Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
The Peruvian table grape season is being wrapped up by Divine Flavor of Nogales, AZ as the importer switches to Chilean grapes.
Divine Flavor’s Chilean grape program lasts into April, when production switches to Jalisco, Mexico.
Early varieties from Chile include thompsons, sugraones, sweet globes and other greens.
Chile exported about 50 million boxes last year, about 60 percent of which went to the U.S.
The Chilean grape season could be down as much as 15 percent this season, in good part due to drought conditions. Still, the company sees decent volumes in the coming months.
“This year, we’ll have more Muscat Beauty, which is a great tasting hybrid,” Gonzalo Mery of Santa Elena, a Chilean grower that supplies Divine Flavor, said in a press release. “We’ve also planted more autumn crisp and sweet globe, both being specialty and high-flavored greens.”
Peruvian growers for Divine Flavor have also planted more highly-flavored varieties. Agricola Don Ricardo plans to plant more Jellyberries and Gummyberries.
“This movement and our decisions are being backed up by data and testing blocks trials,” Arturo Hoffmann, commercial manager for Agricola Don Ricardo, said in the release. “Next season, we anticipate having 85 percent of our production to be of the specialty, high-flavored varieties.”
California grows and ships nearly 100 percent of the three major U.S. tree nut crops — almonds, walnuts and pistachios.
Golden State growers and shippers are reporting volume may be down on some varieties, but quality of all three is excellent. And despite fewer shipments predicted this season, there should be adequate supplies.
Mariani Nut Co. of Winters, CA sees the popularity of nuts continue to grow as consumers seek healthier snacks choices> Additional nuts are cited as being tasty and convenient. Good heart health is often linked to both almonds and walnuts.
The Almond Board of California in Modesto reports this year’s almond crop already has set a record as the state’s 7,600 almond growers will produce up to 2.5 billion pounds of almonds on 1.2 million bearing acres. This represents a light increase from last year’s production.
Almonds easily lead California’s nut shipments. Over 80 percent of the world’s almonds are grown in California, with about 70 percent of the state’s production being exported.
The almond association attributes the popularity of almonds to health/lifestyle, the growing worldwide middle class and the fact that almonds are a very stable nut with good shelf life and versatility.
The USDA reports walnuts rank second in total nut shipments. However, walnut shipments are predicted to drop around 7 percent this season from last year’s 596.7 million pounds. Sill, adequate supplies are seen.
Walnut consumption continues to increase due to desirable health benefits and the growing trend toward plant-based eating. Some observes predict consumers will likely see walnuts included on more restaurant menus and store shelves in the form of walnut ‘milks,’ plant-based meat alternatives, flours, snack items and more.
It is estimated California supplies two-thirds of the world’s walnut trade.
Nichols Farms of Hanford, CA reports pistachios are the third-ranked tree nut with 487.5 million pounds during the 2018-19 season. Even though a 20 percent drop in volume is seen this season, not shortage is predicted.
The company cites pistachios as being attractive to consumers due to the higher protein, plant-based snacks, and the flavor.
There are 12 percent more fresh apples remaining in U.S. storages to be shipped this season as of February 1st than at this same time a year ago.
Fresh apples in storage across the U.S were 12% higher on Feb. 1 than a year ago, according to the U.S. Apple Association’s monthly MarketNews report.
The U.S. Apple Association reports there are 87.9 million 42-pound bushels, in storage, a little over 4 percent of the five-year fresh apple numbers.
Apples in storage for processing markets on February 1st totaled 34.9 million bushels, a 20 percent increase from the same time last season. Overall fresh/processing apples in storage February 1st were 122.8 million bushels, a 14 percent increase from the past season, and 4 percent above the five-year average.
The leading fresh variety apples, in millions of bushels, in storage February 1st were:
- Red delicious: 19.13
- Gala: 18.72
- Fuji: 11.16
- Granny smith: 11.04
- Honeycrisp: 8.32
- Golden delicious: 5.88
The availability of Cosmic Crisps dropped from 175,238 bushels to 44,762 bushels.
Mexican fresh produce volume will be down well into March because of fewer plantings, the shift to other vegetables and bad weather. And by this late in the winter shipping season, volume tends to gradually wind down anyway.
Foul weather and cold temperatures have plagued major Mexican growing areas since late last year.
Sun Fed of Rio Rico, AZ has no doubt there will be less volume in the coming weeks. The company has many crops in the Guaymas Sonora area being affected by the cold.
Sonora is a Mexican state, in the northwestern Mexico region. Sonora borders the states of Chihuahua to the east, Sinaloa to the south, and Baja California to the northwest.
Some growers lost entire crops. As a result, shortages many be felt well into April. Products most affected at Sun Fed by weather include soft squashes, cucumbers and green bell peppers.
