Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
In November the Washington organic apple crop was projected to exceed 15 million cartons, while the Washington state overall crop was projected at 118 million cartons.
Domestic truck shipments of Washington conventional apples through December 25 equaled 24.4 million cartons, compared with 25 million cartons the same time a year ago, according to the USDA.
Through December 25, season-to-date domestic truck volume of Washington organic apples totaled about 5.5 million cartons, almost exactly the same volume as the same time a year ago.
Organic apple supplies are tight and getting tighter in the 2021-22 marketing season.
The December 25 average organic apple price was $56.26 per carton at U.S. wholesale markets tracked by the USDA, 41% higher than the $39.83 per carton average for conventional apples the same day.
The USDA reported size 72 Washington organic gala apples were trading at $34 to $36 per carton on December 29, up slightly from a year ago.
The USDA reported the national average shipping point price for organic apples on Dec. 25 was $29.65 per carton, just 3% higher than the average shipping point price for conventional apples at $28.96 per carton.
The U.S. average retail promoted price for organic apples was $1.81 per pound in early December, up from $1.61 per pound in early December 2020.
Sage Fruit Co. of Yakima, WA notes both conventional and organic apple volume is down this season. About 15% of the company’s total crop is in organics, but that number is growing yearly.
At Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, WA, organics account for about 30% of its overall apple shipments.
Honeybear Marketing of Brewster, WA reports about 12% of the company’s shipments are with organic apples. Honeybear Marketing has more domestic organic trees coming into production in the 2021 season, boosting this year’s volume of organic apples. The company has supplies of organic galas, Honeycrisp, granny smith, fujis, Pink Lady and Cosmic Crisp.
Honeybear ships organic and conventional apples year-round because of its dual hemisphere program. During the winter and spring, it is loading its domestic supply, but in late summer, the company gradually shifts to its Southern Hemisphere apple program.
At CMI Orchards of Wenatchee, WA, organics account for about 15% to 20% of apple volume, and also as a dual hemisphere program for winter and spring.
Washington apples and pears – grossing $13,500 and more to New York City.
Mexican blueberry shipments are expected to slowdown following a five-year growth, which exceeded 50,000 tons in 2020. However, the 2.6 percent projected growth over last season represents a slowdown, the Mexican Ministry of Agriculture told Opportimes.
International sales reached $399 million in 2020 with 95.9 percent of the exported volume going to the U.S., but exports went to 34 other nations.
The U.S. is the world’s largest blueberry importer, with import purchases worth $1.4 billion in 2020.
Blueberry shipments went from 15,000 to 29,000 tons from 2015 to 2016, to 37,000 tons in 2017, 40,000 tons in 2018, 49,000 tons in 2019, and 50,293 in 2020. During the last decade, blueberry volume has averaged an annual growth rate of 25.1 percent.
In 2020, 11,614 acres were allocated to blueberry production. The state of Jalisco generated 31.5 percent of the national production value with 23,169 tons.
California mandarin shipments expected to be far less than the previous season, with the 2021-22 volumes expected to be off by 45 percent compared to a year ago.
California Citrus Mutal also predicts total Navel orange loadings for the 2021-22 season will be down 20% from the previous season’s final numbers.
According to the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s 2021-22 California Navel Orange Objective Measurement Report, released on Sept. 10, 2021, the initial forecast for the navel orange crop was 70.0 million cartons, down 14% from the previous year’s total utilized production. Additionally, an estimated 4% of last season’s crop was not utilized, meaning it was not picked or sold.
Now several weeks into 2021-22 season, the CCM anticipates, based on current picking estimates, will be 20% below the prior season’s total utilized production and approximately 24% below the total crop size.
The drop in production is attributed to the previous season’s heavy crop and extended season. Due to the larger sized crop and other market conditions, fruit remained on the tree far longer than is typical, which negatively affected the current year’s crop size.
The CCM also estimates 2021-22 California mandarin shipments will be down 45% from the previous season’s exceptionally large crop.
The current navel and mandarin crops are forecast to go through May and June, respectively.
