Posts Tagged “apple loads”
The nation’s two largest apple shipping states, Washington and New York, are gearing up with excellent, if not record breaking apple loads this season.
Washington Apple Shipments
There’s little doubt Washington state will break all records for apple shipments during the 2014-15 season. An estimated 140 million cartons of fruit will be shipped, with the majority being by truck. This volume will easily break the record loadings of the 2012-13 crop, which totaled 128 million cartons. This will be 22 percent more than the 115 million cartons shipped during the 2013-14 season.
The new records reflect higher density plantings in orchards over the past 10 years. The old orchards had about 300 apple trees per acre. In recent years 1,000 to 1,500 trees are being planted per acre. Red Delicious still remains the top variety to be shipped, estimated at 38 million cartons this season. This is followed by the Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith and Golden Delicious. About 72 percent of Washington apples are shipped for the fresh market, with the balance for processing.
Washington apples from the Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys – grossing about $8200 to New York City.
New York Apple Shipments
Truck loadings for apples during the 2014-15 season will be less than last season, but more than the average shipments for the past five years. The state expects to ship over 30 million bushels this season.
New York apple shipments should rank second to Washington state in total volume this season. The state moved into volume in September, and loadings will be heaviest from now through the first quarter of 2015.
The leading varieties volume are: McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Crispin and Golden Delicious.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $2200 to Atlanta.
From Washington state apples, to Nebraska and Texas potatoes, as well as North Carolina sweet potatoes and more, here’s some fresh produce loads to consider.
Washington Apple Loads
Apple shipments are really picking up from Washington state’s Yakima and Wenatchee valleys. They have finally got the old crop out the way and the focus has shifted to new season fruit. The harvest is still continuing, but volume should get heavy as we get into November.
Potato Loads
Shipments of red potatoes out of North Dakota and Minnesota remain only light to moderate as digging still continues. The harvest of Red River Valley potatoes is about two to three weeks behind schedule, with a little over half of the spuds now in storage. Loadings should increase in the weeks ahead.
Sweet Potato Loads
Another late harvest is with North Carolina sweet potatoes. Some sweet potatoes were being shipped uncured at the start of the season, but now there has been time for curing. Sweet potatoes are not very sweet or moist when first dug. It takes six to eight weeks of proper curing and storage before they have the sweet, moist taste and texture desired when baked.
Nebraska continues to ship light amounts of potatoes, mostly from the Imperial, Neb area in the southwest part of the state, and from O’Neill in Northeast Nebraska — about 200 loads weekly combined from both areas
There’s also similar volume of potatoes coming out of what’s know as the High Plains district of West Texas, around the Herford area.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6400 to New York City.
North Carolina sweet potatoes – about $1500 to Atlanta.