Archive For The “Trucking Reports” Category
Cooler growing conditions and other factors resulted in watermelon shipments, both domestic and imports, being 13 percent lower in late March than a year ago, but volume now is on the rise.
Peak shipments for seedless watermelons typically occur during June. The latest USDA statistics are for 2017, when in June of that year 28 percent of the US. domestic seedless watermelon loadings took place, followed closely by July with 25 percent and August with 22 percent. May accounted for 16 percent of the volume.
Georgia was the nation’s leading domestic shipper of seedless watermelons in 2017, accounting for 22 percent of the total volume.
Other leading shippers by state for 2017 were:
- Florida, 18 percent;
- California, Indiana and Texas, all 12 percent each;
- Missouri, 5 percent;
- North Carolina, 4 percent;
- Delaware and South Carolina, both at 3 percent.
Imported watermelon supplies are shipped to the U.S. the year around, but are mainly concentrated in a few months. Representing about one third the total of annual domestic shipments, import volume of watermelons peaks in April (36 percent of annual imported volume), followed by May (21 percent), March (12 percent), October (11 percent) and February (7 percent).
Mexico accounts for the vast majority of imported seedless watermelons, representing 79 percent of total annual imports in 2017. Other important suppliers to the U.S. market are Guatemala (12 percent) and Honduras (7 percent).
Mexican crossings through south Texas are just wrapping up, and are followed by shipments from south Florida near Immokalee and then moving north through other growing districts.
Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea, of Reedley, CA reports its mini seedless watermelons transitioned from Mexico into Arizona in late April and early May, to be followed by shipments from California’s Central San Joaquin Valley.
While the company’s primary shipments originate from the West Coast, it also grows melons in Texas, Colorado, Florida and North Carolina.
Southern and central Florida vegetable and watermelon shipments – grossing about $3800 to New York City.
Following a cold and rainy winter playing havoc with crop plantings and growth, spring vegetables and berries are taking off from California’s Salinas Valley with big volume in the weeks ahead.
Coastline Family Farms of Salinas, CA has wrapped up desert vegetable shipments such as broccoli, cauliflower, lettuces and herbs from Brawley, CA. Now the company is focusing on spring loadings from the Central Coast.
Salinas broccoli and cauliflower shipments are underway and moving into good volume.
Salad Savoy Corp., of Salinas, had nearly a week of planting delays in December. The company grows kale, chard and cauliflower in Yuma, AZ during the winter and in Soledad, CA in the spring.
Berry Shipments
Naturipe Berry Growers of Salinas grows mostly strawberries on 1,300 around Salinas, plus other places in California and Mexico.
Rains in California resulted in virtually nothing being harvested early in the season for strawberries, but more favorable weather has harvest and shipments back on track. Volume has been good leading up to Mother’s Day set for May 12th.
Recent seasons has seen record setting California strawberry shipments, but this year volume is expected to be down a little.
Naturipe is expecting more normal shipments this season averaging around 8,000 to 10,000 trays an acre.
Salina Valley vegetables and Watsonville berries – grossing about $4800 to Chicago.
Michigan asparagus shipments are just getting underway as Applewood Fresh Growers LLC of Sparta, MI launches its season.
The company’s grower-supplier, New Era’s American Asparagus, New Era, MI., uses a hydrocooler after harvest, and places the spears in a cooler before they are packed in a refrigerated packing room, according to a news release from Applewood Fresh.
The Michigan asparagus season lasts approximately from May 10th to June 25th.
New Era’s American Asparagus grows more than 300 acres of asparagus, and manages another 600-plus acres, according to the company’s website, for a total grower base of 1,600 acres of Michigan asparagus.
“We keep this process as short as possible to increase our customer’s shelf life and quality of the product,” Caleb Coulter, owner of New Era’s American Asparagus, said in the news release.
“We are excited to partner with New Era’s American Asparagus to bring our customers the best asparagus Michigan has to offer,” Nick Mascari, Applewood Fresh president said. “This partnership is the next iteration in our strategic plan to diversify.”
More favorable weather for growing crops has California fruit shipments looking better than at this time last year.
At Anthony Vineyards of Bakersfield, it should start grape shipments from the Coachella Valley within in the next week, which will continue through June. The grape loadings will be shifting to the San Joaquin Valley, where the vast amount of California grape shipments originate. Another big crop exceeding 110 million boxes is expected.
Citrus Shipments
The California citrus industry has been disappointed overall, mainly due to weather factors. However, summer citrus shipments are now looking more favorable with late season valencias replacing navel oranges. Valencias should be available until the Fourth of July.
Grower/shipper Limoneira Co. of Santa Paula, believes California lemon loadings will be off 10 to 15 percent this year as the season ends this month.
