Posts Tagged “blueberry shipments”
Early season Washington cherry shipments have gotten off to a less than a stellar start, thanks to adverse weather, plus a shipping update on other Northwest produce shipments.
What should have been big time volumes of chelans early in the season, instead has been only a trickle. Rainiers also have suffered some wind and rain damage.
Volumes were down about 65 percent the week of June 1st. Loadings also were expected to be off 50 percent the week of June 8th.
This week, the initial harvesting of bings should start from growing areas not hit as hard by the rains. However, cherry shipments will continue to struggle through June. In July, late season volumes should be much better.
Blueberry Shipments
Blueberry shipments are just getting underway from British Columbia through Northwest Washington state. Blues also are just getting started from Oregon and Washington. Volume currently is very light.
Potato Shipments
Potato shipments in the latter part of the season continue from Washington’s Columbia Basin and Oregon’s Umatilla Basin. About 450 truck loads of potatoes are being shipped weekly. The region’s onion season has pretty much wrapped up.
Washington/Oregon potatoes – grossing about $6000 to Atlanta.
Apple Shipments
Washington apple shipments and pear shipments are experiencing steady loadings from week to week.
Yakima and Wenatchee Valley apples and pears – grossing about $6900 to New York City.
As we get back in the groove following the long Memorial weekend, here are some of the better produce loading opportunities at various shipping points across America.
Western Produce Shipping Areas
Washington state easily provides the most loading opportunities in the Northwest with apples averaging over 3200 truck loads per week. The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys also have pears in much smaller volume.
Washington apples – grossing about $5000 to Dallas.
Idaho potato shipments continue as we approach the last few months of the 2014-15 shipping season. About 1300 truck load equivalents are being handled weekly, although rails account for a larger percentage than with most produce items. However, trucks still rule!
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4700 to New York City.
In California, strawberry shipments remain in heavy volume, with about equal movement coming out of the Watsonville area and the Santa Maria District. Nearly 1200 truck loads per week are being shipped from these two areas…Also, big volume with mixed vegetables continue from the Salinas Valley.
Salinas/Watsonville vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $6300 to Orlando.
At Nogales, AZ, about 2500 truck loads of watermelons are crossing the border from Mexico each week. Mexican grape shipments also are increasing.
Nogales produce – grossing about $2600 to Dallas.
Central Produce Shipping Areas
San Luis Valley potato shipments from Southern Colorado continue on a steady pace averaging about 600 truck loads per week…..Central Wisconsin potato loadings are much lighter heading towards the end of its season.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $2200 to Chicago.
In South Texas, about 1000 truck loads of Mexican avocados are crossing the border each week at McAllen. There also are a number of tropical fruits and limes crossing in moderate volumes. Texas sweet onion shipments are just about finished for the season.
South Texas produce – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
Eastern Produce Shipments
While Florida is headed towards a seasonal end to its spring produce shipping season, more of the focus moves to Georgia. As Florida blueberry shipments rapidly decline, “blues” are gaining in volume from Southern Georgia. The state also has moderate volume with vegetables ranging from cabbage to beans and Vidalia onions.
North Carolina sweet potatoes continue to be shipped in moderate volume, mostly from eastern areas of the state.
There is strong demand for refrigerated trucks for Florida produce shipments, although there appears to be no shortages.
Florida tomatoes are providing the heaviest volume averaging about 750 truck loads weekly. There also is good, but increasing volume with sweet corn, cucumbers, bell peppers and potatoes. A number of other mixed vegetables also are being shipped.
Spring growing conditions in Florida is resulting in mostly good quality product for hauling for items originating out of central and southern areas of the state.
Blueberries shipments have become a big item in Florida and growers expect to harvest between to 21 million-22 million pounds, up from the 17 million shipped last year. Volume will be increasing through mid-April. Steady shipments are now expected through May, overlapping an expected later than normal start in Georgia.
Growers in northern Florida began harvesting the week of April 6th with much higher shipments seen this week. Florida typically finishes blueberry shipments by Mid May, but due to excellent growing weather, loadings are expected to continue further into May.
Because of February freezes, Georgia is expected to increase harvests in early May, later than the typical mid- to late-April start.