The 2021-22 season is shaping up to be far different than the previous season. Shippers extended last year’s season well into August.
Florida citrus growers see good volume shipments this season, despite a USDA forecast for a smaller production of all oranges and grapefruits.
Florida Classic Growers of Dundee, FL report excellent fruit color, especially Florida navels.
Noble Worldwide of Winter Haven, FL started harvesting the second week of September and expects to harvest through May and ship through June or July.
DLF International of Fort Pierce, FL notes they began picking at the end of September and will run through the first part of July using a cold storage program at the end of the season.
DLF has similar volume to last season, but overall fruit quality has improved.
Seald Sweet of Vero Beach, FL, has volume matching last year because of the good growing conditions and weather. Florida citrus movement is expected to be strong in part because Texas grapefruit volume is limited due to a freeze last February.
Continued efforts to manage citrus greening is another factor leading to increased quality crop, Parris said.
DFL reports while East Coast demand is about the same as last year, and there has been an increase in business in the Midwest. DFL also is also expanding its orange and grapefruit businesses.
According to the USDA, overall U.S. citrus production for the fresh market is estimated at 3.45 million tons in 2020-21, down 6% from the previous season, with smaller fresh-market crops of oranges (down 11%), grapefruit (down 15%) and lemons (down 6%).
The USDA’s October forecast for Florida’s production of all oranges was down 11% from last season with grapefruit production down 7% and all tangerine and tangelo production up 1%.
January typically is when produce shipments from West Mexico build in volume and continue for the next three to four months. A majority of it crosses the border at Nogales, AZ.
Calavo Growers Inc. of Nogales expects to have the same acreage in Mexico this winter, but has shifted emphasis with commodities grown. It is increasing roma tomato volume, while and decreasing round tomatoes.
There will be a 15% increase on romas and a 15% decrease on round tomatoes.
The roma harvest got underway the third week of December, and round tomatoes will start in limited volume this week.
Significant volume of romas should be available by mid-January.
Volume of round tomatoes likely will be lighter than normal until mid-February.
Calavo also will have a winter grape tomato shipments out of Culiacan for the first time. The harvest starts in early January and loadings continue until April.
Crown Jewels Produce of launched its green bean program the first week of November and hopes to make the program year-round by adding product out of Baja California and Texas. The company also now ships cucumbers year-round, sourcing from Nogales, Baja California and Texas.
Crown Jewels was receiving Mexican green, yellow and gray squash, bell peppers and eggplant in November received its first colored hothouse bell peppers the first half of December.
Overall, the firm’s volume should be 20% to 30% higher than last year.
Divine Flavor of Nogales has transitioned its organic program from Baja California to West Mexico. The company is shipping cucumbers, grape tomatoes, watermelons and table grapes.
Earth Blend LLC of Nogales is shipping European cucumbers, Persian cucumbers, eggplant, squash, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. The company has also added organic Italian squash and yellow squash.
Fresh Farms of Rio Rico, AZ already is looking forward to its spring table grape season out of Mexico, with volume growing each season. Mexican grape shipments usually get underway as the last of the Chilean import grapes finish.
Table grapes are described as backbone of its company. The grapes start in Jalisco in late March with several new varieties and an abundance of fresh grapes including Cotton Candy. Fresh Farms also will offer some organic squash.
MAS Melons & Grapes LLC of Rio Rico has honeydew melons, seedless watermelons, mini watermelons, cantaloupes and orange candy melons this season. The program will continued until late December out of northern Mexico and then switched to fields in the south for the winter and spring months.
The company had butternut, kabocha, spaghetti and zucchini squash until mid-December.
Grower Alliance LLC of Nogales, Ariz.-based has launched a logistics company and added a produce brokerage.
The move was made to get loads out the same day the produce was picked, resulting in a fresher product.
The new entity, which came about as a result of a merger with Lugo’s Trucking, formerly of Tucson, AZ., will have access to eight trucks, three of which will be dedicated exclusively to Grower Alliance. Eventually the fleet will expand.
For now, the new company will cover primarily a route from Nogales to the greater Los Angeles area, but eventually the service area will expand nationwide and into Canada.
