Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
New Jersey ranks 3rd nationally in peach shipments, behind California (which produces more than all other states combined) and South Carolina. Georgia, The Peach State, ranks 4th.
New Jersey peach shipments got underway in light volume about a week ago.
Recent statistics published by the NJ Peach Promotion Council (NJPPC) estimate that 55 NJ growers are producing about 3300 acres of peaches and nectarines and should harvest between 50, and 55 million pounds of fruit in 2021.
The New Jersey Peach Promotion Council emphasizes tree thinning is necessary to not only improve size but also to keep the tree branches and shoots from breaking with a heavy crop, and even dying from overload, particularly when it is stressed from dry weather. and heat.
A mature peach tree may have 12,000 flowers or 10,000 little peaches but only needed 500 to 600 mature large fruit.
The NJPPC is a voluntary organization of growers, packers, shippers, marketers and allied industry dedicated to the orderly marketing and promotion of NJ Peaches.
Over a million poles stretch toward the sky on 750 rolling acres in Oceanside, California, graced by vines which yielded the season’s first vine-ripened roma and round tomatoes the Fourth of July.
With tomatoes peaking in September and October, and finishing off at the beginning of December, the Oceanside Pole label packs in 22-pound two layers, 25-pound volume fill and 15-pound single later, RPCs and a 5-pound club pack.
The leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world, Oppy offers the last remaining pole-grown tomatoes in California in its Oceanside Pole label. This year, 2.2 million cases of rounds and 1.1 million cases of romas will be shipped across the U.S. and Canada, and as always, arrive at preferred ripeness dependent on customer needs.
“Our team harvests each acre 18-20 times throughout the season to ensure each tomato is carefully hand-picked at its best,” said Oppy Director of Sales and Strategy Mark Smith. “In many cases, we pack, ship and deliver to our customers within 24 hours. Because of our central location and efficiency, we only harvest tomatoes when ready. That translates to high brix levels, exceptional flavor and an extended shelf life that you can only expect from the Oceanside Pole label.”
Attention to detail is unmatched, with teammates walking the fields each day to always know what the plants need at that time, said Smith. Along with upgrading its packing line for even better precision at Oceanside Pole this season, Oppy is prepared to meet increased foodservice demands while ensuring its tomatoes are of the best quality. Food safety and traceability protocols are constant, according to Smith.
Oceanside Pole also has great pride in their dedication to supporting the local community which includes their pledge to hiring military veterans from neighboring Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton. All while collaborating on an internship program that provides civilian work experience for soldiers leaving the military.
About Oppy
Growing, marketing and distributing fresh produce from around the globe for more than 160 years, Vancouver, BC-based Oppy discovers and delivers the best of the world’s harvest. With over 50 million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on every continent moving through its supply chain annually, Oppy offers popular favorites 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.
About Oceanside Pole
Growing for three generations, the Singh family is the last remaining pole tomato producer in California. Since 1939, they have tended vine-ripened tomatoes on the same land with the knowledge and expertise that can only come with time. Grown on an idyllic property near the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, the Singh family has a calm, almost spiritual approach to growing their produce. The fresh, salty air and bright sunshine makes it seem like a calling—only with such a deep sense of care and determination can exceptional produce be harvested time and again.
California almond domestic shipments as well as across the globe hit a new record this year, despite port and trade issues and Covid-19 complications.
The Almond Board of California (ABC) in a May 2021 Position Report shows the California industry shipped 219 million pounds in May – a record for the month – bringing the total this crop year to 2.45 billion pounds, setting a new record in just 10 months. The crop year for almonds runs from Aug. 1 to July 31.
“This shows continuing high demand for California almonds among consumers around the world,” said ABC president and CEO Richard Waycott. “People love almonds because they’re a remarkably sustainable plant protein, they’re versatile in a range of cuisines, they have outstanding health and beauty benefits, and they’re delicious.”
California almonds ship to over 100 countries, and export growth has been soared 30% overall compared to last year to date and record shipments in a number of markets.