Central Florida blueberries – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
Southern and Central tomatoes and vegetables – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
Here’s an update on California strawberry shipments, plus a glimpse at the outlook for several other California fruit loadings.
As California strawberry shipments increase heading towards an April 5th Easter, acreage for 2015 is 37,438, which is about a 3 percent decrease from last year, but that may not result in less volume.
Newer varieties tend to yield better than older varieties, and weather factors can easily affect volume by at least 5 percent. Due to a mild winter and relatively dry spring, California growing conditions have been very good. This could result in total volume being near or above last year’s shipments of about 192 million trays.
The southern growing district of Orange County/San Diego, continues to lose acreage at a relatively fast clip. In 2012, those growers planted planted 1,446 acres, compared to plantings of 973 acre this year, nearly a 50 percent drop in four years. The region now represents only about 3 percent of the state’s total acreage, primarily due to urbanization and construction.
Another noteworthy trend is the increase in fruit planted in the summer for fall shipments. These plantings help California come very close to shipping year-round.
The Oxnard and Santa Maria areas now responsible for the increase in summer plantings. Growers are projecting summer plantings of over 5,700 acres. In 2011, 3,500 summer acres were planted. That jumped to more than 3,700 in 2012 and surpassed 5,000 acres for the first time two years ago. This year’s number represents a 10 percent increase over last year.
Ventura County berries and vegetables – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Summer Fruit Shipments
California’s hot weather will likely affect most summer produce shipments, including blueberries, cherries, stonefruit and table grapes.
The first blueberry shipments typically kicks off in mid to late April, with stone fruit and table grapes following in early May, but could start a few days earlier this year.
The high temperatures began March 13th. However, the San Joaquin Valley is susceptible to hail damage and frosts as late as May, so anything can happen. We’ll keep you posted.
We’re rapidly approaching the prime shipping season for Florida spring vegetables.
Growing conditions have mostly been favorable and if anything crops tend to be maturing a little earlier than normal. Peak shipments will occur during April and May.
Overall, Florida should have normal volume this spring. Shipments are increasing on items from Southern Florida ranging from bell peppers to cucumbers, squash, sweet corn, beans, cabbage and eggplant. Shipments of red potatoes continue.
Brisk movement entering April will be pushed even more since Easter is early this year – April 5th….Cabbage shipments had been heavy leading up to St. Patrick’s Day (yesterday), but good volumes will continue.
An exception to normal supplies are Florida tomatoes. Cold February weather has reduced supplies and shipments of tomatoes, but are now starting to rebound and will be back to normal by late March.
Citrus shipments continue to be good and volume is steady from week to week from Central and Southern areas.
Florida blueberry shipments are just getting underway from Central Florida, with good volume by early April. South Florida watermelon loads should become available by the end of March.
Strawberry shipments from the Plant City area continue in good volume, but shipments will soon decline with the season ending in early April.
South Florida produce shipments – grossing about $3200 to New York City.
During the past decade Georgia has become a leading shipper of blueberries, but a recent freeze has raised concerns about volume for the upcoming season.
Estimates vary on how many South Georgia blueberries were damaged during a series of late February freezes, but much of the confusion is due to numerous micro climates that exist in the growing areas.
The freezes hit February 17-20 and during the early morning hours of February 20, temperatures fell into the low 20s for several hours in the Alma, Baxley, and Homerville, Ga., blueberry growing regions, damaging the early season part of the southern highbush crop.
Damage estimates range from 10 to 40 percent.
Georgia harvests and ships two blueberry crops.
Southern highbush blueberry shipments start in mid- to late April while the rabbit eye shipments usually begin in late May. Some growers ran frost protection because of the cold temperatures, resulting in ice damaging many limbs. Losses were higher for growers that didn’t irrigate.
It appears now Georgia “blues” may start shipping up to two weeks later – in late April.
Last year, Georgia shipped 56 million pounds of fresh berries, up from the 32 million shipped in 2013.
Homerville, which normally starts shipping around April 10 with an early variety, may not start loadings until April 20, with Alma and Baxley set to begin closer to May 1.
Otherwise, Georgia produce shipments are pretty quite right now with about the only loadings being with limited amounts of greens and carrots….Certainly no straight loads here. If you are coming out of Florida, you might pick up a pallet or two on your way north.