Likewise, Ciruli Bros. of Rio Rico relates volume is “way, way down with no short term recovery in sight.
In early February, for example, Ciruli Bros. usually has seven coolers running, but only had four in operation. Vegetables that normally would be ready for harvest the first week of March, we up to two weeks behind in growth.
Items affected in the northern part of Mexico include zucchini, yellow squash, green beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and romas.
Divine Flavor LLC of Nogales, AZ described January as “rough,” but was still hopeful for good volume with conventional and organic mini peppers as well as bell peppers, grape tomatoes and roma tomatoes.
The company grows a lot of its vegetables in greenhouses or high-tech hothouses, most of it in the Culican, Sinaola area of West Mexico. The operation also has squash and mini peppers in Sonora and bell peppers and grape tomatoes in Jalisco.
However, Divine Flavor reports the cold weather in Sinaloa and Sonora has even adversely affected its greenhouse production.
Fresh Farms of Rio Rico reports the Sinaloa region received 10 to 12 inches of rain around Christmas, resulting in a “disaster” for crops.
Calavo Growers Inc. of Nogales noted even before the weather challenges, many growers planted fewer romas and round tomatoes because of uncertainty about the tomato suspension agreement last summer and not knowing if they would have to pay tariffs. This resulted in a lot of growers shifting to bell peppers and cucumbers.
It certainly isn’t that good, but here are your best bets for fresh produce loading opportunities in the Eastern Time Zone.
Florida
It is Florida hands down, but even here you are looking at multiple pickups and multiple drops in most cases.
Nearly 750 truckload equivalents of Florida tomatoes are being shipped weekly. This is mostly the mature greens, with much smaller volumes found with grape (cherry) and plum tomatoes.
Strawberries from the Plant City, FL area are averaging about 575 truckload equivalents a week. There are modest amounts of fresh grapefruit and oranges, with even smaller amounts of other citrus amounting to around 475 truckload equivalents weekly.
There also are lesser amounts of cabbage, sweet corn as well as a new crop of red potatoes just getting underway.
Florida produce shipments primarily from central and southern areas – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Port of Philadelphia
Chilean fruit arrivals by boat at Philadelphia are averaging around 750 truckloads a week. This consists mostly of table grapes although there are some peaches, plums and nectarines.
Michigan
Not much here except apples from the Grand Rapids area in the western part of the state, as well as some onions.
North Carolina
Sweet potatoes by shippers mostly in the Eastern part of the state are averaging over 200 truckloads a week.
California avocado shipments should hit 369 million pounds, a 70 percent increase over last season.
Unlike a year ago when shipments were limited primarily to the Western states, much wider distribution is possible, according to the California Avocado Commission.
The forecast for the big increase in shipments is attributed increased rains resulting in improved health of the trees and a better fruit set.
California avocado shipments remain relatively light, but will be increasing through March, with peak volume continuing from April through the summer, with smaller supplies lasting into September.
Despite a much larger crop, California avocado shipments will be going mainly to markets in California and the Western states. California avocado volume pales in comparison to shipments from Mexico, which is the primary supplier to two thirds of the U.S.
We are trudging through February as it is still weeks away before signs of spring produce volume starts to increase. However, you might finding some loading opportunities in the middle of the country. These states are in the Central Time Zone, except for Colorado (MST).
South Texas/Mexico
By far the most volume in this third of the country is the Lower Rio Grande Valley of south Texas with crossings from Mexico. While there is some domestically grown product here such as grapefruit (about 60 truck loads a week) and oranges, there is little else except maybe some partial loads of cabbage in the Winter Garden District.
Otherwise, your best bet is with the distribution houses near the Texas/Mexico border.
Mexican tomatoes, easily led by vine ripes, are averaging nearly 1,100 truckload equivalents a week. Avocados are amounting to about 1,125 loads each week.
After this, volume is much lower with other commodities by comparison. There are about 650 truck loads of Mexican limes crossing the border each week. Other leading vegetables are bell peppers, strawberries, watermelons, cucumbers and broccoli, plus countless other products in much smaller volume.
South Texas produce -grossing about $3400 to Atlanta; $5700 to New York City.
Colorado
Colorado ranks second to Idaho in potato shipments with most volume coming out of the San Luis Valley, currently averaging over 700 truckloads per week.
San Luis Valley potatoes – grossing about $4300 to New York City.
Wisconsin
Central Wisconsin in the Stevens Point area ranks third in potato loadings and is now averaging close to 300 truck loads a week.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $3400 to Houston.
January and February are two of the slowest months for fresh produce shipments, and while March begins to give hope of things to come it often is not much better.
Still, here is a round up of some of the best loading opportunities from the western states.
Arizona
West Mexico vegetable shipments through Nogales, AZ are typically one of the best locations for produce loads in the winter, but this year it’s not quite up to speed, thanks to weather factors in growing areas south of the border. Produce trucking rates are down 8 to 10 percent to most destinations, at least in part to the lower volume.
