-season varieties so South Carolina will likely be finished by early August, especially in regard to packing the fruit.
New Jersey, the seventh-ranked peach state in 2022 with 7,000 tons, will have a good crop this year.
Growers have a heavy crop of peaches in about 95% of the state’s orchards.
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments have been reduced for much of 2023 due to rain, floods, cold and cloudy weather. However, warmer weather is now leading to bigger volume and loading opportunties.
Impatiens necrotic spot virus – INSV – a daunting lettuce pest in recent years, may be a problem as warm weather otherwise boosts Salinas production.
The most recent chilly, cloudy weather cleared in mid-June, which is increasing Salinas vegetable production and shipments. Sales and marketing company Produce West of Salinas, CA reports the slow start to the season was all weather related, resulting in a two week delay in plantings.
Salinas celery has a lot of seeders and yields are down.
In Salinas, INSV has been a problem for the last three years, although not much of a problem so far this year. However, there are concerns it may be a problem with warmer temperatures. The virus sucks the life out of plants. Santa Maria also is discovering a little INSV now. That’s not a good sign if they have warmer weather.
The goldenberry is slowly becoming a staple of Ecuador’s fruit industry, with a strong year-round supply. It is a naturally occurring crop in most of the Andes region,
Golden Sweet Spirit, reports the U.S. has become the main destination fresh goldenberries, as consumption trends continue to lean towards more health-conscious food choices. Golden Sweet Spirit also exports to Canada, with less volume going to Germany, Holland, Spain and England.
The company exports goldenberries fresh, dried and in jam form.
With a high antioxidant content, goldenberries are particularly popular in breakfast recipes and preparations.
Ecuador’s rich soil, cheap water sources and sunny climate, with at least 12 hours of sun a day, makes up for a big competitive advantage.
Ecuadorian goldenberries are grown and harvested the 52 weeks of the year.
For Golden Sweet Spirit, current consumer price for 3.5 ounces of goldenberries averages at 4 to 6 dollars. The product can be found in select Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco stores, among other popular grocery shops.
As for growing areas, the company currently has 247 acres for production and is working to increase that number tenfold by 2028, as it hopes to attract foreign capital in the coming years.
The company exports around 500 tons to the U.S., which represents approximately 80% of the production and covers less than 0.06% of the U.S. demand for berries, according to statistics, Gold Seet Spirit reports.
However, not many producing countries have the advantages that Ecuador has when it comes to this fruit, as the country is the biological center of origin for goldenberries.
The product was mistakenly named physallis peruviana, in reference to Peru. But its true origin is in Ecuador, where there are currently 36 different types of goldenberry being produced.
Chelsea, MA – Morning Kiss Organic is bringing back a summer classic! Shipping from Mexico and California, organic mini watermelons, organic cantaloupes, and organic honey dew melons are now available from Morning Kiss organic.
Morning Kiss Organic will offer organic melons through December and offers just-in-time inventory management to reduce loss to product spoilage. Melons can be banded with organic tape upon request to guarantee the organic sale at checkout.
“Get ready to savor the taste of summer,” says Nelly Czajkowski of Morning Kiss Organic. “Organic melons are a great addition to the summer retail set and a fantastic way to boost organic category sales. We’ve seen a major increase in demand for organic melons and our growers have done an excellent job expanding the category.”
New this season, Morning Kiss Organic will be offering a new label option which includes a scannable UPC to guarantee the organic sale a check out. The labels feature Morning Kiss Organic’s new logo and are designed to stay adhered to the fruit despite temperature differentials. “With self checkout on the rise we wanted to provide our customers with a scannable option so they can trust they will get the organic sale,” says Czajkowski.
About Morning Kiss Organic
Morning Kiss Organic is the organic brand of Gold Bell, DiSilva Fruit and Arrowfarms. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Morning Kiss Organic products are available year round in a range of customizable formats, packed to order. Unique packaging options offer economical packaging, pricing, faster turns and less waste. Always fresh, the company uses just in time inventory management as well as daily deliveries to ensure the highest quality, best tasting selection available. Natural and healthy, Morning Kiss products are always non-GMO. Morning Kiss Organic is committed to sourcing from East Coast farmers whenever possible, and delivers daily to stores and distribution centers.
