Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
New Mexico is replacing Georgia as the top producer and shipper of pecans following the devasting affects of Hurricane Michael a year ago, if predictions hold.
Georgia has been the nation’s largest supplier of pecans for years, accounting for about an 88 million pound harvest and representing one-third of U.S. pecan production.
This has change for the 2020 shipping season a year after Hurricane Michael’s 115-mile-per-hour winds ravaged nut tree orchards Pecan growers are still struggling as they harvest this year’s crop.
The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service reports in an average year, farmers harvest between 1300-1400 pounds of pecans per acre. However, but this year’s production is down by more than 50 percent.
The service believes growers will be fortunate if they average 500 pound per acre this year. Pecan trees lost a large percentage of limbs.
The USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service notes although U.S. national pecan production should increase this year by over 20 percent, with an estimated 281 million pounds, Georgia production will plummet to 76 million pounds, followed by Texas (47 million pounds, up 8 ½ percent), Arizona, and Oklahoma.
At the same time New Mexico is estimated to have an increased production of 6 percent based on a forecasted record high of 97 million pounds for the current harvest. New Mexico first surpassed Georgia last year after the howling hurricane winds decimated some 32,400 acres, downed trees, and dropped production dramatically.
Pecan trees take nearly a decade to produce and a couple years more to turn a respectable profit. This means with the amount of trees lost mean, may take up to 10 years for Georgia growers to fully recover.
.
New Mexico produces pecans on nearly 52,000 acres in the southern part of the state with most product coming from the Mesilla and Hatch Valleys and the Pecos River Valley, although expansion in pecan acreage is being noted further north as raising pecans continues to replace cotton acreage because cotton prices continue to drop.
As the early winter season in the U.S. gets underway, an unusually rainy season is coming to a close in Central America and the Caribbean.
Central American Produce Inc. of Pompano Beach, FL reports despite early season rains produce quality is good.
Central American imports papayas from Guatemala year-round, and the first watermelons, gala melons, cantaloupes and honeydews just got underway in the past week. The company also had praise for the melons from Honduras being imported.
There also have been recent arrivals of cantaloupe, honeydew and butternut squash.
HLB Specialties of Pompano Beach, FL experienced some delays in shipments due to rains in Honduras with rambutan. The firm also is importing rambutan from Guatemala, as well as papayas.
Thomas Produce of Calgary, Alberta has year around imports items from the Caribbean and Central American such as red and green Thai chili peppers.
Ecoripe Tropicals of Miami, FL imports product the year around from Central America. One example is okra, although its heaviest volume is from December to May. The company specializes in air arrivals so the product is extra-fresh, and supplement this with ocean arrivals. It also will have rambutan through January.
Brooks Tropicals of Homestead, FL will import Caribbean Red papaya into early spring. The operation also is importing SlimCado and limes in decent volume.
J&S Tropicals of Miami, FL imports tropical tuber line products from Costa Rica, Honduras and Ecuador. For example there is yucca roots used in stews and soups during the winter as well as malanga blanca,white yams and chayote. The company had 20 containers in a two-week time span; for a specialty item, that is pretty impressive.
“If that can perform well, that’s going to be a big deal for us,” he said.
.
U.S. apple exports to Mexico could should increase this season even Mexico is expected to have a larger crop.
The USDA’ s fresh deciduous report for fresh deciduous fruit for Mexico said although Mexico’s apple production is up 24 percent the removal of the 20 percent tariff last May could boost U.S. exports there.
The tariff was in place for nearly a year, as a retaliatory measure against U.S. tariffs on Mexican steel and aluminum. Mexican imports of U.S. apples dropped nearly 16 percent during this period in comparison to marketing year 2017-18, the USDA re;ported.
Mexican consumers remain price sensitive purchasers of fruit, according to the report.
With lower apple prices for marketing year 2019-20, the USDA said apple consumption in Mexico is expected to rebound, resulting in a slight decrease to pear consumption.
Mexican grape exports are forecast at high levels for the 2019-20 season.
The state of Sonora accounts for 85 percent of total table grape production in Mexico, and and 77 percent of the total planted area. Sonora
has increased plantings over 20 percent in the last three years.
A 5 percent increase over last year is forecast for the 2019-20 Mexican blueberry export season by th National Association of Berries (Aneberries) in Mexico.
Exports should total about 44m metric tons (MT), with the heaviest volumes expected from January though March.
North America receives a whopping 97 percent of the fruit, while Europe accounts for 1.7 percent and Asia 0.5 percent.
Mexican blueberry shipments started in light volume last August. The latest figures from the USDA show as of November only 4,617MT of blueberries had been harvested.
Mexcian strawberries and blackberries are expecting similar volumes to last season, according to Aneberries.