Multiple rains in November followed by another round about New Year’s hit vegetables such as cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and green bell peppers pretty hard. These weather events are reported to be more serious than damaging freezes in 2011-12-13. Currently around 850 truckload equivalents of cukes are being shipped weekly and nearly 600 truckload equivalents of bell peppers.
In the Yuma area of western Arizona, most of the nation’s lettuce is coming from here now. There are about 375 truckload equivalents of head lettuce and romaine a week being shipped from Yuma.
Mexican vegetables crossing through Nogales – grossing about $3600 to Chicago.
Lettuce and other veggies from Yuma as well as the nearby Imperial Valley and Coachella Valley (the later two in the California desert) – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
California
California certainly is less than exciting from a produce hauling stand point right now. There is the previously mentioned desert areas, plus Oxnard is shipping some veggies, most notably celery, averaging about 400 truckload equivalents per week. The Bakersfield area is led by carrots with around 450 truckload equivalents a week.
Perhaps the most promising loads in the weeks ahead are with strawberries. South California volume now is very light, but there is the potential for record setting shipments from Easter (April 12) through the Fourth of July. Right now the primary strawberry loads are from Mexico through South Texas which are double the volume of California .
Carrots from the Bakersfield area – grossing about $3700 to Dallas.
Washington
Heaviest volume from the Pacific Time Zone is easily with apples, averaging about 2,750 truckloads each week. Storage sheds are mostly in the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys. Otherwise, there are onions and potatoes from Washington’s Columbia Basin and the adjacent Umatilla Basin in Oregon. There are over 800 truckloads of onions and about 360 truckloads of potatoes moving weekly from this area.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
Idaho
The state’s upper valley and Twin Falls areas are shipping about 1,750 truckloads of potatoes a week.
Idaho potatoes grossing – about $4500 to Atlanta.
Summary by North American Potato Market News
Expect fewer potato shipments from the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota this season.
North Dakota- Growers abandoned 15,000 acres of North Dakota’s 2019 potato crop. That is 1,000 acres more than the November estimate. In addition, USDA reduced its estimate of the state’s average yield to 350 cwt per acre from 355 cwt. That reduced the 2019 crop estimate to 20.30 million cwt, a 645,000 cwt decline. The 2019 crop is down 3.43 million cwt, or 14.4 percent, from the 2018 crop (largest percentage drop in the country). Some of the crop was compromised during harvest, which will result in additional storage losses.
Minnesota – Production is estimated at 18.04 million cwt. That is 665,000 cwt, or 3.6 percent less than Minnesota’s 2018 crop. Minnesota is the only state whose 2019 crop estimate was not adjusted in January. That is a major shift from recent years when USDA has made massive adjustments to the state’s crop estimate.
U.S. Fall Crop – The total U.S. fall crop was adjusted upwards by 439,000 cwt. which is just a 0.1 percent increase. Even with that, the total U.S. fall crop is down nearly 9 million cwt. compared to 2018, or 2.1 percent.
With the absence of major hurricanes, storms, heatwaves or freezes in California, Florida or Texas citrus shipping areas, growers are reporting good quality.
The January 10 citrus crop estimate from the USDA forecasts a harvest of 125.5 million boxes of oranges for the current season, up from 124 million last year.
The grapefruit forecast is 15.7 million boxes, up from 13.8 last season.
Lemon and tangerine production is down.
Growers are expected to ship 20.4 million boxes of lemons, compared to 24.1 million in 2018-19, and 23 million boxes of tangerines, down from about 27 million last year.
Booth Ranches LLC of Orange Cove, CA is in full swing harvesting, packing and shipping navel oranges, The company expects to wrap up navel shipments by late June and is reporting excellent quality and color.
Limoneira Co. of Santa Paula, CA is picking lemons in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in the coastal region. The operation reports good quality.
Florida Citrus Shipments
Florida Classic Gowers Inc. of Dundee, FL will transition from navels to valencias in mid-February and continue shipping those through May. Then the summer storage orange shipments will get underway, continuing through June.
Florida Citrus Mutual of Lakeland, FL reports a good citrus shipping season and expects it to continue through the second half of the season.
Texas Citrus Shipments
Texas Citrus Mutual of Mission, TX sees good quality with Lower Rio Grande citrus being shipped out of South Texas. Product is split with 70 percent of the citrus volume consisting of grapefruit and 30 percent oranges.. The company was completing their navels and early variety shipments in mid January, and was planning to start valencias in February,
Lone Star Citrus Growers, Mission, TX reports good quality grapefruit, although volume is down from last season, but with larger sized fruit.
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Lower Rio Grande Valley citrus as well as Mexican produce crossings – grossing about $3200 to Chicago, about $5700 to New York City.