Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The initial apples remaining in storage report of the 2024-25 season shows fresh apple holdings are down 7% over November 2023, but still 8% more than the five-year average for the month of November, according to The U.S. Apple Association of Falls Church, VA.
USApple reports this includes over 95% of the country’s national storage capacity.
The report shows processing apples in storage are also down — about 9% — over last year, but equal to the November five-year average.
Washington leads the states with 31,187,651 bushels of apples in regular storage and 110,287,587 in controlled atmosphere storage. New York came in second with 4,969,991 bushels in regular storage and 8,764,168 bushels in controlled atmosphere. Michigan was third with 2,615,000 bushels of apples in regular storage and 8,637,000 bushels in controlled atmosphere storage. Pennsylvania was fourth with 1,711,783 bushels of apples in regular storage and 2,967,826 bushels in controlled atmosphere, and Virginia rounded out the top five with 683,091 bushels in regular storage and 1,040,853 bushels in controlled atmosphere.
While Washington’s holdings as of November are slightly lower than holdings in November 2023, it’s still slightly above the five-year average. The same is true for Michigan and New York. Pennsylvania’s holdings are down from 2023 and below the five-year average. Virginia’s holdings are down this year, but similar to the five-year average for the state.
As of this report, Cosmic Crisp led the varieties in regular storage with 5,182,685 bushels, Pink Lady/cripps pink was second spot with 4,698,124 bushels in regular storage, fuji was third with 4,176,483 bushels, Honeycrisp was fourth at 4,069,109 bushels in regular storage and granny smith was fifth with 3,981,225 bushels in regular storage.
For apples in controlled atmosphere storage, gala outpaces all other varieties with 26,107,068 bushels, followed by red delicious at 20,056,203 bushels, Honeycrisp with 16,910,664 bushels, granny smith with 16,486,909 bushels and fuji with 12,337,186 bushels.
By the middle of October Peruvian asparagus exports totaled 71,630 tons for a FOB value of $199 million, reflecting a drop of 8 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Agraria, citing a recent report by Fresh Cargo Peru.
The report says that in this period the primary destination for Peruvian asparagus was North America, which concentrated 74 percent of Peruvian shipments for a value of $133,476,273. In second place was Europe (24 percent) with $7,926,620; followed by Latin America (2 percent) with $5,028,451; Asia (0.5 percent) with $1,956,400; and the Middle East (0.1 percent) with $413,734.
60 percent of these shipments were made by boat, while 40 percent were shipped by air.
The report reveals among the largest exporting companies in the industry are Agroexportaciones Nathanael with a 10 percent share of total Peruvian shipments, which amounts to 6,827 tons. It is followed by Danper Trujillo with a 6 percent share and 4,398 tons; TA Export with 6 percent and 4,173 tons; Kimsa Fresh with 5 percent and 3,843 tons; Florida Blanca with 5 percent and 3,258 tons.
The USDA is reporting New Zealand apple exports in 2024-25 are projected at 380,000 metric tons, up 40,000 metric tons from 2023-24 exports.
“If realized, this would be the highest exports since 2019-20, and the third-most volume of apple exports in a year,” the report said.
The harvest season in New Zealand starts in January and finishes in June, with peak harvest for apples from March to May.
The USDA said New Zealand’s export priorities will likely focus on Vietnam, China, the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the foreseeable future. India also is projected to be a growing market for New Zealand exporters, the report said.
U.S. imports of New Zealand apples in 2024 were valued at $44.9 million, down from $69.2 million in 2023, according to USDA trade numbers.
Royal gala was the most significant variety for export from New Zealand in 2023-24, however, the USDA said increased export demand for varieties such as Envy, Dazzle, and the new variety Rockit has resulted in increased unit pricing per metric ton.
“Commentary from growers is that with the current replacement of damaged orchards and increasing interest rates, farm gate returns will be a substantial factor in the selection of future varieties,” the report said. “As a result, the industry already sees diminishing hectares for varieties such as Braeburn, which in 2011-12 accounted for 22% of national hectares and in 2023-24 was just 6%.”
