Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
During a webinar, named Panorama for Postseason Table Grapes, which was organized by the Chilean Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) and others, the latest estimate for rain damaged grapes it volume will be slashed by 35 percent this season.
As of February 10, the estimated number of table grape exports only reached 68 million boxes.
Most affected were grapes in central Chile, which destroyed a good part of the mid-season grape crop.
Fedefruta, Chile’s fruit growers group, reports three out of four of the country’s fruit growers suffered some type of damage from the rains, which totaled as much as three to four inches in some regions.
Fruit that was hit by the rains won’t reach U.S. shores until later in February and March. Congestion at U.S. port has been resulting in distribution delays. Not only is it common for boat transit times from Chile to take up to 3 weeks, but port delays have been adding an additional week or two. (see January 29 report)
Importers reports the rains are resulting in grapes splitting, particularly for the green/white seedless.
Good volumes from Peru may, and possibly better quality, is expected to help lessen the shortfall from Chile.
Little to no effect from the rain is anticipated for the Chilean red crimson seedless grapes, which are in good supply from March to April.
Pandol Bros. Inc. of Delano, CA reports generally there will be a shortage of good whites, while red seedless will be plentiful.
Unifrutti Chile points out there will definitely be fewer shipments to the U.S.
The late January rains were the biggest for that month since 1933.
AFC Global Sourcing of Chile notes the rain was very hard from San Felipe and south, hitting tree fruit, grapes and stone fruit.
BAKERSFIELD, CA — Cal-Organic Farms, the largest producer of organic vegetables in the US, is now shipping organic red bunch carrots and celery from Coachella, CA. A division of Grimmway Farms, Cal-Organic is shipping its exclusive red bunch carrots for a limited time and supplies are expected to last through the Easter holiday (April 4). Additionally, they expect to ship seasonal celery through the end of this month.
“Outstanding sweet flavor is what makes our red carrot variety truly unique. These specialty carrots feature vibrant red color through the root and make for beautiful plate presentation,” said Bob Borda, Vice President of Organic Sales at Grimmway Farms.
Red carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A and contribute to a balanced diet. Favored by shoppers for their colorful appearance, these ruby-colored roots are among the dozens of fresh carrot products available from Grimmway and Cal-Organic Farms.
“Celery quality looks great as well, with bright green color and firm, crisp texture,” added Borda.
Cal-Organic’s seasonal red carrot and celery programs are integrated with their year-round vegetable program and Grimmway’s category-leading carrot business.
About Grimmway Farms
Headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Grimmway Farms traces its roots to a produce stand opened by the Grimm brothers in the early 1960s. Grimmway is a global produce leader and the world’s largest producer of carrots. Grimmway supplies more than 65 organic, USA-grown crops and brands include Cal-Organic Farms and Bunny-Luv.
Imports of Peruvian table grapes were increasing throughout January but may decline in February.
Volumes from Peru are up this year in comparison to the average of the past five seasons. Capespan North America reports Peruvian quality has been mostly very good and has avoided serious weather issues from orchards north of Lima, unlike Chile to the south.
Because of labor and social unrest throughout the growing regions, Peru’s volume is expected to be lower in February.
Capespan is concerned there may be some irregular arrival patterns. Because of congestion at container vessel ports between Long Beach and Los Angeles, CA, some Peruvian shipments are being redirected to Port Hueneme.
Southern Specialties of Pompano Beach, FL 8is ramping up its expanded Mexican asparagus shipments, according to a news release.
The grower/shipper/importer is expanding its volume of asparagus from Mexico to supply retail, club store and foodservice customers. It will be shipping asparagus, grown in Caborca, Mexico until mid-April.
“The northern Mexico deal is a vital portion of our year-round asparagus program.” Kristen Francisco, the company’s director of sales, said in the release. “We continue to grow year-over-year volumes, from this region, and increase our customer base. We are looking forward to an active season.”
Mexican asparagus from Southern Specialties is hauled in less than truckload and straight loads, from San Luis, AZ., and Pompano Beach, FL. shipping points.
The firm’s Mexican asparagus is available in both 11-pound and 28-pound cases and packed in all sizes from small to jumbo. The company is also shipping organic asparagus in 11-pound cartons.
Oppy, a leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world, announced a new grape program building on its exclusive partnership with Ocean Spray®, the agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 farmer families.
The fruit comes from the Southern Hemisphere, which expands Oppy’s footprint, offering retailers a powerful 12-month consumer brand for the grape category from Peru, Chile and Brazil as well as South Africa, Mexico and California. Oppy’s overall program is well balanced across several global growing regions and a wide range of proprietary varieties, with an emphasis on high-quality, consistency and excellent flavor.
