Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
LAGRANGE, GA – The Eastern Cantaloupe Growers Association (ECGA), a leading food safety and advocacy group for Eastern Cantaloupe growers in the Midwest and eastern U.S., has announced the launch of its Flavor of Sunshine campaign to support the 2021 Eastern Cantaloupe season. The annual campaign helps drive business for retailers with consumer-facing marketing components such as branded PLU stickers on the fruit, recipes and a social media campaign that promotes the benefits of Eastern Cantaloupes.
Also called Athena melon, muskmelon and rockmelon, among other names, Eastern Cantaloupes are grown throughout the Midwest and all along the East Coast. In its outreach to retailers, ECGA notes that melons produced in these regions, which are available from mid-June through early September, benefit from the wetter climate and rich soil, and consequently tend to be larger and sweeter than those grown in the western U.S.
“Eastern Cantaloupes go from field to store in as little as 24 hours,” said Tony Phillips, COO at Frey Farms of Keenes, IL and ECGA president. “They’re picked when ripe, ready to eat and give off an enticing aroma that hints at their incredible sweetness. They’re also larger than other cantaloupes, so they catch the eye of any shopper walking through the produce area.”
“Our members are proud of the Eastern Cantaloupes they grow, with their exceptional sweetness and unique flavor profile,” said Debbie Johnson, ECGA executive director. “They’re also proud of the strong partnership they have with buyers and retailers in the Midwest and eastern U.S. and are excited about the Flavor of Sunshine campaign and the positive impact it will have on retail sales.”
“Eastern Cantaloupes have the benefit of providing immediate satisfaction to retail customers,” said Matt Solana, VP of operations at Jackson’s Farming Co. of Autryville, NC and ECGA treasurer. “They take home a melon with its even, straw color and sweet smell, and cut into it that same day to enjoy the delicious flavor that so clearly says, ‘Summer is here!’ For the American consumer, there’s a positive association between cantaloupes and summertime that runs deep.”
About ECGA
The Eastern Cantaloupe Growers Association was founded in 2013 to foster programs that serve the needs of the Eastern Cantaloupe industry. Headquartered in LaGrange, GA, the organization is committed to strict adherence of the highest food safety standards and provides educational programs on the proper production, packing, handling, storing, processing and distribution of Eastern Cantaloupes and similar melons. It also conducts unannounced safety audits at member farms and packing facilities. In addition, ECGA members benefit from marketing initiatives that educate buyers, grocers and consumers about the benefits of Eastern Cantaloupes. Learn more at https://ecga-usa.org/.
WENATCHEE, Wash. – Stemilt began harvesting and packing Skylar Rae® brand Tip Top cultivar cherries early this week.
“The crop is projected to have good sizing, great quality, high sugar levels and of course, World Famous flavor,” explains Brianna Shales, marketing director. “We already have consumers contacting us, asking when they they’re available, so we know cherry lovers are getting excited.”
“This year, retailers can expect to start loading around June 7 with the first and largest peak starting in mid-June, she said.” The season for this variety should continue in early July.
Stemilt will be packing Skylar Rae® cherries on its hybrid cherry line that is designed for light colored cherry varieties. With more cushion and a slower run time, Stemilt ensures quality is not sacrificed during the packing process.
“Skylar Rae® cherries are an anomaly and such a tasty summer treat,” states Shales. “We are excited to bring this cherry back into the produce spotlight this summer and continue on our mission of delighting consumers through excellence with Skylar Rae® cherries through the month of June and into the early part of July.”
Congestion of California ports continue, with Oakland surpassing Los Angeles/Long Beach as the epicenter of the crowding with the peak shipping season quickly approaching.
Maersk warned in a customer advisory Los Angeles and Long Beach “remain strained with vessel wait times averaging between one to two weeks,” according to American Shipper.
But the shipping giant was reported as saying that, “the situation is even more dire at the Port of Oakland, where wait times now extend up to three weeks.”
West Coast port delays are having severe fallout for liner schedules and the congestion is equating to canceled voyages as ships can’t get back to Asia in time to load cargo.
Even as U.S. import demand soars, the effective capacity in the trans-Pacific trade is being sharply curtailed.
Maersk reports 20 percent of its capacity from Asia to the West Coast has been lost so far this year as a result of operationally induced “blank”, or canceled, sailings.