Growers in New Zealand are replacing apple trees lost to Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023.
“The cyclone caused considerable damage due to large-scale floodwaters, silt, debris, wind, and surface flooding in the primary apple-growing regions of Hawkes Bay and Gisborne,” the USDA said.
New Zealand’s apple planted area in the 2024-25 market year is forecast to increase substantially to 27,181 acres, up from 22,700 acres last season. Apple area expected to be harvested is estimated at 25,833 acres, up from about 22,000 acres in 2022-23.
“Although the recovery from the Cyclone damage is underway, on-farm inflation and debt servicing continue to put cost pressure on the growth of the industry,” the report said.
A 17 percent increase in Peruvian grape exports for 2024-25 are forecast to reach a record of 620,000 metric tons, compared with the previous year.
The U.S. was Peru’s top export destination in 2023-24 with exports reaching 244,000 metric tons (up 3% from the previous season), followed by the Netherlands with 70,000 metric tons (up 7%) and Mexico with 45,000 metric tons (up 21%).
An annual deciduous fruit report on Peru from the USDA estimates that grape production will total 790,000 metric tons in 2024-25, up 2% from the previous season.
In early November 2023, Peru’s newly refurbished Port in Pisco started to serve both Ica and Arequipa regions with weekly express services, the USDA said. The Pisco Port connects Ica with the U.S. via a trans-shipment hub in Panama (to Savannah, Philadelphia and Los Angeles), Manzanillo (Mexico), Vancouver (Canada) and northern Europe (Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and Amberes, France).
Transit days on average will be 12 days to Philadelphia, 18 days to Mexico, 22 days to Los Angeles, 20 days to Rotterdam and 30 days to Vancouver, the report said.
The 2023-24 growing season was seriously affected by unusual weather conditions — such as heavy rains and high temperatures — that resulted in a lower harvest. Production in the north of the country (Piura, Lambayeque and La Libertas) was severely affected, the report said.
This year, the USDA said the expected increase in grape production is due to better yields in northern Peru (Piura), which was severely hit by an extremely hot winter and heavy rains last season.
Peru’s table grape production area stretches from north to south along the Pacific Ocean, the report said. Peru’s five most popular grape varieties for export are Sweet Globe (22%), red globe (16%), Autumn Crisp (14%), Allison (7%) and Sweet Celebration (5%). Currently, 75% of table grapes are licensed, and 25% are traditional non-licensed varieties.
Grape production is mainly located in Ica (49%) and Piura (37%), the report said. Other relevant areas are Lambayeque (6%), La Libertad (5%) and Arequipa (3%). The total area under cultivation is estimated at 87,522 acres, and the harvesting season in Peru begins in October and ends in April with a north-to-south harvest pattern. With innovative technological advances, table grape production in Piura can harvest twice a year, once in March/April and again in November/December, the report said.
ldaho’s potato harvest is winding down about on schedule and although good volume is expected in the coming year, a small drop in acreage is reported by the USDA.
Overall U.S. potato acreage in 2024 is down slightly from 2023, according to the USDA. This year, the U.S. is forecast to plant 2% fewer acres than in 2023.
At 941,000 acres, the 2024 U.S. potato planted acreage forecast is a 24,000-acre reduction from 2023 but is 18,000 acres more than the 2020-22 average.
The USDA said decreases in acreage were most pronounced in the Pacific Northwest, which typically accounts for 60% of the domestic crop. Washington (down 10,000 acres), Idaho (down 5,000 acres) and Oregon (down 3,000 acres) are expected to have the largest downward year-over-year adjustments as processors reduce contracted acreage, the USDA said.
In 2023, the USDA reported Idaho planted 330,000 acres of potatoes.
Potato acreage reductions are also expected in seven of the 10 other USDA-surveyed states, likely reflecting higher late-season storage volumes and softer open-market prices during the September 2023 to August 2024 potato marketing year.
