Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Green leaf and iceberg markets remain depressed amid abundant supplies and weak demand. Romaine prices are slowly rising as quality issues are more prevalent following recent humid, windy weather, according to a news release from Markhon of Salinas, CA.
Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine are available; Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted sporadically due to low weights.
Green leaf and iceberg quality are very good; mildew, fringe burn, and sun scalding are being avoided or trimmed at harvest.
Romaine quality has been impacted by high temperatures and humid weather, followed by windy days; fog burn, internal burn, and fringe burn are reducing harvestable supplies.
Expect fairly steady green leaf and iceberg markets through May; Romaine will continue inching up in the near term.
In a May 6 report, the company said Markon First Crop (MFC) Romaine is limited in California’s Salinas Valley; Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted as needed.
Markon inspectors are currently reporting an abrupt shift in romaine quality over the past two to four days. Last week the Salinas Valley region experienced a heavy marine layer that quickly gave way to clear skies and warm afternoons. These conditions caused the development of fog burn in many crops. Strong winds and elevated humidity were also recorded, causing fringe burn and sporadic mildew pressure.
Commodity and value-added supplies are expected to exhibit some of the above-mentioned challenges for the next several weeks, possibly longer. Some iceberg and green leaf supplies are experiencing these challenges, but these commodities are easier to manage than Romaine.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER HAULERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Domestic blueberry shipments are expected to reach about 721 million pounds this year, down a bit from 740.5 million pounds in 2024, according to the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council of Folsom, CA.
Michigan, Oregon and Washington will be shipping fruit into September, while California, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey and North Carolina generally will wind down by June or July, according to USHBC.
In the Southeast, Florida started late this year, but Georgia continues to see production growth from new plantings, and that should support stable volume overall.
Naturipe Farms of Salinas, CA sees the blueberry season is shaping up to be one of the best yet due to ideal weather and growing conditions.
Naturipe will offer consumers exclusive proprietary varieties this season: Rocio (California), Envoy and Keepsake (New Jersey and Michigan).
May 5–26 will be peak season for Naturipe’s organic blueberries out of California.
While total volumes are down from prior years, there are still good volumes.
Peak weeks in Florida and Georgia on organic blueberries will be May 5–21. Georgia organic blueberries will go through June with steady shipments.
There will be ample supplies of conventional blueberries from Michigan, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia during the heart of the summer in July and August.
Peak blueberry season for California Giant Berry Farms of Watsonville, CA will run from July through August out of Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and California.
North Bay Produce of Traverse City, MI sources blueberries from Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Michigan and British Columbia during the summer.
The company notes Florida and Georgia blueberries have suffered thus far in the season due to last year’s hurricane effects as well as cooler nightly temperatures.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Western green bell pepper production is decreasing in Mexico; growers will transition to California in May. Mexican red bell pepper supplies are sufficient. Markon First Crop (MFC) and Markon Essentials (ESS) Green and Red Bell Peppers are available.
Green Bells
- Florida’s production is adequate
- All sizes are available
- Quality is good
- The South Florida season will wind down in the next three to four weeks
- Mexico’s Sinaloa season is past peak production
- Growers are harvesting the last of their spring fields in April
- Small and medium sizes are most common
- Quality is fair
- The California desert season will start with light harvests on April 21; full production is forecast by mid-May
- Expect higher prices over the next week
Red Bells
- Mexican volume is steady
- Quality is mixed depending on the age of the field
- All sizes are available
- The California desert will start getting underway in early June
- Canadian greenhouse volume is increasing; large sizes are most plentiful
- Expect steady prices this week
California’s avocado shippers plan to move their third-largest crop in a 10 years during the 2024-25 season, with an estimated production of 375 million pounds. This amounts to a 44% increase from the previous three-year average and a 3% increase from the previous year.
The Hass variety will make up about 95% of California’s crop, which totals approximately 355 million pounds. The remaining 5% will consists of Lamb, Gem, and other varieties. California typically supplies approximately 90% of the avocados produced in the United States.
However, the nation’s total domestic production only accounts for about 10% of the total avocado availability in the country, highlighting the country’s significant dependence on imports.
The United States imported a record $3.8 billion worth of fresh avocados in 2024, the highest amount ever reported in both nominal and inflation-adjusted terms. The majority of the value, approximately 91%, was sourced from Mexico, with the majority being classified as Hass-like (both conventional and organic).
The majority of these avocados were imported through the Laredo district in South Texas, while lesser volumes were imported through Philadelphia (primarily from Peru and Colombia) and Miami (primarily from the Dominican Republic and Colombia). A transportation problem in the U.S. market was caused by lower shipments from Mexico and Peru earlier in the year, despite the improved crop in California.
California’s 2024/25 shipments commenced in mid- January (earlier than is customary) and had already reached 8% of the projected crop by early March, surpassing the 4-year average of 5%. The state’s season may conclude prematurely if this tempo persists, as was the case in 2022. Meanwhile, Mexican shipments are expected to continue as harvest moves to higher elevation orchards in Michoacán and Jalisco, but overall volumes may ease through the middle of the year.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
The Chilean/Peruvian offshore season will wrap up over the next three and one-half weeks. Grape shipments will transition to Mexican-grown product in mid- to late May. Expect pricing to increase as the offshore season continues to wind down, according to news release from Markhon of Salinas, CA.