Ocean Spray® grapes are offered in a variety of packaging options, including high-graphic bags as well as 2 lb. and 3 lb. clamshells. Promotional volumes are available through February to support various retailer needs.
“Oppy’s grape program continues to evolve in exciting ways to meet the market demand,” Oppy’s Director of Import Grapes and Stone Fruit Bill Poulos said. “Our program is incredibly varied and comprises a mixture of new, exciting varieties that help attract new consumers, as well as tried and trusted favorites that are always a hit. Now offered under the immediately familiar and top-quality Ocean Spray® brand, our customers can truly refresh and reenergize their grape category.”
Import grapes continue to deliver healthy results, with 2020 volume increasing by 6% over 2019 in their January-May season, despite overall unpredictability across markets.
Since the U.S. is the top market by volume for grapes from Peru, where Oppy has recently broadened its decades-long presence, the 162-year-old fresh produce company will also offer its first ever organic Fair Trade Certified green and red seedless grapes, in keeping with growing consumer demand for produce that helps communities as well as the environment.
A Fair Trade partner since 2004, the program’s premiums go toward supporting essential infrastructure in grower communities including healthcare, education, fresh water access and more. The workers who produce Fair Trade Certified produce determine the allocation of premiums, thus empowering communities toward sustainable development. Oppy’s sales of Fair Trade grapes have already experienced meteoric growth, increasing by 137% from the first half of 2018 to the first half of 2019.
Combined with its offerings from Chile, where Oppy enjoys decades of on-the-ground expertise, promotable grape volumes are expected this season, allowing for greater choice and flexibility at retail. Earlier this year, Oppy further developed its grape offerings by becoming the first ever importer of the organic green seedless Arra 15 variety from Peru, continuing to chart new avenues of growth for the category.
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.
About Ocean Spray:
Founded in 1930, Ocean Spray is a vibrant agricultural cooperative owned by more than 700 cranberry farmers in the United States, Canada and Chile who have helped preserve the family farming way of life for generations. The Cooperative’s cranberries are currently featured in more than a thousand great-tasting, nutritious products in over 100 countries worldwide.
A new variety that was developed in the Midwest and grown in Michigan is now being shipped.
The EverCrisp is a late-season apple and a cross between Honeycrisp and Fuji which stores well and is long-lasting, with the ability to last for weeks without refrigeration.
The Michigan Apple Committee of Lansing reports it is a rosy-colored, crisp apple that is a fairly new variety grown across the Midwest, including Michigan.
The committee notes many Michigan growers have invested in EverCrisp tree plantings that have now come into bearing. The variety can be found at many retailers and grocery chains across Michigan and throughout the United States. It is most widely available after the New Year when it comes out of storage.
The EverCrisp was originally developed in 1998 as part of the Midwest Apple Improvement Association (MAIA), an apple breeding project in which growers of all sizes were invited to participate in developing new varieties.
MAIA was co-founded by Mitch Lynd of Lynd Fruit Farms in Pataksala, Ohio, who hoped to develop flavorful apple varieties despite the region’s unpredictable winter and spring weather patterns.
The Evercrisp or MAIA-1 variety, as it’s also called, came from a cross made in spring 1998 when Lynd collected apple blossoms from a Fuji tree, removed the pollen, and used it to pollinate Honeycrisp tree flower.
A favorable winter fruit import season from Chilean took a turn for the worse January 31st because of heavy rains and hail.
Chile is reporting serious damage to a number of key fruit crops in their early harvest season following unseasonal heavy rainfall of up to 2.4 inches in production regions.
The Fruit exporters’ association Asoex of Santiago reports rainfall – and hail in some cases – that hit the central and southern regions over the weekend damaging summer fruit crops including blueberries, table grapes, and stone fruit. This will result in lower export volumes than expected for the 2020-21 season.
There are reports of splitting in blueberries from later areas, especially in the Brightwell and Ochlockonee varieties, while in the Last Call variety, the situation is under evaluation. However, the damage observed so far will affect the production and export volume this season.
The Chilean blueberry industry had last year forecasted a slight increase in fresh exports to around 111,000 metric tons (MT). The South American country has shipped only 15 percent of its shipments for the season.
Asoex report grapes are “very damaged,” not only due to splitting, but also because of grapevine trellises collapsing due to the weight of the water. The Thompson variety in Rancagua, is already showing evidence of “mal de media luna” (half-moon syndrome), associated with a fungus that rots the grain and damages any attempt to market the fruit.
Additionally there was hail, but the effects are still being evaluated.
Additionally, stone fruit, there are losses due to splitting and possible rotting. Loss estimates are currently impossible because of continuing rain in some areas, while others areas remain inaccessible.
From Arizona to Idaho and Washington state gross freight rates for fruits and vegetables are often 10 to 30 percent higher than they were at this time a year ago. At the same time many rates are moving little or downward right now on a week to week basis.