Grower Alliance also has launched a produce brokerage called Grow-All Procurement. The brokerage will be able to offer items like citrus that Grower Alliance does not handle.
IPR Fresh of Rio Rico now has expanded its slicer cucumber program, which was offer intermittently in the past. Slicers began shipping in mid-November and will continue through April.
IPR Fresh also has increased volume of sweet corn through the end of March, and will continue to have its year-round supply of organic and conventional colored bell peppers as well as a green bell peppers.
IPR Fresh also will have more watermelon this winter, which will run through April, and has organic and conventional yellow and zucchini squash.
Produce House of Nogales expected to have similar volume this season out of Mexico.
New items include mini watermelons, seedless watermelons and honeydews.
The company also is entering into the southern state of Sinaloa to source tomatoes, roma tomatoes and bell peppers this season.
Tricar Sales Inc. of Rio Rico will have its same West Mexico program as last year, which will include cucumbers, European cucumbers, roma tomatoes, round tomatoes, eggplant and green, red, yellow and orange bell peppers.
A big rebound Chilean grape shipments in 2021-22 is forecast in a new estimate from the USDA’s Agriculture Foreign Agricultural Service.
Chilean grape Volume will rebound from the decline caused in the 2020-21 season from heavy rain.
At 805,000 metric tons, the USDA’s estimate of Chilean grape production for 2021-22 is up 22% from the 2020-21 season. Chilean grape exports also will increase 22.9% to 645,000 metric tons in the 2021-22 season.
The Oppenheimer Group (Oppy) reports excellent growing conditions in Chile so far this season, and expects to have good volume from January through May. Oppy is shipping Chilean pears, grapes, kiwifruit, citrus, pluots, plums, peaches, nectarines, cherries, berries, avocados, apricots and apples.
Oppy ship grapes 12-months a year and sources product from Chile and Brazil, as well as South Africa, Mexico and California.
The rebound in Chilean grape production is associated in part with increased production from new varieties planted in recent years and a return to more normalized climatic conditions, according to the USDA report.
During the 2020-21 season rainfall during the last week of January 2021 damaged the table grape crop that was ready for harvest in the central region of the country, specifically in the regions of Valparaíso, Metropolitana, and O’Higgins.
That rainfall pulled down Chilean grape production by 15.3%, according to the report, reaching 664,700 metric tons.
For the upcoming 2021-22 season, the USDA table grape exports will total 645,000 metric tons, a 22.8% increase over last season. The U.S. remains the main market for Chilean table grape exports, accounting for 48.5% of Chilean table grape exports.
In 2020-21, Chilean table grape exports to the U.S. totaled 254,811 metric tons, a 7.5% decrease compared with marketing year 2019-20.
Oppy notes one advantage the industry has is that the Chilean bulk grapes are shipped in break bulk vessels. These vessels are unloaded at different terminals from container shipments, and helps volume bypass the current bottleneck.
China is the second market for Chilean grapes, totaling 78,117 metric tons in 2020-21, a 30.1% decline over marketing year 2019-20.
U.S. potato shipments for the 2021-22 shipping season is forecast by the USDA to be down slightly compared a year ago, according to the agency’s November crop production report.
The USDA notes U.S production of potatoes for the 2021 crop year is forecast at 413 million cwt., down 2% from 420.02 million cwt. produced last season.
Planted acreage, at 951,000 acres, is up 1% from the June estimate and up 4% from last season. Potato area harvested, at 942,300 acres, is up 3% from the previous year, while the yield forecast, at 438 cwt per acre, is down 23 cwt. from last year’s yield.
Idaho’s forecast is 132.09 million cwt., down 2% from 134.77 million cwt. last year. Yields in Idaho were 420 cwt. per acre, off 7% from 450 cwt. per acre last year.
Washington’s output is 93.3 million cwt., down 6% from 99.65 million cwt. last year. Yields in Washington were 585 cwt per acre, off 9% from 645 cwt. per acre last year.
The potato production estimate in North Dakota is 21.0 million cwt., down 12% from last year.
