Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Cape Town South Africa – Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA) announces the start of its 2022 season with the arrival of its first conventional vessel to the U.S. this week.
The vessel will arrive at PhilaPort, The Port of Philadelphia and contain 3,900 pallets of Clementines and Navel Oranges. Based on market demand, Easy Peelers are now the largest portion of SCSA’s product offering accounting for almost 50% of planned shipments this season.
“Quality of fruit this season is excellent, and volumes are on-par with what we anticipated,” said Suhanra Conradie, CEO of Summer Citrus from South Africa. “Retailers should be prepped, stocked and ready for the busy citrus demand this summer.”
This season does not come without its challenges. Due to logistics and supply-chain hurdles, SCSA is unable to ship containers directly to Packer Avenue, Philadelphia, which would have accounted for almost 30% of shipments for the summer.
“It is no secret that there are issues with the supply chain and logistics, however our sophisticated business model ensures that we are prepared and able to adjusts plans as needed,” said Conradie.
To offset some of the logistical problems, SCSA will be loading a few additional conventional vessels with containers that will be shipped via Port Newark in New Jersey. Additionally, some of the larger importers will be adding the Port of Savannah, GA as the point of entry for containers from Capetown.
“We are thankful to all of our business and logistics partners who make every season possible AND successful,” concluded Conradie.
For more information and to stay up-to-date on citrus from South Africa, subscribe to the newsletter by filling outthis form or for more information, please visitwww.summercitrus.com.
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About Summer Citrus from South Africa (SCSA)
Summer Citrus from South Africa represents a group of South African citrus growers who consolidate their logistics, marketing and sales efforts to bring the finest citrus fruit to market during the U.S. summer season. Established in 1999 and re-branded for expanded marketing efforts in 2016, the group provides Navels, Midknights, East Peelers, Star Ruby Grapefruit and Cara-Cara oranges for the U.S. market. For more information about Summer Citrus from South Africa, visitwww.summercitrus.com and visit the brand’sFacebook,Instagram andTwitter pages.
Sunkist Growers, a cooperative based in Valencia, CA is once again shipping valencias, the only U.S. grown orange variety available in the summer months. It also hasother summer citrus varieties, including star ruby grapefruit and lemons.
Steady shipments of valencia oranges is seen by the co-op throughout the summer coming from its thousands of grower members across California and Arizona who supply nearly 40 different citrus varieties annually.
California star ruby grapefruit is available now through July, and marsh ruby grapefruit will make its seasonal debut in July.
The company has been selling USDA-certified organic citrus for over 15 years. It has a consistent supply of conventional and organic citrus through the summer and year-round.
The Sunkist organic program includes oranges, lemons, grapefruit, mandarins and tangelos. Also part of the mix are organic navel, cara cara and blood oranges, minneola tangelos, California mandarins and valencia oranges.
South Carolina watermelon shipments got underway in May and North Carolina is joining the watermelon season ramping up this month.
Totaling about 2,500 truckloads in 2021, South Carolina’s red-flesh seedless watermelon crop represents one of the state’s biggest fresh produce crops.
The USDA reported shipments in 2021 of South Carolina red-flesh seedless watermelon beginning in May and ending in August. After minor volume in May, June shipments accounted for 39% of annual volume. July saw peak volume, with about 59% of the annual volume shipped.
In 2021, shipments of South Carolina red-flesh seeded watermelon were active in June and July, with reported shipments of about 33 (40,000 pound) truckloads. Shipments in June accounted for about 80% of 2021 volume.
In the 2021 South Carolina had an estimated watermelon harvested area of about 3,800 acres and production of 1.33 million cwt. The crop yielded $13.4 per cwt, for a total value of $17.75 million.
In North Carolina, the USDA reported that 2021 red-flesh seedless watermelon shipments totaled 4,503 truckloads.
2021 shipments for North Carolina red-flesh seedless watermelons began in June and concluded in October.
The percentage of annual watermelon shipments in 2021 were: June (less than 1%), July (40%), August (54%), September (5%) and October (1%).
North Carolina’s red-flesh seeded watermelon shipments mustered 236 truckloads, with volume reported in July (70% of annual volume) and August (30%).
North Carolina’s harvested watermelon acreage was reported at 9,300 acres in 2021, with the total crop production at 2.5 million cwt valued at $36 million.
Good growing conditions is resulting in fruit and vegetable shipments originating from a number of areas in Georgia.