Freezing temperatures late last week that descended upon the South apparently sparred most Florida vegetables. However, some big time damage has hit blueberry crops in Florida and Georgia.
Florida Produce Shipments
Widespread damage to Florida vegetable crops, which is less than two months from entering peak spring shipments, apparently has been avoided. Strawberries in the Plant City area also escaped damage. Temperatures were reported around or just below freezing. Assessments are underway and more will be known in the days ahead. There are reports of freezing pocket areas scattered around Florida. For example, there are reports of damage to green beans and sweet corn in the Lake Okeechobee area, where growers had helicopters flying to circulate the air. This helps keep temperatures up.
South Florida vegetables – grossing about $2800 to New York City.
Georgia Blueberry Shipments
However, blueberries in Northern Florida and Southern Georgia the night of February 20th were not so lucky. There are areas in the Gainesville, FL area where there is definite blueberry damage. It is reported that other Florida blueberry shipping areas didn’t get hit with cold enough temperatures to hurt the fruit.
However, it is different in Georgia. Temperatures in the low 20s for several hours occurred in the Alma, Baxley, and Homerville, Ga.,regions, which experienced their third consecutive night of freezes.
It may be the end of February before the full extent of the damage in Georgia is known. Blueberry growers ran frost protection systems throughout the night. Damage may be less severe in Homerville, which is farther south than the other areas and is in a warmer microclimate.
The early blueberry shipments set to start in mid-April sustained the most damage and the state’s loadings could be delayed until early May.
Labor Day (September 1st) is less than a month away and here is a quick view of some items that should be available for hauling between now and then.
Michigan sweet corn shipments are currently at a peak, and there is decent volume coming out of the Goshen, IN area…..Michigan also continues with good volume blueberry shipments and summer vegetables.
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Sweet Corn Shipments
Western North Carolina sweet corn shipments should still have good volume by Labor Day, along with tomatoes.
California sweet corn should have good volume out of the San Joaquin Valley for Labor Day, although shipments will be ligher than Memorital Day or the Fourth of July. Melons out of the Westside District will continue in steady volume, as will as grape shipments, whose volume has been excellent, but the majority of the loadings will take place after Labor Day through the end of the year.
Sweet Potato Shipments
With a short sweet potato crop nationally for the 2013-14 season, limited loading opportunities are available as the seasons comes to an end. However, the 2014-15 sweet shipments should improve, particular since leading producer North Carolina has increased its plantings from 54,000 acres a year ago to 66,000 acres this year.
Here’s hoping sweet potato shippers don’t get in such a hurry to ship product in the new season that they don’t take time to cure first. Curing sweet potatoes, which doesn’t take that long, are much better. North Carolina shipments should get underway after Labor Day, while Mississippi may start the last week of August.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potatoes – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Mississippi sweet potatoes – grossing about $2100 to Chicago.
There has been a tremendous increase in Washington state blueberry shipments in recent years. We’ll also look at some potato loading opportunities in the Western half of the United States.
Washington Blueberry Shipments
Blueberry shipments have increased nearly five-fold over the past eight years. Check out these numbers.
2006 18.4 million pounds
2007 28.5 million pounds
2010 60 million pounds
2013 80 million pounds
2014 projected at 90 million pounds
Washington is fourth in U.S. blueberry production with 10,000 acres of berries from 175 growers The state’s blueberry season runs from June through August while processed ‘blues’ are available year round. Washington blueberries are grown in Skagit, Clark, Lewis, Snohomish, Thurston, Whatcom, Chelan, Yakima and Benton, Franklin, Walla Walla, and Grant Counties.
Washington/Oregon potatoes
The majority of Washington potato shipments are now underway with a similar time frame as last year.
Oregon potato shipments will suffer due to an expected a decline of about 700 acres this season, but water concerns will likely affect even more shipments. Water availability is a concern in both Malheur County and the Klamath Basin, and yields most likely will be affected.
Colorado Potato Shipments
In southeastern Colorado, San Luis Valley potato acreage is up 8.5 percent this season. Total acreage is 54,200, compared to 49,700 last season. The harvest and shipments will start in earnest around September 10th.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $1650 to Dallas.
Washington produce – grossing bout $1050 to Los Angeles.
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.