Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Ohio farmers grow over 200 types of produce, ranging from grapes to peaches and apples on the fruit side, to tomatoes, sweet corn, squash and pumpkins in the vegetable family. The leading crops are corn and soybeans.
The USDA reports the state has 14.9 million acres of farmland. Food and agriculture make up the top industry, with 44% of the state considered prime farmland. In Ohio, there are around 80,000 farms, 99% of them owned by families, most of them in the Northwest section of the state.
Buurma Farms grows a variety of vegetables, including radish and beets, at its farms in Willard, Ohio, and Gregory, Michigan. About half of its produce comes from each state.
The company reports a very diversified business with no one product standing out. Buurma grows 30 different items, making it easier to fill a truck. They refer to it as one-stop shopping and it’s a niche that helps the company move product.
This year, the weather has been good and production now on schedule for harvesting and shipping.
Buurma sells most of its produce within a 400-mile radius of Ohio but does cover most of the East Coast.
D.R. Walcher Farms in North Fairfield specializes in bell peppers, cucumbers, summer squash, eggplant, winter squashes and fall ornamentals.
The operation sizes, grades and markets its produce. About 40% goes to large grocery chains, either directly or through wholesale brokers; another 40% is for foodservice, mostly to distributors who slice and dice it; and the remaining 20% goes to the commission market, which sells to restaurants and mom-and-pop stores.
One-third to half of the produce grown by D.R. Walcher remains in the Midwest, particularly Ohio, Michigan and Indiana, although does ship further east of the Mississippi.
The farm packs and ships vegetables from its own fields, as well as from other local contracted growers in six states. Then, the produce is all sent out under the D.R. Walcher name.
Delano, California — Four Star Fruit is a premier grower of year-round conventional and organic table grapes, committed to innovation and sustainable farming. The company forecasts an increase in red, green, and black grapes this year during the California season. Four Star recently started harvest in the most southern region of Arvin.
“We are excited to add both conventional and organic acreage to our portfolio in the Southern Valley of California,” said Doug Rossi, sales executive of Four Star Fruit. “The increased volume of production with help our retail partners transition smoothly into the season.”
The California table grape season is following the lead of the Mexican production, resulting in increased volume and movement after a tough import season. The current weather in Southern California has been mild, creating the ideal environment for the fruit to develop, resulting in exceptional eating quality for consumers this summer.
To learn more about Four Star Fruit, visit their website at www.fourstarfruit.com
About Four Star Fruit, Inc.
Four Star Fruit, Inc. has been in table grape production since 1987, family-owned and operated for three generations by the Campbell family. Its fields are located throughout the San Joaquin and Coachella Valleys, as well as Mexico. Four Star Fruit, Inc. provides several grape varieties, including its trademarked Pristine®. Four Star caters to all customers, offering both conventional and organic table grapes.
North Carolina grows and ships nearly 70% of sweet potatoes, according to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
North Carolina growers normally start harvesting sweet potatoes in August.
A combination of soils and temperatures are primary reason sweet potatoes in eastern North Carolina lead the nation in production.
The Interstate 95 corridor, around Wilson, Nash, Johnston and Sampson counties, is the heart of sweet potato country.
The growing region includes part of the Piedmont region and a small portion of the eastern part of the state, but not too far east.
The farther east in the state you go, the soil is blacker and not as well suited for sweet potatoes.
2021 harvested area for fresh and processing sweet potatoes combined was nearly 105,000 acres, up from 92,000 acres in 2017 and more than double the acreage of about 40,000 in 2007, according to USDA statistics.
In 2021, about 88% of the entire North Carolina sweet potato crop value was derived from the fresh market.
All of the research and infrastructure investments in North Carolina sweet potatoes have allowed North Carolina sweet potatoes to be available all year long, both for domestic and export.
Good volume shipments of Jersey Fresh peaches should be available from very early July until mid September, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.
Bonnie Lundblad, chair of the Council said, “Our season usually begins with the yellow-fleshed variety Sentry around July 4, with a sprinkling of very early white and yellow fleshed peaches. Our final shipments are around September 15, with the heaviest volume concluding around Labor Day. The late season varieties include Encore, Autumn Glo, Flame Prince and the new variety Tiana.”
Most shipments are destined for New Jersey and the New England and mid Atlantic Regions, from mid-July through Labor Day.
Joe Nichols owner of Nichols Orchards, in Franklin Township on the southern end of Gloucester County reports a lighter than normal crop of peaches and nectarines. Nichols a longtime member of NJPPC, feels he has maybe about 60% because of some spring low temperature injury.
We expect to have peaches and nectarines to wholesale throughout the summer. Since we sell tree-ripened fruit, we expect a strong demand.”
John Maccherone, NJPPC member, with his father Santo John are owners of Circle M Farms in Salem County, New Jersey. They have a full crop of peaches and nectarines this season. “We have many varieties of white and yellow-fleshed peaches and nectarines, most of which are being thinned for improved fruit size and quality,“ said Maccherone. “We expect a much better season with good demand compared to 2021 when the pandemic hampered our marketing program.” The Maccherones pack and wholesale under the Circle M label. They also sell Circle M peach cider drink, growing in popularity at Eastern US Farm Markets.
The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council is a 72-year-old voluntary organization of peach growers, wholesalers, distributors and allied industry that market products needed by the peach industry.
Lemon shipments from Chile began in late April, the same week as the previous season, as reported by the Citrus Committee of Chile.
In the first week of May 20,098 tons of this fruit were shipped, with an accumulated volume of 193 tons, a figure that reflects a decrease of 93% compared to the same date in 2021. 64% of this volume has been destined for the U.S. and the rest for Japan.