It now sees 16 percent of its Asia-West Coast capacity to be lost from now until the end of June and 13 percent to be lost from now until the end of August.
Current cancellations are now running at the same percentage that carriers intentionally blanked in Q2 2020 to compensate for the sudden collapse of import demand when U.S. businesses were shuttered by nationwide lockdowns.
The Port of Los Angeles has aired a goal of June 1 for “few if any ships” at anchor in San Pedro Bay, however, that deadline will not be met.
The daily number of ships in the bay is down from January, though numbers have not fallen any further. As of 2 weeks ago, there were still 20 ships at anchor in San Pedro Bay.
Maersk expects an early start to the peak season this year as retailers prepare for a strong back-to-school season that will likely blend into the end-of-year holiday peak season that typically starts in August.
Both Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, say the problem at Oakland is a shortage of available longshore labor.
New Zealand apple exports will be off about 14 percent from a year ago despite earlier expectations of a near-record season, according to a
USDA forecast.
“…a number of factors have tempered expectations,” the report noted, with production now estimated to have slumped 8 percent from the previous year to 543,000 metric tons (MT).
Two of these factors have been hailstorms causing widespread damage in key apple areas, as well as generally smaller-sized apples this year due to a cooler summer.
In addition to reduced production, the impact on exports is being exacerbated by severe staffing shortages during the harvest. New Zealand’s Covid-19 response included limiting slots available for short-term foreign workers in mandatory 14-day quarantine on arrival, and international border closures.
Because of these shortages, orchardists were not able to do the number of harvest picks in each orchard block necessary to maximize the proportion of export quality fruit. Consequently, while all the apples are still expected to eventually be harvested there will be a greater volume destined for processing.
This is expected to reduce exports by 14 percent from 2020, down to 345,000MT in 2021, the USDA report said.
The volume of apples being processed in 2020/2021 is estimated to increase by seven percent to reach 125,000MT
LOS ANGELES – After making its successful debut in grocery stores last year, this summer will mark the anticipated return of the Giumarra Companies premium trio of French-bred California nectarine offerings under its DulceVida™ brand umbrella: Midnight Edition™, Twilight Edition™, and Sunrise Edition™.
Each DulceVida™ limited edition have a unique appearance and different availability this summer:
- Midnight Edition: yellow flesh nectarines with a dark, speckled exterior color. Available mid-June through early August
- Twilight Edition: white flesh nectarines with frosted fuchsia skin. Available June through mid-August
- Sunrise Edition: yellow flesh nectarines with rose red to deep berry skin. Available July through mid-August
“Our family has been a proud California stone fruit grower for decades – we are now in our fourth generation,” said Tim Thiesen, who also manages the DulceVida™ test orchard in Reedley, California. “Even though it takes several years to plant, grow and test these very special varieties, we really love growing these amazing DulceVida™ nectarines for Giumarra. We are very passionate about providing such high-quality California-grown stone fruit for consumers to enjoy across the United States.”-
About the Giumarra Companies
The Giumarra Companies is a leading international network of fresh produce growers, distributors, and marketers that encompasses a world of freshnes since its inception in 1922.
After an excellent winter and early spring with mild/ cold temperatures and abundant rainfall and snow, New Jersey Peach Growers anticipate an excellent crop of peach flowers, with full bloom in early April. This bloom date would be historically earlier than normal, according to Jerry Frecon, Professor Emeritus at Rutgers Jersey in Southern New Jersey.
Santo John Maccherone, owner of Circle M Fruit Farms in Salem, and Vice Chair of the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council (NJPPC) and Joe Nichols, owner of Nichols Orchards and grower of peaches in Franklin Township, Gloucester County, NJ. Both Maccherone and Nichols expect to be shipping peaches from early July into September. Both sell wholesale to specialty markets and retailers.
Recent statistics published by the National Peach Council estimate NJ growers are producing about 5200 acres of peaches and nectarines and should harvest between 40 and 45 million pounds of fruit in 2021. “We are always optimistic at this time of year,” said Maccherone, “but we still have a long way until we pick and market the fruit, and lots can happen which would reduce the crop.”
