Posts Tagged “California citrus shipments”
California citrus shipments could very well will be hit even harder than rather than less from recent freezing temperatures. Initally, close observers in the Central San Joaquin Valley were talking slight to moderate damage, but now you are hearing more serious descriptions such as “moderate to severe” damage.
However, specific results on how bad navels and madrians were hit won’t be known until around New Years.
Temperatures in citrus-growing areas in California’s San Joaquin Valley once again dipped to potentially damaging levels for seven of eight days between December 5th and 11th.
Temperatures below 27 degrees for several hours can damage Navel oranges and lemons, while more sensitive Mandarins are susceptible to damage at 32 degrees.
Frost-protection measures such as wind machines and application of water to the groves can provide three or four degrees of protection.
Approximately 12 to 15 percent of the Navel crop and 20 percent of the Mandarin crop has been harvested, leaving a significant percentage of the crop at risk of damage.
There is no doubt that damage has occurred across the citrus belt.
Damaged fruit will be eliminated from the fresh market and directly shipped to juice plants. For California citrus, juice plants are, by design, a salvage operation for lower-quality fruit.
California citrus and berries – grossing about $4600 to Chicago.
It will be a few more weeks before California citrus shipments really get cranked up from the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California.
About 88 million cartons of California navels should be loaded this season, down slightly at 2 percent from last season. A few growers started harvest the week of October 7. Limited shipments will be underway at the end of October, with good loading opportunities coming the second week of November, just in time for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Table grapes continue to provide heavy volume from the San Joaquin Valley, and it is little wonder if you’ve tasted the fruit this season. With high sugar levels, consumers, including me, keep going back to the store for more. About 1,800 truck loads of grapes per week are being loaded in California.
Carrot Shipments
There is steady movement of carrots out of the Kern District in the Bakersfield area, averaging over 300 truck load equivalents per week.
Huron Lettuce Shipments
It’s only about a 30-day window for head lettuce loadings coming out of the Westside of the San Joaquin Valley, known as the Huron district. Harvest has just started, but it will be the week of October 28th before significant loadings occur….Meanwhile lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower continue out of the Salinas Valley in light to moderate volume.
Pistachio Shipments
The forecast pegs shipments amounting to 460 million pounds, off from 550 million pounds a year ago. Expect substantially higher prices in your local supermarkets.
High temperatures brought on most California produce shipments early and in good volumes this summer. Now, folks are wondering if heavy early loadings will make for lighter than usual loading opportunities in the fall.
As an example, grape shipments are mostly after Labor Day. If the estimated 106.9 million boxes is realized, it will exceed last year’s shipments by more than 6 million boxes.
The month of August has seen record shipments for grapes from California, posting week-ending totals of over 4 million boxes three weeks in a row! The crop is being shipped at what could be a record-setting pace at more than 28 million boxes of California table grapes through August 23rd. The 2013 year-to-date total is 3 percent ahead of last year, which saw a record-high season total volume.
Citrus
Growers and shippers are expecting larger fruit size, but only slightly smaller California citrus shipments than last year when the new navel orange crop takes over for valencias, which are expected to end in October. The navel orange industry packed 90 million 40-pound cartons for 2012-13.
Kiwifruit
Another example of early shipments is with kiwifruit out of the San Joaquin Valley. Kiwi shipments will get underway in mid-October.
Salinas Valley Broccoli
If you are loading Salinas Valley broccoli, there’s been a small amount of hollow core and other quality issues related to the rapid growth of broccoli plants. Again, watch for quality issues if you are planning to haul broccoli. Shipments of broccoli and other vegetables from Salinas will begin declining in volume during September, before switching to the Yuma and Imperial Valley around Thanksgiving.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – grossing about $7300 to New York City.
San Joaquin Valley grapes, stone fruit and vegetables, about $5000 to Chicago.