Offshore
- The Peruvian/Chilean green and red grape seasons will end in mid-May
- Markon First Crop (MFC) Lunch Bunch Grapes will stop shipping in mid-May, but resume with Mexican product in late May
- Although stocks will tighten and markets will rise, suppliers do not expect any supply gaps between the offshore and Mexican seasons
Mexico
- MFC and Markon Essentials (ESS) Grapes will be shipped out of Mexico in late May
- Commodity supplies of Mexican green and red grapes will enter the market in mid-May
- Mexican portioned grapes become available in late May
- Expect elevated pricing as the season begins, then markets will gradually decrease
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
As the 2025 mango season unfolds, harvesting and packaging are actively taking place in Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, and Nicaragua. The current data illustrates a robust mango shipping season, with significant volumes being transported from these countries.
In total, the volume of mango boxes shipped for the week of March 22nd amounted to approximately 3,148,076, bringing the season’s cumulative total to 40,304,935 boxes.
The ongoing mango harvest showed moderate growth, with many regions surpassing their previous year’s performance. These insights suggest a robust market presence for mangoes from these key Central and South American countries.
Peru
During the week ending March 22, 2025, Peru contributed around 108,080 boxes to the overall shipment volume. This brings Peru’s total for the season to approximately 29,244,849 boxes.
Notably, there were no shipments from Peru during the same week in 2024, highlighting a significant upward trend in production and export capabilities for the current season.
Mexico
Mexico’s shipping data for the week reflects a substantial volume, with approximately 2,800,453 boxes shipped. This totals to about 10,625,056 boxes for the season.
This represents a 31% increase over last year’s 2,129,858 boxes shipped during the same week. However, 2024’s season total was 11,093,165 boxes, which showcases a slight decline in overall season totals despite an increase in weekly shipments.
Guatemala
Guatemala also made its mark in the mango shipping sector, with approximately 198,342 boxes shipped during the week. This brings the total for the season to about 332,289 boxes.
In contrast, the previous year, Guatemala shipped 153,342 boxes during the same week, totaling 302,675 boxes for the season. This indicates a positive growth trajectory for Guatemalan mango exports.
Nicaragua
Lastly, Nicaragua reported shipping approximately 41,201 boxes in the week ending March 22, 2025, resulting in a season total of approximately 102,741 boxes.
When analyzed against the previous year’s data, Nicaraguan shipments during the same week in 2024 stood at 39,500 boxes, with a total of 137,183 boxes for the season, showcasing a moderate increase in weekly shipments but a decline in overall season totals.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Georgia peach loadings are expected to get underway May 7 or 8 this season according to Genuine Georgia, which was formed in 2015, and brought together the state’s growers under a single marketing banner.
The organization reports great growing conditions up until now. Even more optimism is bolstered by the the new orchards established over the past five years are now in full production. Yields are anticipated to increase by 15% from the previous year.
Once the harvest starts, Georgia peach shipments will move fast, reaching store shelves within 36 hours in markets across the East Coast, from Texas to Montreal to Miami.
Georgia’s 2025 peach season is poised to produce one of the most robust crops in recent memory, as a result of the favorable conditions, increasing production, and healthy trees.
CASTROVILLE, CA — North America’s leading grower and shipper of fresh artichokes, has officially kicked off their spring season.
With their annual migration north complete, the company’s transition to its spring/summer growing region – in Castroville and Salinas Valley, CA – is in full production.
“The spring crop is looking great,” said Ben Wilson, commodity account manager. Continuing, “If these first harvests are any indication of what our season will bring…it’s going to be a good one!” Wilson emphasized.
Easter was a big artichoke holiday, and this year was no exception.
“We will have promotable volumes in a variety of pack sizes to support customer demand,” Wilson stated.
In addition to our ample supply of green artichokes, our purple artichokes are a real fan-favorite and hard to keep on the shelves when retailers stock them.
“These first spring harvests of purple artichokes are yielding a beautiful crop; we expect good volumes for Easter and through April and possibly into May,” said Wilson.
About Ocean Mist Farms
Established in 1924, Ocean Mist Farms is a fourth-generation family-owned business located in Castroville, California. This company – the largest grower/shipper of fresh artichokes in No. America – celebrated their milestone 100-year anniversary in 2024. Committed to consistently delivering the highest standards in the industry for their Gold Standard artichokes, the company also offers a full line of 30+ premium fresh vegetable commodities and value-added products including their new award-winning Roastables Ready-To-Roast kits and Season & Steam lines.
Watsonville, CA – A bountiful harvest of California strawberries has arrived for California Giant Berry Farms, as the company shares news of strong volumes of its cornerstone product.
The berry purveyor’s high yields of excellent quality fruit ensures peak promotable volumes of California strawberries throughout the coming months.
The Santa Maria region is showing strong early season production of conventional and organic strawberries exhibiting ideal size, quality, and flavor. Peak volumes are anticipated to arrive by mid-May. Notably, organic production in Santa Maria will mirror the conventional peak, ensuring a steady supply of premium organic fruit as we move into the middle of May.
The Watsonville and Salinas growing region is also ramping up production, with volumes increasing weekly. Currently, spring rains have caused temporary harvest disruptions, but the company projects peak harvest volumes to be sustained throughout the month of June. Ranches in the region are reporting excellent fruit quality, flavor, and impressive size. The Watsonville/Salinas organic peak will mirror that of Santa Maria, hitting its stride in mid-May.
Blueberry supplies are extremely limited, as the California and Georgia seasons are off to slow starts. Expect elevated prices and low volume for the next three weeks, according to Markon of Salinas, CA.
The Mexican season is past its peak, as production is rapidly decreasing and is expected to end in late May.
The Georgia season has been delayed up to two weeks due to unseasonably cool weather. Florida volume is down 40 percent compared to this time last year. California’s San Joaquin Valley season is expected to start the week of May 5.
Demand far exceeds supply, and the industry will remain in a production gap for the next three weeks. Expect high markets and pro-rated orders for the next three weeks.