Trinity Fruit Sales Co. In of Fresno notes the California mandarin crop is one of the state’s largest. As a result, product which normally winds down in April will be shipped through May. As the company’s domestic season comes to a close it will be importing mandarins for the first time from Peru, Chile and Uruguay,
Melon Shipments
Domestic melon shipments should be plentiful this season. Five Crowns Marketing of Brawley, CA has just started loadings of Origami cantalouple and will continue in the desert through June. The company’s Mexican watermelons are now moving in good volume, and continuing through May, before shifting to Arizona.
Westside Produce of Firebaugh, CA is now shipping cantaloupes and honeydews and will continue in good volume into October.
Stone Fruit Shipments
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit shipments are underway and Trinity Fruit of Fresno anticipates one of its biggest crops. Simonia Fruit Co. of Fowler, CA is expressing optimism for its peaches, plums, nectarines and apricots.
Berry Shipments
California berry shipments were down heading into Easter, however volume is shaping up well for strawberries, blackberries and raspberries from Watsonville and Santa Maria through the summer and well into the fall.
California blueberry shipments should be good through late spring before transitioning to Oregon and British Columbia during the summer months.
Stemilt Growers LLC of Wenatchee, WA just started its California cherry harvest. Last year, California produce only 4 million boxes, but a substantial increase is expected this season.
Desert grapes from California’s Coachella Valley are expected to hit nearly 5 million carton, up substantially from a year.
Still, Coachella grape shipments are a drop in the bucket compared to California’s San Joaquin Valley which consistently ships over 110 million boxes, or even Mexico that loads over 20 million cartons a year.
Anthony Vineyards, headquartered in Bakersfield, but has an operation in Coachella expresses optimism over coming shipments, with green grapes looking especially good.
Silver Canyon Sales handles some sales for Tudor Ranch of Mecca, CA that includes grapes, lemons and dates. The companies see higher yields and quality this season.
Desert Fresh Inc. in Coachella is expecting good movement kicking off the season in early May because a small shipping gap is expected between the end of Chilean import grape season and the beginning of the Arvin (Bakersfield) area crop. Mexican grapes, which are Coachella’s main competition, starting a little later this season.
As usual, Coachella’s peak grape shipments will occur during June. Loading could continue into the first half of July, depending upon when the heat cranks up in the desert. Overall, Coachella shipments tend to last about 8 weeks.
Although Prime Time International in Coachella doesn’t ship grapes, it will be loading and excellent crop of watermelons, as well as vegetables such as green, red and yellow peppers, green beans, and sweet corn.
Mexican grape shipments will account for nearly two-thirds of the product trucked to destinations across America during May and June.
Most Mexican grapes cross the border into the U.S. at Nogales, AZ and Pharr, TX.
About 22 million, 19-pound boxes are forecast to be exported, a whopping increase over the 16.37 million boxes last season.
Pandol Bros. Inc. of Delano, CA, which ships both domestic and Mexican grapes says Mexico will provide 65 percent of the table grapes shipped in the U.S. during May and June.
California and Chile each will account for 15 percent of grapes distributed in the U.S.
Mexico will ship 4 million boxes of grapes to North American customers starting the week of Memorial Day, and continuing for the next month. Overall May volume will be relative light.
Grapeman Farms of Bakersfield, CA starts shipping Mexican grapes around May 7th this year, and is reporting great quality. The company expects to ship 15 percent more grapes this season.
MAS Melons & Grapes of Rio Rico, AZ expects higher volume this season after inclement weather factors reduced last year’s shipments, which would be similar to its output in 2017.
Both Sun World International of Bakersfield, CA and The Giumarra Cos. of Los Angeles are expressing optimism for increased shipments this season with better quality.
Mexican avocado exports to American companies will hit 78,000 tons in preparation for Cinco de Mayo, the biggest Mexican celebration in the U.S.
The event is a commemoration of Mexico’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.
The Mexican avocado imports this year is a 25 percent increase over this time in 2018 when 58,730 tons of the fruit was imported. The big boost is being attributed primarily to greater promotions by retailers.
Mexican exports over 80 percent of their avocados to the U.S. each year.
The Mexican state of Michoacán exported 121,0908 tons of avocado to the U.S. for the Super Bowl LIII.
In the U.S., this celebration has become a time where Mexican people celebrate their heritage. It is so big and important that it gets confused with the celebration of Mexico’s Independence.
Mexican avocado, other produce through South Texas – grossing about $4900 to New York City.
U.S. onion shipments are expected to be down significantly in the coming months as weather issues and global supplies are less. The situation is seen as continuing through June.