Baker Farms in Norman Park, GA., focuses primarily on leafy green growing and shipping. Collards are the biggest crop, followed by kale, but other products include cilantro, beets and Swiss chard.
The farm grows year-round, though in July and August sources product from North Carolina, Ohio and Michigan, because of the heat in Georgia.
Baker’s produce ships across the country to retail and wholesale accounts and to Canada, though most of it stays on the East Coast.
The company reports this year is shaping up well, with better weather than last year.
At G&R Farms in Glennville, GA this year’s good weather has improved the quality of its sweet onions – Vidalias and Peruvian sweet. G&R reports a 15% to 20% increase in yields on a couple of fields.
Shuman Farms of Reidsville, GA grows, packs and ships Vidalia onions in Reidsville, as well as in Texas, Mexico and Peru. The company is one of the largest Vidalia shippers and harvests 2,350 of the 10,000 acres harvested by the industry. Shuman ships to retailers across the U.S.
The company notes its storages are full and expects good availability throughout the rest of the spring and summer.
Bland Farms, Glennville, GA., also grows a lot of onions, primarily Vidalia, Peru sweet onions and Mexican sweet onions. Bland reports a good harvest this season.
The grower/shipper also produces sweet potatoes in partnership with Sand Candy. This partnership will allow the company to provide customers with a consistent and secure supply of sweet potatoes due to its diversified growing areas in North Carolina and Georgia.
Agriculture is a big factor in the economy of Georgia. In 2020, it contributed $69.4 billion in output to the state’s $1.1 trillion economy. Vegetables contributed 10.1% of that; and fruit and nuts 6.0%, according to the Center for Agribusiness and Economic Development at the University of Georgia in Athens.
On the vegetable side, sweet corn contributes the most to the economy (14.0%), followed by watermelons (12.8%), onions (10.8%), bell peppers (10.8%) and cucumbers 6.4%).
And while Georgia may be known for its peaches, it’s blueberries that provide the most dollars to the state’s $2.2 billion fruit economy. The tiny berries make up 42.4% of the whole, followed by pecans (41.5%), peaches (38.5%), grapes (8.7%) and blackberries (3.7%).
With scores of farms — almost 42,500 — and a lot of farmland (almost 10 million acres), Georgia’s produce grows year-round, though with a dip in the hottest months of July and August.
North Carolina’s potato growers will deliver big volume of fresh and chipping potatoes this summer in a relatively short marketing period.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and the North Carolina Sweet Potato Association reports much of the state’s potato production is located near Elizabeth City in the northeast coastal part of the state.
The bulk of the state’s crop is grown within about 100 miles of the coast.
Harvest usually starts in mid-June and extends through July. Good growing conditions have been reported.
The area harvested typically runs close to 16,000 acres, with variations up or down depending on chip market needs.
North Carolina grows red, yellow and white potatoes for fresh use, and growers also plant potato varieties demanded by chip processors. About 30% of the state’s output goes for fresh or table stock, while about 70% of the crop goes to the chip market.
Last year, the USDA said North Carolina shipped about 820,000 pounds of round red potatoes from June through August, with peak shipments in July. North Carolina yellow potato shipments in 2021 totaled 4.12 million pounds in June and July, with July accounting for about two-thirds of shipments.
Following the new crop harvest in Florida’s Hastings region, fresh North Carolina potatoes are shipped up and down the East Coast and sometimes into Canada.
WENATCHEE, Wash. –With good blooms, promotable volumes, and jumbo sizes, this year’s 100% certified organic apricot crop has the potential to be big. Stemilt’s Washington apricots are back mid-June through July with highest volume from July 4th onwards.
“This year’s crop of Artisan Organics™ apricots are bringing good volume based on the blooms we’ve seen which will host a great organic deal at Stemilt,” the company reports. “While California is the main apricot growing region, Washington is expecting a great crop this year.”
The Douglas family grows all Stemilt’s apricots, peaches, and nectarines 100% organically in Pasco, WA in the Columbia Basin where a rain shadow makes for the optimal growing location for stone fruit. The family is committed to using only the best organic practices to pick stone fruit at just the right stage of ripeness for the best flavor, quality, and size.
Stemilt is a family-owned grower, packer, and shipper of tree fruit. Owned and operated by the Mathison family. The company is a leader in sweet cherries and organic tree fruits, and a key supplier of apples and pears.
A smaller volume U.S. apple crop was generally thought heading into the 2021-22 season. Now it is becoming a bit more average entering the later part of the shipping season.