Earlier this spring, the Citrus Committee, projected Chile would export a volume of 90,000 tons, which is equivalent to 11 percent less than the previous season.
Blueberries in New Jersey for 2021 had a production value of $78 million. New Jersey annually ranks in the top six in the U.S. in the production of blueberries. Farmers in the Garden State harvested 41 million pounds of blueberries on 7,500 acres last year.
“We are off to an excellent start, and we anticipate it being a good year,” said Paul Macrie, who owns and operates Macrie Brothers Blueberry Farms of Hammonton, NJ with his brothers Nick and Mike. “From what we have seen early on, we think we will harvest a good volume with the juicy, larger-sized berries New Jersey is known for. We expect to be in full production mode within the next week or two.”
The Macrie Brothers have been growing blueberries in New Jersey since 1953. What started as a 26-acre farm has now blossomed into an 800-acre operation. The Macrie Brothers are also an active member of the New Jersey Blueberry Industry Advisory Council.
The blueberry season for New Jersey lasts through the end of July, which is National Blueberry Month. During the peak of blueberry season, production can be as high as 250,000-300,000 crates per day. Eating blueberries is beneficial to health as they are known as the “King of Anti-Oxidants.” Blueberries are low in calories and high in nutrients.
Extra caution is advised if you plan on hauling last season storage potatoes out of Idaho. Some quality problems such as shoulder bruising and hollow heart are being reported.
The problem apparently is resulting from pressure and shoulder bruising (soft, external indents) because of constant contact with adjacent potatoes, or the floor, while the raw product sits in storage piles. Hollow heart (small, irregularly shaped internal craters) develops internally during the season when potatoes grow faster than normal due to adverse weather.
Idaho potato shippers are depleting their supplies from storage, and the Norkotah crop has been exhausted, leaving the Burbank variety until new crop arrives.
Burbanks will be the only variety available for shipping until the new crop of Norkotahs become available in August. Some suppliers expect a potential 7to 14 day shipping gap in early August.
New crop Norkotah harvesting is expected to begin in early August.
Storage supplies are available from many growing areas besides Idaho, including Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Wisconsin.
The Chilean citrus season kicked off in mid-April when the first shipment of clementines set sail for the U.S. market.
Chile will supply clementines, mandarins, navels and lemons to the U.S. market, with promotional support starting in June and continuing through October, according to a news release.
The current total Chilean Citrus forecast across categories is as follows:
- Clementines: 45,000 tons
- Mandarins: 120,000 tons
- Navels: 90,000 tons
- Lemons: 90,000 tons
Logistical and climatic issues have impacted overall volume, resulting in an anticipated 12% decrease from 2021. Nonetheless, Juan Enrique Ortuzar, president of the Chilean Citrus Committee, remains optimistic about the industry’s future.
“We are facing a challenging season in many respects, but citrus has grown into an incredibly strong, year-round category,” Ortuzar said in the release. “Chilean citrus volume has increased by 25% over the past five years. With our quality proposition, we believe there will continue to be growth opportunities.”
The U.S. received 88% of all Chilean citrus exports in 2021, with 97% of clementines and mandarins shipped to the U.S. Volume will be lower this year, especially for clementines, where a volume decrease of 35% is anticipated, but the U.S. will continue to receive the majority of Chilean citrus exports. To support this volume, the Citrus Committee is finalizing a robust marketing campaign that will help build demand and drive sales at the retail level.
New Jersey is one of the top 10 producers nationally for blueberries, cranberries (processed), spinach, squash and many other crops, according the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
Consalo Family Farms of Vineland, NJ grows a full line of produce in New Jersey, with a history in the state dating back to 1927.
There are more than 100 different varieties of produce grown in New Jersey. These items range from methi, to daikon radishes, and bok choy plus more traditional items like cilantro, dill, romaine lettuce, and beets.
New Jersey grown produce is shipped by truck to retailers up and down the East Coast. Vegetable loadings begin in April and usually extending into November for some crops. New Jersey blueberries are available June through early August.
Sunny Valley International of Glassboro, NJ, has been a leading marketer of New Jersey stone fruit and blueberries for nearly 30 years.
There was a 23 % drop in Florida avocado shipments during the 2021 season, according the the USDA.
The Sunshine state totaled 1.11 million 25-pound cartons in 20. There was a 39% plunge to 1.83 million cartons in 2019. The decline in volume has corresponded with a dip in Florida avocado bearing acreage.
Florida avocado bearing acreage in 2021 was 4,400 acres, down 4% from 4,600 acres in 2020, off 27% from 6,000 acres in 2019 and 24% off from 5,800 acres from 2018.
Florida avocados are available year-round, but the heaviest volume from the state in 2021 ran from June through December.
The top shipment month for Florida avocados in 2021 was August, when shippers moved 225,200 cartons, or about 20% of the state’s total annual fresh shipments.
In 2021, August was followed in importance by July, which featured 201,600 cartons, or about 18% of annual volume. September shipments were 196,800 cartons, or about 18% of annual volume.
A crop estimate for 2022 has yet to be issued.
Brooks Tropicals LLC of Homestead, FL will see an increase in Florida avocado production because of new grafts bearing fruit.
The company has invested in recent years over $1 million in transitioning some varieties into others based on various production, harvest, and fruit characteristics. Overall, Florida avocado industry acreage has shrunk though, due to economic forces (land value) and devastation brought on by the Laurel Wilt virus.
Brooks is the second-largest importer of tropical avocados and representing about 35% of the Florida industry – combining to make Brooks Tropicals the single largest distributor of tropical avocados in North America.