A 5 percent increase is estimated for Peruvian grape exports for the 2019-20 shipping season, according to a new estimate from the USDA.
Peru’s total grape exports will reach 402,000 metric tons in 2010-20, up 5 percent from a year ago. The forecast comes in the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural annual fruit report on Peru.
The U.S. was the primary export destination in 2018, accounting for 32 percent of Peru’s total exports. The U.S. was followed by Netherlands with 20 percent and Hong Kong with 11 percent of Peru’s grape shipments.
Increasing Production
Peruvian grape production continues to rise and will total around 648,000 metric tons in 2019-2020, a 3 percent increase compared with last season. d Peruvian grape production is fully recovered from the heavy rains of the 2017 El Niño and is expected to maintain an upward trend in the upcoming years. Peru has a dry coast with over 12 hours of sunlight per day year-round. Those conditions make it an ideal region for grape production, allowing growers in Peru to mature vines 55 pecent faster than in neighboring countries.
Peru’s grape production is mainly located in Ica (41 percent) and Piura (22 percent), with total area under cultivation totaling more than 79,000 acres.
Importers and distribution companies of winter Mexican produce are expecting normal volumes through Nogales, AZ, which is the heaviest the first quarter of the New Year.
West Mexican growers have a wide range of winter produce. Borders crossings into Nogales, AZ started in November, despite some planting delays.
IPR Fresh of Rio Rico, AZ sees an increase in squash this season. The firm’s soft squash started shipping in mid-October, and hard squash kicked off in early December and both should be available until mid-May.
The company also is shipping slicer cucumbers through mid-May, and European cucumbers into mid-April.
Tricar Sales Inc. of Nogales expects similar volume to last year on cucumbers, European cucumbers, eggplant, roma tomatoes, round tomatoes and Italian, yellow and gray squash.
Lisa Inc. of Nogales started with pickling cucumbers in October and jalapeño in late November. However, jalapeños loadings will be light indefinitely due to unfavorable growing conditions in southern Mexico.
Crown Jewels Produce of Nogales sees steady shipments of gray, yellow and green squash and eggplant until June. The company got underway with slicer cucumbers in September and should continue from three growing areas until July.
Vandervoet & Associates Inc. of Rio Rico was shipping watermelons and honeydews from Sonora until December and will move product from southern Mexico between mid-January and March.
Calixtro Distributing Co. Inc. of Nogales have a full line of winter vegetables from West Mexico through April.
Calixtro Distributing Co. Inc. in Nogales will offer a full line of winter produce from West Mexico, said salesman Frank Calixtro.
About 2 billion pounds of avocados will be imported from Mexico this season — an increase of about 6 percent over last year.
Though Mexico ships avocados year-round, particularly heavy volume comes from October through May.
McDaniel Fruit Co of Fallbrook, CA expects good volumes and quality coming from Mexico this season.
Calavo Growers Inc. of Santa Paula, CA expects peak volume to occur from January to April. The company expects some reduction in volume by the end of March or mid-April.
At Del Rey Avocado, Inc. of Fallbrook, CA plans on plenty of Mexican avocado imports through May.
During the past three years, an average of 80 percent of the avocados consumed in the U.S. were imported from Mexico..
While shipments from Mexico normally decline some during the summer, Mexican avocado imports dominates avocado volume in the U.S. every month of the year.
Volume has increased nearly 100 percent since 2010,
Avocados from Mexico were first allowed into the U.S. in 1997, but only to a limited number of Northeastern and Midwestern states and only during the winter.
Gradually, the number of states increased, and by 2007, the fruit was allowed in nationwide on a year-round basis.
McDaniel Fruit Co. of Fallbrook, CA was one of first companies to import when the U.S. market was opened to Mexican avocados and has seen significant growth in volume over the past two decades.
A modest decline in Chilean fruit exports for the 2019-20 season is forecast by the USDA primarily because of a drought and fewer plantings.
In its annual fruit report release recently Chilean table grape exports in 2019-20 will decline 3 percent, while apple exports will be off 7 percent and pear exports down 10 percent..
Grape Exports
Chile’s table grape planted area for exporting in 2019-20 is projected unchanged at about 118,000 acres. The USDA reports table grape production will drop due to droughts throughout the country and will have a pronounced effect in the central Chile regions of Valparaiso, Metropolitana, and O’Higgins. On the other hand, the northern regions of Atacama and Coquimbo have enough water reserves.
The USDA said traditional table grape varieties, including crimson seedless and thompson seedless, are declining in volume. Newer varieties, such as arra-15, timco, and sweet celebration continue to increase in production. Chile’s 2019-20 grape output is estimated at 805,000 metric tons, down 3 percent from a year ago.