In November, the first storage report for the 2021-2022 apple crop from the U.S. Apple Association showed domestic inventories on Nov. 1 were 7.1% below the same time in 2020.
In the most recent USAppleTracker report, however, fresh apples in storage on May 1 were 41.2 million bushels cartons, 8.5% more than the inventories reported for last May but similar to the five-year average.
The report said processing holdings totaled 17 million bushels, 1% more than last year on May 1. The total number of U.S. apples in storage on May 1 was 58.2 million bushels, 6.2% more than last May’s total of 54.8 million bushels and 0.1% more than the 5-year average for that date.
Total U.S. domestic and imported apple shipments reported the week of May 1-7 were 3,018 (40,000-pound) truckloads, the USDA said, down about 3% compared with the same period a year ago. Imports, mostly from Chile, accounted for 5% of total supplies shipped up from 4% import share the same week last year.
Northwest cherry shipments are expected to be up slightly with more than 15 million 20-pound equivalents this season. This is about 5 million fewer than last year, according to the Round 1 Crop Estimate and Update issued by Northwest Cherry Growers of Yakima, WA on May 12.
Harvesting in the earliest orchards got underway May 28 with most early season growers starting the first week of June.
It takes the industry at least 10 days to begin building larger volumes.
The early season volume out of the Northwest should make for an nice transition from this year’s California crop.
Some unseasonably cold weather in April is primarily to blame for the smaller Northwest cherry crop.
However, this is expected to increase supplies for both early and late-season cherry supplies.
The 2021 crop estimate of 24 million 20-pound boxes was reduced to 20.3 million boxes by the heat that hit 118 degrees in several growing districts.
Western Sweet Cherry Group of Yakima, WA is expected to begin its new crop sometime between June 10 and 12. Grower Direct Marketing LLC of Stockton, CA. markets product for Western Sweet Cherry Group.
The cherry crop is much later crop than usual, because it usually starts around Memorial Day.
Stemilt Growers Inc. of Wenatchee, WA. claims it has the nation’s longest cherry season and expects volume of cherries in July and August. The crop is expected to be more spread out leading to a longer shipping period.
Sage Fruit of Yakima will add cherries from Chelan Fruit this season, so the company’s overall volume should be up.
By Lisa Towner, ALC Portland
Cherry season is right around the corner. The Pacific Northwest cherry season typically begins in early June and continues until late August.
A typical season will see 20-25 million boxes of cherries harvested in Oregon and Washington. Cherries are generally picked, chilled, and loaded onto a truck within 24-48 hours. Peak season usually coincides with the 4th of July. Many refrigerated carriers across the country plan their loads around cherry season every year.
April 2022 saw record low temperatures in Washington and Oregon. A cold spring brings many obstacles for local cherry growers. Several publications have predicted cherries to start later and the crop to be smaller than usual. Some predict the overall crop will be between 20% and 35% smaller than in the previous five years.
The Seattle Times warned that a cool April will also affect bees, as they struggle to pollinate the cherry blossoms. Less fruit available will also mean each box will have increased value due to basic supply and demand. This is a stark contrast to what growers were facing last year. In April 2021, the Pacific Northwest saw record high temperatures that reduced the cherry crop by 20%, according to Fruit Growers News.
Overall, many growers remain optimistic as the season approaches. Delayed cherry harvest in some growing regions may extend the season, which could be profitable for cherry producers in the Pacific Northwest. Most growers agree that the fruit will be high quality and ready for consumers to enjoy in the first few weeks of June.
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Lisa Towner began her career with the Allen Lund Company as a transportation broker in 2002. She was promoted to assistant manager in the Portland office in 2015. In 2022, Towner was promoted to manager ALC Portland. Her transportation career began back in 2000 when she worked at the corporate headquarters for a national LTL company.
A slower-than-expected start due to the Mexican table grape season is occurring due to weather conditions which have slowed the ripening process.
A local Sonora based grape growers association reports parts of the region have yet to see the warmer days needed to properly harvest the grapes.
Table grapes from Mexico usually begin shipping in early May. However, nights have been cold, days have not been very warm, and this means that the grape ripening is delayed along with their harvest.
A harvest for the region of up to 29 million boxes is higher than the 25 million boxes officially projected by the Mexican table grape growers association.
Mexico’s industry has been expanding its portfolio of varieties planted, and thus extending the season and leveling off traditional peaks of the harvest in June. This season’s harvest comes at a time when freight costs and logistics into the main receiving market of the U.S., have added uncertainty for growers.