Visalia, CA — Further strengthening its supply in California, Oppy, is introducing new acreage under the Ocean Spray label.
Oppy kicks off the San Joaquin Valley season from ranches in Wasco, through McFarland, Pixley, Farmersville and Strathmore. Together, these five regions are expected to produce 20% more than Oppy harvested in 2022 as more acreage comes online.
“We are well-poised to meet the increasing demand for high-quality grapes with both domestic and internationally grown fruit,” said Senior Vice President of Categories and Marketing James Milne. “As the California industry compresses, Oppy ranches continue to grow alongside consumption. We’ve prepared for this transition, bringing Piers Hanbury onto our team last year.”
Building T&G’s export grape category in California a decade ago, Hanbury eventually oversaw its global grape program, leading supply to and from the U.S. including Peru, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Asia and Europe. Hanbury’s expertise and strategic approach encompassed new variety licensing deals and breeding programs.
“We look towards a fantastic five-month season in California as we ensure stable year-round supply with our transition to Peru, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and Mexico,” said Hanbury.
About Oppy
Oppy, based in Vancouver, BC has been growing, marketing and distributing fresh produce from around the globe for 165 years. With over 50 million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on every continent moving through its supply chain annually, Oppy offers items from avocados and berries to apples and oranges year-round, alongside innovative seasonal specialties. Over the years, Oppy has introduced North Americans to a number of items across its diverse produce range, including Granny Smith, JAZZ and Envy apples, as well as green and gold kiwifruit.
Chilean mandarins are now available from Bee Sweet Citrus of Fowler, CA.
As California’s citrus domestic season is winding down, the marketer is shifting focus to the company’s summer citrus line, according to a news release.
“Off-shore mandarins have arrived at Bee Sweet Citrus, signaling the start of our summer import program,” Joe Berberian, Bee Sweet citrus sales representative, said. “Over the next few weeks, we will also receive Chilean lemons and navel oranges to help our customers meet year-round demand for citrus.”
Bee Sweet Citrus is currently harvesting domestic star ruby grapefruit, lemons, valencia oranges and royal red oranges, the release said.
Chilean mandarins are also available; Chilean lemons are expected to arrive by the first of July, and navel oranges the second week of July, according to the release.
“All imported product is brought to our main facility where it undergoes a thorough quality inspection before it’s shipped out to customers,” Berberian said in the release. “Our customers also have the option to repack any offshore product to meet specific pack styles throughout the program.”
Mountain View Fruit Sales will be highlighting three varieties for the upcoming season of its Estate Vineyards table grape program.
The Reedley, Calif.-based company introduced its premium table grape program last summer under the Estate Vineyards label, led by Grape Division Director George Matoian.
“We will have our first candy variety with Candy Snaps, available in our Estate Vineyards brand,” Matoian said in a news release. “And we are one of [only a] few growers in California to have the newly released USDA black seedless grape variety, Solbrio, in production. We will also offer the highly coveted, concord-flavored Kyoho black seeded grape this season.”
Packs will be available in traditional corrugated cartons, new plastic corrugated cartons, and Styrofoam, the release said.
Matoian said Mountain View is “catching up a little from last year’s start dates” as the 2023 season nears.
“We are approximately eight to nine days behind last year’s crop. On most varieties we are at the leaf removal and bunch thinning stages,” he said. “The good news is this year’s bunches are some of the largest I have seen in many years and the cells of the grape berry are rapidly dividing to give us the maximum berry size we require.”
“Mountain View will have increased volume this season on both premium and proprietary grape varieties,” owner Mike Thurlow said in the release. “We are expecting fantastic quality again this year, and we believe 2023 will be a vintage grape season.”