The USDA estimates that 934,200 acres of the 941,000 planted U.S. acres will be harvested based on average abandonment rates.
“If this estimate is realized and the U.S. average yield is close to the trendline (458 [hundredweight] per acre), total potato production would be 3% lower (12.9 million [hundredweight]) than last season, but 4% higher than the 2020-22 production average,” the USDA said.
Average yields in 2020-22 fell below trend largely due to weather-related issues in Idaho and Washington. USDA will release its preliminary 2024 U.S. and state-level potato yield and production volume in the November Crop Production report, which will include updated acreage estimates.
Pummelos are currently in season and being shipped to Bee Sweet Citrus customers. The shipper/packer is based in Fowler, CA.
In addition to pummelos, Bee Sweet Citrus also has domestic lemons, Meyer lemons, grapefruit and Golden Gem grapefruit available for customers. California-grown Navel oranges and mandarins will be available this month as well.
“Our team has been harvesting pummelos out of the Central Valley for about three weeks now,” said Bee Sweet Citrus Director of Harvesting and Grower Relations Randy Stucky. “Size structure has been slightly larger than last season, with excellent internal color and juice content.”
Scientifically referred to as Citrus maxima, pummelos are large green citrus fruits that can sometimes reach up to eight inches in diameter. The variety is native to Southeast Asia and is known for having thick rinds with bright reddish-pink internal hues. Often sweeter than most grapefruit varieties, pummelos can be eaten alone or used as an ingredient for various recipes.
“Most people are familiar with pummelos due to their large size and thick rind, but what truly makes them unique is their role in Asian communities,” said Bee Sweet Citrus Director of Communications Monique Mueller. “Pummelos symbolize good fortune, health and happiness, and many families consume them for good luck during the Lunar New Year.”
Bee Sweet Citrus recently shared that pummelos are now included in its premium variety line. The fruit’s bags, PLU stickers and cartons have been re-designed to celebrate their role in Asian communities, and the company can provide customers with various forms of point-of-sale material to complement the packaging.
Phoenix, AZ — Arizona is known as the winter lettuce capital of the US providing Americans with an abundance of lettuce and leafy greens from November to March.
According to United States Department of Agriculture statistics Arizona farmers grow approximately 25% of the total U.S. lettuce supply each year. On an annual basis the leafy greens farming community in Arizona generates a $2 billion impact.
“Right now, Arizona farms are actively growing and harvesting some types of leafy greens including spinach, kale, arugula, spring mix, Swiss chard and romaine lettuce.” said Teressa Lopez, Administrator of the Arizona LGMA program.
To celebrate the start of harvest Arizona growers and shippers are celebrating the 12th annual Arizona Leafy Greens Month.
Since the first celebration, Arizona farmers have produced more than 100 billion servings of lettuce (based on the average production of 9 billion servings per year).
An estimated 30 million pounds of Colombian avocados are projected to be shipped to the U.S. market in the fourth quarter of 2024, the Colombia Avocado Board announced at a 2024 annual meeting.
This new milestone for the fourth quarter follows a record-breaking summer traviesa season and highlights the strong upward trend in Colombian hass avocado export to the U.S., according to a news release. By the end of 2024, exports are projected to reach approximately 95 million pounds for the calendar year, up from the 30 million pounds reported by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service in 2023.
Since gaining export approval in 2017 from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Colombian hass avocado exports to the U.S. have experienced rapid growth, with double and triple-digit export volume increases each year, the release said. This growth is driven by new orchards reaching full production along with a strategic reallocation of the Colombia avocado supply from other global markets to meet the demand in the U.S., the Colombia Avocado Board said.
Colombia has nine avocado-growing regions and currently has approximately 29,000 acres of avocado orchards certified for the U.S. market. In addition, many Colombian growers have also made investments in third-party certifications including GlobalG.A.P. and Rainforest Alliance, the release said.