Exports of table grapes will fall again in 2019-20 after an off year in 2018-19. Last season, Chile’s table grape exports decreased by 10.5 percent in volume compared with 2017-18, totaling 654,479 metric tons. Table grape exports to the U.S. and China fell by 10 percent while exports to South Korea grew by 27.7% last season. Even with the decline last year, the U.S. took 45 percent of Chile’s total exports in 201-8-19, with 295,149 metric tons shipped to the U.S.
Competition from Peru early in the season has pulled Chilean grape prices down and created a greater emphasis for late-season exportst.
The USDA projects Chilean grape exports to China will grow as exporters focus their promotion funds and marketing efforts in reaching that market. Chile’s total grape exports for 2019-20 are projected at 640,000 metric tons, down from 660,000 metric tons in 2018-19.
Apple Exports
Chile’s apple acreage this season is projected at near 80,000 acres, 6 percent less than 2018-19. Increased competition from Peru and low prices for traditional varieties contributed to the acreage decline.
Last season, Chile’s total fresh apple exports decreased by 10 percent in volume and 8.4 percdent in value compared with the 2017-18 season, with totals of 618,324 metric tons in volume and $557 million in value.
2018-19 exports of Chilean apples were diversified to customers in North America, Latin America, Europe and the Far East, but the U.S. was rated as the top buyer of Chilean apples.
For the upcoming season, apple exports to China, Taiwan, India, and Vietnam are expected to increase. Total Chilean apple exports for 2019-20 are projected at 656,500 metric tons, off 7 percent from 705,000 metric tons last season.
Pear Exports
Chilean pear acreage now is estimated at nearly 18,000 acres, about 11.5 percent fewer compared with 2018-19. Last season, Chile’s pear exports increased by 1.4 percent in volume over the previous year reaching 123,914 metric tons.
Top Chilean export markets for pears include Russia, Colombia, the Netherlands and Italyt.
Chilean pears also were exported to China starting in April with the opening of that market. For 2019-20, the USDA projects total Chilean pear exports at 117,000 metric tons, 10 percent lower compared with 130,000 metric tons in 2018-19.
While we may be five months or so away from a new season of California avocado shipments, shippers already are talking about a big increase in volume compared to last season.
The previous season, which ended only about three months ago, had shipments limited mostly to California and other western states. Whle there is no official estimate, industry expectations point to volume reaching 350 to 370 million pounds for the 2020 season, up from about 215 million pounds in 2019.
The California Avocado Commission, which represents growers and shippers, believe the bigger crop will extend the season compared with this year, with shipments expanding well beyond the western states.
The California avocado shipping season typically runs from early spring through late summer, but in 2020 it should start earlier and go longer because of the larger crop.
By IGM Citrus
IMG Citrus, a family-owned, vertically-integrated citrus grower, packer, and shipper in Vero Beach, FL, is reintroducing white grapefruit to the U.S. market. Most white grapefruit is exported directly from the U.S. to its primary market in Japan where it maintains consistently high popularity; however, IMG Citrus will be expanding its white grapefruit consumer base to the U.S. market, reintroducing the original, heirloom Florida grapefruit to its homeland.
All white grapefruit is grown in the Indian River region, the best region for growing grapefruit.
More commonly known to the American consumer is red grapefruit, a mutation of white and a staple in the citrus aisle. While grapefruit in the U.S. is primarily grown in Florida, Texas, and California, Florida is the only state in the country where white grapefruit is grown. While citrus farmers in Florida have continued to replant an abundance of red grapefruit after the impact of yearly hurricanes, over the course of the past 30 to 40 years, growers have not replanted a significant amount of white grapefruit.
However, with IMG Citrus’ recent acquisition of Emerald Grove in St. Lucie County, renamed the Happy Food Grove after their consumer brand, IMG Citrus is now one of the largest growers and suppliers of Florida red and white grapefruit, producing approximately 50% of all white grapefruit in Florida. Along with their 4,000 acre investment, IMG Citrus will begin selling white grapefruit in the U.S., where the company has been selling citrus domestically for decades.
About IMG Citrus:
IMG Citrus is a second-generation citrus grower, packer, marketer, and shipper in Vero Beach, Florida, with over 9,000 acres of productive land. Family owned and operated for 40 years, IMG Citrus was founded by Michel and Veronique Sallin. Born and raised on a French farm, Michel has a genuine love for sustainable agriculture, and an entrepreneurial spirit that fuels a passion for using the most innovative processes and technologies. Today, a second generation of family-operators is involved and working alongside the most professional industry leaders that make up the IMG Citrus team.
About IMG Enterprises:
IMG Enterprises, the holding company for IMG Citrus, is a Florida owned and operated family enterprise with business in citrus, ornamental tree nursery, real estate, mitigation banking, and landscape construction and maintenance.