Posts Tagged “apple shipments”
Here’s an outlook for the new season with California avocado shipments, plus a round up of the huge amount of U.S. apples remaining in storages to be shipped between now and late summer.
California avocado shipments this year should be about 10 percent greater than last season, although in 2014 volume was the smallest it had been in a decade.
The 327 million-pound crop is coming on about a month a head of schedule in both the northern and southern shipping areas of California. Volume is light now, but it should improve significantly by the end of March and will continue through the summer.
In an extremely rare weather event, 6-8 inches of snow hit the Temecula area in late December and early January. The result the snow and wind was a thinning of the crop. The weight of the snow also snapped some tree limbs. However, there will be a significant increase in volume of California avocados from March to June, with peak shipment occurring prior to the Fourth of July.
Southern California avocados, berries, citrus and veggies – grossing about $5500 to Atlanta.
Apple Shipments
About 79 million bushels of U.S.-grown fresh-market apples had yet to ship as of March 1st, 28 percent more than last year at the same time. However, the March 1 total was a whopping 37 percent above the five-year average.
Washington accounted for 70.6 million bushels of those still in storage. Michigan accounted for 3.08 million bushels of the total, New York 3.05 million bushels and Pennsylvania 831,200 bushels.
March volumes of all major apple varieties were up over last year. About 29 million bushels of red delicious had yet to ship, up from 21.3 million bushels in March 2014.
Gala volumes increased from 9.4 million to 12.9 million bushels; granny smith from 8.5 million to 8.9 million bushels; golden delicious from 6.5 million to 8.1 million bushels; fuji from 6.1 million to 7.9 million bushels; Pink Lady from 1.9 million to 2.4 million bushels; and Honeycrisp from 652,000 to 1.2 million bushels.
Yakima Valley, WA apples – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Apple shipments continue to be one of the best bets for produce haulers this time of the year, but with the huge amount of product remaining in storage could present some problems when it comes to claims.
About 3 million boxes of apples are being shipped weekly, mostly from Washington state, but so much fruit remains, there are rumblings of how well some apples are holding up in storage. One problem cited is with shrinkage, particularly with the Honeycrisp variety, as well as with the smaller sized fruit sold in club stores in larger sized bags. Additionally, there have been reports of problems with some Fuji apples. Some are lacking full color, but more importantly is the problem of the fruit showing decay.
It is reported some of the poorest quality apples are being dumped, along with some sizes and grades that marketers are unable to sell. Still, just use extra caution when picking up a load.
As of February 1st, there were about 95 million bushels of domestic apples for the fresh market remaining to be shipped. That is a whopping 24 percent more than a year ago. The total for February also is an astounding 35 percent greater than the five-year average.
Washington state apples account for about 84 million of the 95 million bushels of the fruit still in storage. Michigan apples accounts for about 3.9 million, while New York apple shippers have 3.8 million and Pennsylvania about 1 million bushels.
There also are concerns among some shippers with the arrival of March when southern hemisphere apples begin arriving, will it hurt sales and shipments. Imported apples often cost more, but that could become secondary to apple buyers (such as retailers) if the domestic fruit is coming out of storages with quality issues.
Western Michigan apples – grossing about $3500 to Dallas.
Hudson Valley, New York apples – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
Yakima Valley, Washington apples – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
Apple Shipments
With the arrival of the New Year about 113.5 million bushels of U.S.-grown fresh-market apples had yet to ship, 16 percent more than at the same time last year. The amount of apples remaining in storage is also 26 percent higher than the five-year average.
Washington state accounted for 100.4 million bushels of fresh-market apples still in storage, while Michigan had 4.9 million bushels, New York 4.2 million bushels and Pennsylvania 1.3 million bushels.
The holdings of all major apple varieties were up from Jan. 1, 2014 ranging from red delicious to galas, fujis, granny smiths, golden delicious, Pink Lady and Honeycrisp.
Washington apple shipments are amounting to about 2,500 truck load equivalents a week from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys, with a much smaller volume in pears.
Washington apples/pears – grossing about $4600 to Chicago.
The state also is shipping about 700 truckloads of onions per week from the Columbia Basin and the adjacent Umatilla Basin in Oregon. The same area also is shipping about one-half this volume in potatoes.
Washington/Oregon potatoes and onions – grossing about $3600 to Chicago.
In Michigan, there is adequate equipment from apple haulers, but shortages of trucks for hauling onions.
Michigan apple shipments grossing about $2600 to Atlanta, while onions are paying about $500 less per load.