The NJPPC is a voluntary organization of growers, packers, shippers, marketers and allied industries dedicated to the orderly marketing and promotion of New Jersey Peaches.
Importer Jac. Vandenberg of Tarrytown, NY has big expectations for the 2021 summer citrus season as it begins receiving its first citrus containers from the southern hemisphere.
Citrus remains a hot consumer item for many consumers, making Vandenberg optimistic for a good season. Vandenberg imports lemons, oranges, mandarins, grapefruit and tangelos from Argentina, Australia, Chile, Peru, South Africa and Uruguay. Last summer season, Vandenberg imported over 28,000 tons of citrus and expects to see an increase this season.
A little over one-half of this volume is in mandarins. Vandenberg has already received its first containers of off-shore easy-peelers from Peru and Uruguay and will see the first arrivals from Chile and South Africa soon. The weather conditions in all growing regions have been conducive to growing mandarins and the expectations are that there will be a good, healthy crop. Vandenberg expects to see an increase in the total volume entering the US market but not at the same pace as last season. The biggest growth in volume is expected in Murcotts available in late August through October.
Vandengerg introduced SUNRAYS® in 2017, and has seen steady growth each season.
The Chilean clementine export season has been launched with expectations of growth over last year, according to the Citrus Committee of the Fruit Exporters’ Association (Asoex).
A 7 percent increase of exports over 2020 is forecast with 55,000 metric tons (MT) for this season.
The first shipments left during first week of April, with 573MT of the Clemenules, Orogrande and Oronules varieties having been exported by the 3rd week of April. This compares to 1,503MT that had been exported by the same period last year.
Clementines and lemons were the first to start, with oranges following soon.
Dry weather was report with little rains, making for a smooth start to the harvests. Although the first shipments of clementines were lower than last season, it was too early to establish any change in the estimates for the period.
The primary destination for Chilean citrus exports is the U.S., accounting for about 85% of total shipments. It is followed by the Far East and Europe, which represent 9% and 3% respectively. There are also sales to Canada, Latin America and the Middle East.
In the total citrus category, Chile in March predicted a 6 percent increase over last season. The biggest rise will be for mandarins with an increase of 11 percent over a year ago, followed by clementines with 7 percent growth. Lemons are expected to see a 3 percent increase, while oranges will stay the same.
California cherries are now in peak shipments and should continue through June 6.
The California Cherry Board reports loadings are expected to exceed 8 million boxes, which would be up from the 6.58 million boxes shipped a year ago, — and be higher than the previous two seasons.
The California cherry crop was initially estimated at 9.47 million 18-pound boxes, and had the chance to beat the banner year of 2017, when a record 9.55 million boxes were picked. However, heat and wind damage earlier in the season is seen as affecting fruit size and packouts.
The cherry board reports California has about 40,000 acres of cherries. The Stockton-Linden-Lodi district, where the traditional Bing cherry is grown, accounts for about 60% of the crop. The southern San Joaquin Valley produces about 35%, and about 5% comes from the Gilroy-Hollister area.
Delta Packing Co. of Lodi, Inc. reports since the Coral harvests start earlier than the Bing, increased plantings of the variety have moved up timing of peak California cherry shipments.
The shift to more Corals has also led to more California cherry shipments during the month of May than in June.
An estimated 25% of the California crop will go to export markets this year, up slightly from 23% last year, with Canada, Korea and Japan being the biggest buyers.
California cherries – grossing $10,000 to $11,000 to New York City.
The Michigan asparagus season is officially underway: quality, volumes and pricing will be similar to last season with peak volumes in late May and early June. The vegetable currently claims the number one spot for total asparagus production in the U.S., including both fresh and processed,
the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board.
Although the state was gearing up for a Mother’s Day “normal” season start Mother Nature had her own plans. While days had been warm, temperatures dropped to near or below freezing many nights, delaying the start of harvest for about a week. The “pre-season” had light volumes from the Southernmost part of the state that found their way into only the local markets. The cool spring weather provided growers with some extra time to prepare fields and complete beginning of season tasks like mowing and fertilizer application.
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The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (MAAB) promotes the production and consumption of Michigan Asparagus nationwide. The organization is dedicated to sharing the virtues of asparagus, while also assisting with agricultural research and the development of asparagus farming. The MAAB is funded by Michigan Asparagus growers.