A month ago, India made history for California almonds. For the first time ever, a single market exceeded 300 million pounds of imports in one crop year. The current May report shows India has now received 322 million pounds and is up 54% over the previous year to date.
The entire Asia-Pacific region continues its strong growth with a 46% increase overall. In that region, the China/Hong Kong market is up 72% year-to-year despite tariffs, South Korea increased by 42% and Vietnam is up an astounding 132% from last year.
Almost all European markets, east and west, continued their impressive growth in response to the high demand. Germany and Spain posted strong gains as did the Netherlands and Italy. Overall, European imports are up 18% from 2019-20.
The Middle East and North Africa are also regions with strong growing markets. Countries of note include the United Arab Emirates, which grew 31%, Egypt with 20% growth and Morocco, which has a year-to-date increase of 148% over last year.
Growth in the U.S. continues to be strong, especially considering that the domestic market is large and well established. The year-to-year increase stands at 4% for the crop year.
“The world-wide appetite for almonds and our range of products continues to grow,” Waycott said. “Almonds outpaced all other nuts in new product introductions ranging from dairy alternatives and snacks to confectionery, bakery and bars. Our industry members have done a terrific job of moving the current crop and meeting the demand from consumers here in the U.S. and around the world.”
New Jersey blueberry shipments should be up this season.
The Atlantic Blueberry Co., of Hammonton, NJ reports “blues” loadings should continue through July, with slightly more volume than a year ago.
Last season New Jersey shipped about 38 million pounds of blueberries, and this year the prediction is closer to 42 million pounds.
As for Atlantic Blueberry Co. itself, the company sees have more volume, without disclosing numbers.
Diamond Blueberry Inc. of Hammonton, NJ’s reports a good crop in Southern Jersey. It began shipments the second week of June, with average volume seen.
Diamond Blueberry Inc. is the sales agent for Variety Farms, which will have mostly the Duke and Bluecrop varieties, and volume close to last season.
Wenatchee, WA.- CMI Orchards anticipates growth in the 2021 cherry crop.
Excellent weather conditions, including an absence of significant frost events, have contributed to outstanding quality, great sizing, and 17% growth of this year’s crop as compared to 2020. “We are seeing consistent spread throughout our growing districts, with Skeena and Sweetheart cherries showing exceptional size and quality,” explained Joel Hewitt, Domestic Sales Organic Manager for the company.
“The timing of this year’s crop started off a bit later than last year but is lining up nicely with market demand with limited overlap with the California crop. We expect harvest to continue throughout the remainder of June and July,” explained Export Manager Scott Agnew.
CMI Orchards is the leader in Northwest cherries, bringing a number of specialty varieties and innovative programs to retail partners. Vice President of Marketing, George Harter, describes CMI’s selling tools as second to none. “The Northwest cherry season is short and sweet, and our goal is to deliver the best sales opportunities for our customers creating a win-win situation,” he said. “We’re expecting to peak just in time for Independence Day celebrations, and our American Dream program is a great tool for retailers to stir up excitement in store with eye-catching, patriotic displays and packaging.”
About CMI Orchards
CMI Orchards is one of the largest growers, packers, and shippers of premium Washington State apples, pears, and cherries.
Sweet cherry shipments are well underway in the Northwest, and produce is arriving at destination points across the country for the 2021 crop.
The cherry industry has shipped just under 600,000 boxes total, much less than forecasted before cooler weather arrived.
July may not hit the high volumes experienced in 2017 (15 million) or 2018 (13.5 million), but at an estimated 11.3 million boxes the 2021 crop should deliver just under the 5-year average of 11.8 million boxes in July.
As detailed in the Northwest Cherry Growers last report, the end of May brought cool and unsettled weather which delayed the first pick for many of the early growers. Similar weather patterns have largely continued to be the case as harvest slowly spreads and picks up speed in other spots across the Northwest. Atypical storm fronts and lower daytime temperatures have caused growers to delay picking in order to allow their fruit to reach optimal maturity before harvest, which has led to an overall slower start to harvest and limited initial volumes.
While most growers are not looking at a full crop this season, their combined volume will steadily increase and should produce a steady supply through mid-August.