Record apple shipments in the United States are predicted for the 2014-15 shipping season.
As of December 1st, this season’s fresh apples in storage totaled 122.2 million bushels, a whopping 16 percent increase from the same time last year.
Apples for processing totaled 44.6 million bushels, 3 percent above last year on December 1st. The total number of apples in storage on December 1st was 166.8 million bushels, 12 percent above last December’s total.
The United States has about 7,500 apple producers who grow nearly 200 varieties of apples on approximately 328,000 acres.
The 2013-14 crop estimate, at 248.6 million bushels, was the 10th-largest apple crop shipped since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began keeping statistics on commercial apple production.
Washington state’s Yakima and Wenatchee valleys continue to ship about as many apples each year as all of the apple shipping areas in the United States combined. The state is averaging about 3,500 truck load equivalents weekly.
Both Michigan and New York state have similar volume this season, with both averaging around 250 truck loads of apples being shipped a week.
By contrast the Appalachian district that includes Pennsylvania, Maryland, Viriginia and West Virginia combined are loading about 100 truck loads of apples per week.
Michigan apple shipments – grossing about $4100 to Houston.
Hudson Valley New York apple shipments – grossing about $1600 to Baltimore.
Washington apple shipments – grossing about $8,000 to New York City.
Here is a glimpse of produce loading opportunities from three states on the east coast.
Florida winter produce shipments are generally increasing. However, the following information is qualified by the fact this is WINTER produce, and while state volume is light and increasing, this is all relative to this time of the year.
Florida’s mature green tomatoes, grape tomatoes and roma shipments have been less-than-normal and larger volumes are expected around Thanksgiving (November 27th). This includes the Palmetto-Ruskin volume that is running lighter than normal and south Florida’s shipments from Immokalee.
Heavy rains that struck during fall plantings should produce lighter-than-normal early loadings of sweet corn and green beans through Thanksgiving. Due to rain in September, there will be shipping gaps.
Florida produce – grossing about $2000 to Chicago.
New York Produce Shipments
Most onion shipments are coming out of Orange County, NY. With the harvest completed, shipments are increasing and averaging about 150 truck loads per week….New York apple shipments are steady from the Hudson Valley, western and central parts of the state and the Champlain Valley….Cabbages shipments are originating from western and central areas of the Empire State.
New York cabbage – grossing $1500 to $2000 to New York City.
Maine Potato Shipments
Light loadings of potatoes are originating from Aroostrock County, ME, averaging around 100 truck loads per week. Most product is destined to east coast markets.
Thanksgiving produce shipments should be in good supply in the weeks ahead, with the exception of green beans.
Bean loadings will be about half of normal for the holidays this year due to excessive rains in the Belle Glade, Fla., growing area over the past two months. Additionally, other shipping areas are not expected to pick up much of the slack. This time of year Northern Florida is too cool, while there are not as many growers in Homestead as there used to be.
Sweet Potato Shipments
The 2013 storage sweet potato crop ended early, creating a strong demand and shipments right out of the gate for the new season. However, it also resulted in a tremendous amount of sweet potatoes being shipped green early in the season. That’s okay if the receiver is aware before what he is being delivered. However, Thanksgiving shipments of sweet potatoe should be another story, because North Carolina will have good-quality cured product in time for the holidays. Sweet potato shipments from North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi and California should remain steady into November, until shipments start picking up for Thanksgiving, which is November 27th.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Apple Shipments
The two weeks leading up to Thanksgiving are the biggest weeks of the year for granny smith shipments. Granny smith loadings typically double in some cases because the apple variety is so popular in making pies and other baked goods for Thanksgiving. However, the apple category as a whole typically dips in shipments running up to Thanksgiving, as consumers are focused more on their big meals and less on snacking.
Michigan apples – grossing about $4400 to Miami.
Washington apples – grossing about $7100 to New York City.
While California’s overall fruit shipments in the fall may not match those of summertime, there are some exception when looking at individual commodities. Here is a round up on leading California fruit shipments this fall.
Grape Shipments
At least 60 percent of California grape shipments occur after Labor Day and continue into January. Since California is easy the biggest table grape shipping state, we are talking about a lot of fruit. The shipping season actually started last May from the desert and the total season forecast calls for 116.5 million, 19-pound cartons to be shipped. That is less than one million cartons away from last season record setting shipments.