“Our mission is to supply the U.S. market with premium Colombia avocados,” said Manuel Michel, managing director for the Colombia Avocado Board. “With over 3,500 Colombian avocado producers, we’re proud to supply nutritious and flavorful avocados to American consumers. As U.S. demand for avocado continues to rise, we are committed to delivering high-quality fruit, while having a long-lasting and positive impact on the local communities and environment where we grow.”
Currently, avocados are Colombia’s third-largest fruit export, behind bananas and plantains, the release said. The industry supports nearly 240,000 jobs, providing year-round formal employment and economic benefits to individuals, families and communities across the country.
“As U.S. per capita consumption of fresh avocados increases every year, our goal is not only to meet but exceed consumer expectations at retail and beyond,” said Ricardo Uribe, chairman for the Colombia Avocado Board. “Consistent high quality, environmental and economic stewardship and social responsibility are at the heart of what we do. When consumers choose Colombian avocados, they are supporting a thriving industry that is helping to write a new chapter in Colombia’s history. Looking ahead, we expect 2025 to be another record-breaking year with volume expected to continue growing as we expand our market presence in the U.S.”
Colombia is a leading global avocado producer and exporter with a rapidly growing footprint, the release said. In addition to its expanding acreage in orchards, the country now has 30 certified packing houses that can export to the U.S.
The Colombia Avocado Board said the success of Colombia’s hass avocado industry is a direct result of its long history in agriculture, favorable climate with consistent rainfall, fertile lands at varied elevations and its rapidly expanding infrastructure, including improved seaports to streamline exports. The board said it has been a key driver in fostering partnerships between exporters, importers and buyers, ensuring the continued growth in demand for Colombia’s hass avocado program in the U.S.
California Citrus Mutual of Exeter, CA reports average volume is seen for the state’s citrus crop.
The non-profit association reports growing conditions for the winter citrus season have been ideal.
In the last decade, Mutual reports the state has seen a 13% decrease in navel acres planted and a 26% decrease in valencia acres, which is estimated to be between 25,000 acres and 28,000 acres.
As valencia and navel acreage declines in the state, they are being replaced by mandarins, which have increased by about 18,000 acres during that time.
Wonderful Citrus Cooperative of Delano, CA reports a strong summer citrus season with good quality which sets the state up for its winter season. Growth in mandarin shipments helped boost a strong summer shipping season.
Mandarins represent about 43% of all citrus sold at Wonderful.
The co-op expects a more normal winter citrus crop this season compared with last year’s crop. A Year ago there were quality problems with navels and sizing issues with mandarins. This year mandarins, lemons, navels should all have more normal supplies and quality.
The Maine potato harvest wrapped up in mid October and a bumper crop would have been made except for a dry period in August which reduced yields. Still, a 10 percent increase in volume over last year is predicted, which was a good crop.
The Maine Farmers Exchange (MFE) in Presque Isle, ME estimates Maine’s potato volume for the coming season at 18.5 million hundredweight, up about 10% from last year’s 16.8 hundredweight as a result of better weather during the growing season. Last season was a dry year.
In 2022-23, Maine growers produced 18.4 million hundredweight of potatoes.
MFE notes russets are the most popular, because they are preferred by some major processing plants. The caribou russet and norkotah russet are the most popular table varieties.
The Pine Tree State also produces round whites, reds, yellows and russets.
Cambridge Farms of Presque Isle also reports a good harvest without delays from rain or frosts.
The company completed harvest in mid October. It grows red, yellow, white and russet potatoes, but yellows and russets seem to be the most popular.
Cambridge is growing more russets and yellows, but fewer white potatoes. The operation has become a year around potato shippers by working with other growers in the U.S. and Canada.
Irving Farms of Caribou, ME reports great growing conditions and ships russet, red, white and yellow potatoes in consumer packs.
The company ships throughout the East Coast, but focuses on the Northeast because of the company’s proximity to those markets. The firm also ships some potatoes to the Midwest and Southeast.
Irving Farms will started shipping in early November for the Thanksgiving holiday. The heaviest shipping period will be two weeks before Thanksgiving.
Other than the holidays, potato loadings are consistent throughout the year.