Idaho potato freight rates are up anywhere from 25 to 40 percent over last week, depending on destination. Idaho Falls to Atlanta, grossing about $7200.
California Giant Farms of Watsonville, CA is importing blueberries from Chile and expects increased volume from Mexico in 2022.
The company reports adding more growers and increased acreage in Chile.
Blueberry production in Mexico is expected to continually increase in the coming months, with the growing region’s season currently in its early stages. The region, known for its strong spring harvest is on track to produce as expected.
California Giant started domestic harvest in early December, with a gradual increase in volume, and peak shipments occurring in April and May. The California Giant coastal organics program is the perfect complement to its import program for the continuity of supply throughout the year.
The grower/shipper is coming off Peru’s largest production year ever, breaking an all-time high export volume for the third consecutive year. This momentum is expected to continue throughout the Chilean season.
Peru has become the largest supplier of asparagus in the world, with 72 percent of its volume being imported by the U.S.
Agrara reports between January and October, Peruvian fresh asparagus exports reached 107,431 tons worth $330 million, showing an increase of 13 percent in both volume and value compared to the same period last year.
Border closings and flight restrictions during the first half of 2020 resulted in difficulties, with more than 80 percent of shipments being made by air.
There were positive results during the second half of the year, but it was not enough to counteract the decline, although it served to keep the numbers very similar to those of 2019.
From January to July 2021, exports totaled 63,302 tons worth $185 million, 24 percent more in volume and 19 percent more in value when compared to the same period the previous year. This year’s increase in supply has caused a slight contraction in prices of 4 percent, which fell to $2.98 per kilogram.
From August to October, asparagus shipments reached 45,129 tons worth $144 million, 1 percent more in volume and 6 percent more in value when compared to the same period last year.
According to estimates, asparagus exports at the end of 2021 will total 140,500 tons worth $422 million, which would reflect a growth of 10 percent in volume and value.
This should result in Peru would once again being the largest supplier of asparagus in the world, since Mexican asparagus exports are estimated to reach $415 million at the end of 2021, coming in second in the supplier ranking.
The main markets for Peruvian asparagus are the U.S. (with a 72 percent share), the Netherlands (7.4 percent), Spain (7 percent), and the UK (6.9 percent).
Following the historic February Freeze across Texas, the state’s grapefruit industry is feeling the destruction from the freezing weather.
Yahoo News reports the winter outbreak which hit the subtropical southeastern portion of the state on Valentine’s Day brought icy conditions and extreme cold temperatures damaging two different crops of grapefruit across the region.
This season’s crop of grapefruit, which had only been blooming at the time of the winter outbreak, is expected to provide less than a third of an average harvest.
Texas had been the number one provider of fresh grapefruit in the nation ahead of the outbreak, but the damage done to the groves has since dropped them down to third in the nation, Dale Murden, the president of Texas Citrus Mutual, a trade group that represents the interests of the state’s citrus growers, told AccuWeather’s National Reporter Bill Wadell.
Murden had also spoken with AccuWeather via email back during February. Also a grower, he had mentioned when temperatures dip below 28 degrees and stay below that mark for five hours or longer, the fruit on the branches begins to freeze on the inside, damaging the crop. “Most everyone” saw temperatures drop to at least 21 degrees, he had added.
Texas grapefruit trees encased in ice after a winter storm hammered the state with record cold.
The freeze had hit when the groves still had two crops on the trees — the fruit that was still being harvested and the following season’s crop that was beginning to flower. Murden estimated about 60% of the fruit had remained to be harvested at the time. However, winter’s scythe cut more significantly into the then-flowering groves’ crop that farmers are now waiting to harvest as fruit.
A lot of these groves were in full flower when that freeze hit,” Murden said. “So that legitimately hurt 100% of your next year’s crop — 70 to 80% on the average.”
Murden estimates they’ll have about 30% of a normal crop this harvest due to the freeze. The fruit that did survive was harvested closer to late November rather than when the season typically starts around mid-September into early October. The estimated total financial loss from the freeze hovers around $300 million.