ABOUT MOUNTAIN VIEW FRUIT SALES
- Established in 1994 with a vision focused on growing flavorful peaches, plums and nectarines on family farms packed under the brands Summeripe, Summertime and Summersweet.
- In 2017, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include premium citrus packed under the brands Rascals, Brilliant and Aces.
- In 2022, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include a premium grape program under the brand Estate Vineyards.
The Eastern Shore, also referred to as Delmarva, encompasses several counties in Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. It is separated from the mainland to the west by the Chesapeake Bay, and washed by the Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean on the east.
Eastern Shore produce shipments provides retailers and foodservice companies, particularly along the Eastern Seaboard, with a steady supply potatoes, vegetables and other fresh fruits and vegetables from spring to fall. This year, loadings started in early June and will continue through September.
At Dublin Farms of Horntown, VA, fresh potato shipments are just getting underway, with volume expected to be similar to the 2022 season.
Virginia potatoes provide a niche in filling the gap after Florida’s fresh crop potatoes are dug in the spring and before the more northern production areas start producing in late summer early fall. Dublin will be shipping fresh potatoes to customers stretching from Florida to Canada until late in the summer.
Cambridge Farms is headquarted in South Easton, MA, but has long partnered with potato growers from the Southeast to the Northeast, including along the Eastern Shore. Good volume is expected from North Carolina and Virginia.
Cambridge Farms started Virginia potato shipments in mid-June with, and reds, white and yellows.
Papen Farms in Dover, DE, produces sweet corn, green beans and cabbage. The company is expecting those three crops to produce on a fairly normal schedule this season, with loadings from early June through its fall crop of green beans. Sweet corn is the company’s top volume commodity and it is on schedule for its post-Fourth of July harvest, which will last about two months.
Oxnard, CA– Westfalia Fruit, the market leader in growing, ripening, handling, and distributing quality avocados, announces the start of its Peruvian avocado season with supply available now through mid-September.
Westfalia began exporting Peruvian avocados in 2016 and is now the 2nd largest exporter, with a presence in 15 regions across the country and a growing area spanning over 4,600 hectares. Westfalia operates 4 avocado nurseries in Peru in addition to a brand-new state-of-the-art packinghouse in Canete, located in southern Lima.
“We operate 4 experimental and teaching orchards located in strategic areas across Peru,” said David Fausset, Business Development Director at Westfalia Fruit. “These orchards empower our growers to optimize crop management and teach sustainable production methodologies that support our social and sustainable responsibilities.”
Established over 70 years ago, Westfalia markets prime-quality, ready-to-eat avocados across the globe through its vertically integrated supply chain as well as its technical and commercial expertise. Its global supply chain and distribution network allow Peruvian avocados to ship to all major North American ports of entry.
About Westfalia Fruit Group
Established over 70 years ago, Westfalia Fruit Group is a global, vertically integrated company and market leader in growing, ripening, processing, shipping and distributing the product.
British Columbia cherry shipments will be getting underway by the end of June.
Global Fruit of Creston, British Columbia reports the peak of the season will occur from mid-July until mid-August.
The company will continue picking cherries into early September.
Global Fruit’s cherry volume accounts for over 30% of British Columbia cherry shipments, with 30 cherry growers in the group covering over 2,000 acres.
Growing north of Washington state, British Columbia cherries ripen later than in Washington. British Columbia cherries take a bit longer from blossom to harvest, and with cooler nights the fruit is generally bigger, firmer and sweeter.
The 2023 British Columbia cherry crop is in good shape overall, though yields will be variable this season depending on location and winter cold damage.
Global Fruit also specializes in late-season blush cherries, grown on its own farms, including rainier, Stardust and other later-ripening blush varieties.
Starting in late June and continuing through mid-September, Star Produce will offer British Columbia cherries to retailers across North America and in several overseas markets, company officials say.
Star Produce of Saskatoon, Saskatchewn has Just Picked branded cherries starting in the south Okanagan Valley in late June and continuing into the central valley for July through mid-September.