Due to COVID shipping disruptions, and competitive dry freight rates, more attractive hauls not requiring refrigeration are a reason many types of transportation rates are well above 2020 before the pandemic shutdowns and restrictions.
Here’s a glimpse at some possible loading opportunities in the western half of the United States.
Arizona
The Yuma District continues shipping over 1400 truck loads of Iceberg, romaine and other lettuces each week as well as some broccoli and cauliflower. A lot of multi pick up loads are starting in California (Oxnard, Kern County, desert areas etc.) and the truck is filled in Yuma or Nogales.
Yuma vegetables to New York City – grossing about $8100, over 19 percent higher than this time last year.
Mexican veggies crossing through Nogales are generally in the heaviest volume now for winter shipments lead by items ranging from zucchini and other types of squash, as well as vine ripe, plum and grape tomatoes. There’s also loadings of bell peppers, cucumbers and a host of other mixed veggies at Nogales distribution warehouses.
Nogales vegetables to Dallas – grossing about $3000, 30 percent over a year ago.
Washington
Nearly 2800 truckload equivalents of apples are moving out of the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys each week, plus around 450 truckload equivalents of pears.
Washington apples and pears – grossing about $8500 to New York City, about 25 percent higher than a year ago.
Along the state line, Washington’s Columbia Basin and the nearby Umatillia Basin in Oregon are shipping over 900 truckloads of potatoes and about 300 loads of onions weekly.
Idaho/Oregon
There’s over 900 truck loads of onions being moved weekly from the Western Idaho/Malheur County, Oregon area.
The Twin Falls region in Idaho is shipping around 1850 truckload equivalents of potatoes each week.
Idaho potatoes grossing about $5800 to Atlanta, 28 percent more than a year ago.
Texas
Mexican produce crossings through South Texas continue to give Nogales a run for its money (loads). The 1250 loads each week of avocados leads the pack, although there is good volume with vine ripe and plum tomatoes, as well items ranging from cucumbers, bell peppers, broccoli, limes and a host of other veggies and tropical fruits.
Mexican produce crossings through the Lower Rio Grande Valley – grossing around $5800 to New York City.
As the 2020-21 Florida tropical avocado season winds down, Brooks Tropicals has been supplementing supplies of their original tropical avocado branded SlimCado™ with fresh fruit from the Dominican Republic.
“We had a pretty good year in terms of crop-size here in Florida”, says Peter Leifermann, VP of Sales and Marketing at Brooks, in a press release.
“Although we may not quite make our industry-wide goal of bushels, each variety produced a good crop and we were especially pleased with the late fall varieties.
We have a few more months of Florida fruit to harvest but it will be limited. Our partnerships in the Dominican Republic have allowed us to serve our customers for the entire calendar year.”
To continue to meet growing consumer demand for tropical avocado, Brooks Tropicals has partners in the Dominican Republic that grow and pack that country’s several varieties.
Almost 30 years ago, Brooks and Agroindustria Ocoena, S.A. (AIOSA) struck a relationship that began with an avocado packing line and continues today with the shared generations of agricultural knowledge between the firms.
Brooks Tropicals has been growing tropical avocado, fruits, and vegetables in the Caribbean and South Florida for nearly a hundred years and AIOSA began exporting in 1987. Brooks also has another decades-old partner in AMR-AGRO.
Similar to the Florida crop, the Dominican Republic has over 20 different varieties in production, but January begins the transition from a Lula and Semil dominant crop to the Carla variety.
Carla tropical avocado are characterized by their more round shape – as opposed to pear-like – and being a late season variety, it’s higher oil content.
“Tropical avocados are so near perfect, it’s like they take into consideration our diets!” Leifermann continues. “In the summer they are lighter in flavor, and as the cooler months come they have a richer flavor. The Carla – similar to our proprietary Florida winter varieties – is a delicious fruit that pleases even the most hardened hass-lovers.”
Brooks Tropicals will distribute Carla variety tropical avocado from January until the end of April.
Fewer exports of Peruvian mangoes are predicted this year as Brazil and Ecuador are wrapping up their seasons.
Exporters in Peru express optimism starting their season since Ecuador had season higher volumes towards the beginning, with lower volumes projected for its late season in January.
The current prediction of mango shipments from Peru to the U.S. for the season is 15.5 million boxes, 20% of what was exported to the U.S. a year ago. Mango volumes from Mexico will only start to pick up at the beginning of March.
During the last weeks of December, the total from Brazil, Ecuador and Peru was 25% lower than the same period of 2019. Estimated arrivals for January 2021 are substantially lower than those of last year at the same time.
Although demand during this time isn’t high, the low arrivals are already driving prices up to unusual numbers at a time when this normally wouldn’t happen (at least not in the last two seasons).