Yakima Valley cherries grossing – about $6900 to Chicago; $9700 to New York City.
Summer vegetable shipments in Ohio are off to a good start, according to Buurma Farms of Williard, OH.
The vegetable shipper started loading trucks in late May, led by radishes, turnips, mustard greens, collard, kale and cilantro. In early June the company added in red lettuce, green lettuce, escarole and endive, romaine and Boston lettuce to its shipping list.
Acreage is similar to last season.
With the harvest is on schedule, it is shaping up as a pretty much normal year.
In July, there will be an increase of cucumbers, sweet corn and peppers, among other items.
Ohio vegetable shipments will continue into November.
Buurma Farms is located in the north central part of Ohio between Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo.
The grower ships to customers east of the Mississippi River from Boston down to Miami and as far west as St. Louis and Memphis.
In addition, Buurma Farms can ship produce overnight to about two-thirds of the population of the U.S.
Mexican strawberry exports soared 24.8 percent at an annual rate from January to April 2021, reaching $662 million dollars.
Opportimes reported volume hit 156,800 tons, an increase of 16.3 percent over last year.
Mexico’s share of the U.S. import market declined in the past two years, to about 60 percent in 2020, from 79 percent in 2018, while imports from Chile to the U.S. increased 6 percent, and imports from Peru grew 40 percent, the California Strawberry Commission reported.
Despite a decline in export shipments in mid-March 2020 when the U.S. lockdown began, shipments to the U.S. increased in 2020.
The California Strawberry Commission reported total shipments from the state in 2020 were 1.892 million pounds, 4 percent more than the previous year. While total shipments from Florida calendar year in 2020 were up 20 percent from the previous year.
Strawberry exports from central Mexico to the U.S. typically occur from November to March, while strawberry exports from Baja California, Mexico, occur from January to April in smaller quantities.
Mexican strawberry exports create competition during the Florida season and the California growing areas of Orange County and Oxnard.
The California Strawberry Processing Advisory Board reported the 2020 estimated package of frozen strawberries in the U.S. was 359.7 pounds, slightly below the previous year and below the average levels of recent years.
With a lower package, below average starting stocks, and a slight increase in demand, U.S. frozen strawberry imports were up 26 percent in 2020 compared to the previous year.
Import volumes from Mexico, the largest supplier of frozen strawberry imports to the US, increased 17 percent from 2019.
An estimated 460,000 metric tons (MT) of Hass avocados will be exported from Peru in the 2021 season, an increase of almost 30 percent over last season.
ProHass Peru reports this increase will represent an additional 100,000MT compared to the previous season.
New strategies have been launched this year, including opening markets while consolidating existing ones and working closely with SENASA to make sure only mature fruit is exported, ProHass reports.
The primary change will be incorporating small and medium producers to export their fruit.
“Avocado growers in the Sierra de Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Lima and Arequipa regions among others will be included, with fruit harvested and exported as early as January.
The Peruvian avocado export season is now expanded to nine months, from January to September.
Peru’s main export destinations are Europe and the U.S, with the former importing 270,000MT, and the latter with a projected volume around 100,000MT.
Asia follows with 78,000MT and then Chile with 42,000MT, a country that has increased its import of Peruvian fruit this year and is expected to have an increase for the season of around 70 percent over last year.
It has been a slow start for 2021 Argentina apple exports.
During the first four months of 2021, the Rio Negro region exported 24,071 tons of apples, reflecting a 30 percent decrease when compared to the same period of last year and the lowest export volume of region’s history, as reported by Rio Negro.
According to the Agricultural Food Health and Quality Service (Senasa), traditionally, the first semester sets a trend on what the season will be. Official statistics show most of the destinations for this fruit showed negative numbers. Considering the slump, it is difficult for apple export volumes to end on a positive note at the end of 2021.
Domestic market shipments and stocks registered in cold storage also fell during this part of the year.
Senasa points out pear exports reached 171,865 tons during this period, reflecting a drop of 4 percent when compared to the same time last year.
Between apples and pears, the region is shipping about 17,000 fewer tons of fruit, reflecting losses of just over $14 million during this time.