Citrus Shipments
Larger volumes of tangerinees (which includes mandarins) are forecast this fall. Numbers are not yet available, but last season there were 26 million, 40-pound cartons of tangerines shipped….Navel orange loadings should become available sometime in October, with full volume coming in November — and in time for Thanksgiving shipments.
Kiwi Shipments
Kiwifruit loadings are predicted to be about 7 million tray equivalents, similar to last season.
Pomegranate Shipments
Loadings of pomegranates have been increasing 20 percent annually in recent years, and volume once again should be bigger – estimated at 6 million 25-pound box equivalents.
Apple Shipments
California apple shipments pale in comparison to that of Washington state. Shipments have been underway since late July and will last into November.
Strawberry Shipments
Peak shipments from the Watsonville area occurred during July and August. There still good volume, but seasonally lower amounts are still occurring there. In October, strawberry shipments will shift to Oxnard and the Baja California peninsula of Mexico.
Watsonville strawberries, Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5600 to Cleveland.
Central San Joaquin Valley table grapes, stone fruit, vegetables – grossing about $6,600 to Orlando.
Produce truckers will once again have plenty of opportunities to haul another large apple crop this season…Also, here’s a brief roundup of what appears will be a record cherry shipping season coming to an end.
The third largest shipments of U.S. apples on record is expected for the 2014-15 season, which recently started.
The U.S. Apple Association is is predicting total U.S. apple shipments will be 263.8 million 42-pound cartons, which is very close to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s estimate, also released in August, which was 259.2 million.
Estimates from individual regions are: 174.3 million 42-pound units from the west (compared to 174.5 million from the USDA estimate) 55.9 million in the east (54.4 from the USDA) and 33.6 million in the Midwest (30.3 million from the USDA). Washington, the largest producing state, has an estimated production of 162 million 42-pound units for overall production. The industry has cited 140.2 million units as an anticipated fresh pack this year.
Cherry Shipments
Northwest cherry shipments, which are nearing the end of the season, could have record loadings . As of August 18, shippers were on pace to ship 23.4 million boxes of fruit, which would break the 2012 record of 23.1 million cartons. The revised estimate is up from pre-season estimates of more than 22 million boxes.
Washington state fruit – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
The states of Michigan and New York at various times claim to be the second largest shipper of apples (Washington state is the easy first), but both states will have large, and similar sized crops this season.
Michigan apple shipments should hit about 28.7 million bushels of apples this year, which isn’t that far off of their record setting 2013 crop, which was 30 million bushels. The estimate is showing what many Michigan apple shippers been predicting for several years. The average Michigan apple crop size will continue to increase. Because of the high-density plantings (approximately 1,000 trees per acre) and advancements in technology, Michigan is going to continue to produce a larger quantity of apples.
Michigan blueberry shipments – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta; Michigan vegetable shipments grossing about 20 percent less. Too few apples yet, to quote.
New York Apple Shipments
Unlike Michigan, which has most of its apple operations in the Western part of the state, New York grows and ships apples were several different areas, although the heaviest volume originates out of the Hudson Valley. Still, New York state also ships apples from the Champlain Valley, as well as from areas in the central and western part of the state. Excellent growing conditions, including a late spring with warm weather, good rainfall, and cool nights have cultivated a harvest which is so far was exceeding the 30 million bushels forecast made this past July.
Western New York vegetable shipments – grossing about $1500 to Baltimore.
Northwestern shipments of blueberries and apples will be ramping up in the next month or so.
Washington and Oregon will be shipping blueberries this month and loadings will continue into the fall. Both states consistently rank among the nation’s top in blueberry shipments.
Washington is expected to ship approximately 90 million pounds of blueberries this season — an increase of 10 million pounds when compared to 2013. The Evergreen state is a national trendsetter when it comes to organic blueberry production, with 75 percent of its overall volume falling into the category.
Oregon shippers are expected to load more than 80 million pounds of blueberries this year, which would be another record for the state.
The United States is the world’s largest producer of blueberries, harvesting a total of 564.4 million pounds of cultivated and wild blueberries in 2012. Of this total volume, approximately 84 percent of the harvest fell into the cultivated category. Blueberries rank as the second most important commercial berry crop in the United States, with a total crop value of $781.8 million in 2012.
Apple Shipments
The official estimate will not be announced until August 11, but observers are seeing the potential for a huge crop. starting with shipments in volume of Galas by mid-August. Regional shipping areas in the Eastern U.S. are running later than normal due to the very cool spring, while Washington state apple shipments will start several days earlier than normal. Washington apple shipments should be taking place in good volume starting sometime in August and really ramping up in September.