April onion shipments are off 30 percent from the same time last season. As of April 1st, there were 6 million 50-pound units of onions, an astounding 61 percent plunge from March 1st shipments.
The National Onion Association of Greely, CO report fewer onion exports from Europe, combined with less supplies from Mexico and Canada, plus fewer acres planted and increased demand in the United States are resulting in tighter supplies.
“Our nation’s growers will be working around the clock to continue to meet consumer demand. This could take another few months to balance out,” the NOA said in a press release
Nearly 75 percent of onions imported into the U.S. are from Mexico, but weather this season has decreased production, particularly of white onions. The U.S. had imported 2.94 million 40-pound units of dry/storage onions from Mexico in early April, compared to 5.9 million 40-pound units at the same time last year.
Domestic shipments of spring and summer crop onions is expected to be lower, as well, according to the onion association. The spring crop in California is down 25 to 30 percent in acreage, and Texas sweet onions not only have a drop in planted acreage, but wet weather has slowed the harvest.
Georgia’s Vidalia crop is down about 20 percent as well. The official Vidalia official shipping date was April 22nd.
By Pacific Trellis Fruit/Dulcinea Farms
Los Angeles, California – For the 2019 season, Mexican grape exports are estimated to be up 34 pecent over 2018. “Pacific Trellis Fruit has been among the Top 5 importers from the Latin American region for several years now and we are well-positioned to leverage that improved outlook for our retail partners,” comments General Manager Josh Leichter, and explains: “We are the grower and shipper for the majority of our conventional grape volume. The remainder is sourced from partners we have worked with for 10 or more years – so we are well-positioned to service our customers during the Mexico import season.”
While conventionally grown grapes still make up the majority of sales, organic varieties continue to gain sales and market share. Several years ago, Pacific Trellis Fruit started developing their own organic program. In 2019 this program will yield 200,000 boxes of organic red, green and black grapes.
To ensure premium quality and steady supplies, dedicated Pacific Trellis staff is on the ground the entire time. Explains Earl McMenamin, Mexico Program Manager at Pacific Trellis Fruit: “We own the value chain end-to-end, from sourcing and growing to quality assurance and shipping. We can offer maximum control – and, with it, the ability to design custom programs that make sense for any customer. Customer service is essential for our success, and the success of our partners.”
Leichter added: “It’s fair to say we know the ins and outs of the import grape business. Simply put, we have deep expertise and long-standing relationships in Mexico and other regions. That experience allows us to build strong programs around guaranteed volumes – for conventional and organic grapes.”
About Pacific Trellis Fruit / Dulcinea Farms:
Established in 1999, Pacific Trellis Fruit is one of North America’s top year-round growers, packers and marketers of premium fresh fruit, including grapes, peaches, plums, nectarines, cherries, pears, and citrus. With the acquisition of Dulcinea Farms in 2014, Pacific Trellis Fruit added PureHeart® mini seedless watermelons, Tuscan Style™ Cantaloupe and SunnyGold® yellow mini seedless watermelon amongst other premium melons to its portfolio. Pacific Trellis Fruit is headquartered in Los Angeles, CA – with sales offices in Fresno, CA, Gloucester, NJ and Nogales, AZ
Increased California cherry shipments are expected, especially compared to the 2018 season.
In 2018, cherry volume statewide totaled only 3.96 million cartons, thanks primarily to lousy weather conditions, compared to 9.56 million cartons in 2017. This year’s total volume may end between 10 and 11 million cartons. If so, that would be a new record for shipments.
2018 was highlighted by an early freeze, followed by heat later in the year.
Grower Direct Marketing LLC in Stockton, CA has noted an excellent bloom on cherry trees, preceded by chill hours and plenty of moisture, leading to plenty of optimism in 2019. Harvest and shipments started a week ago.
Loadings will continue well into June. About 60 percent of the volume will occur in May, with the balance taking place the first half of June. Heaviest shipments are not expected to occur until around May 20th.
At this moment, the cherry crop seems to have plenty of potential to be large, if not very large, in volume,” he said.
“The winter seemed to have brought enough chilling hours for early varieties grown at the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley — varieties such as royal tioga, brooks, tulare and coral. However, lingering rainy and colder-than-normal weather is pushing most varieties to start the harvest about a week to 10 days later than normal.”
Bing cherries in the northern region looked “very good,” Ilic said.
“However, not exactly knowing what the weather will be for the next 60 or so days, will always make it a difficult thing to predict a cherry crop,” he said.
Rich Sambado, sales manager at Linden, Calif.-based Primavera Marketing, voiced optimism about the crop.
“As far as potential cropload, the industry will not have much of a feel until early April. At this point, there is concern about crop set, but all the while there is optimism in the air,” he said.