Posts Tagged “California strawberry shipments”
California produce shipments have been disappointing so far this spring when it comes to total volume and freight rates, loadings are on the rise. Here’s a look at several different areas from the Golden State.
Kern Co. Produce Shipments
Currently there is light to moderate volume coming out of the Bakersfield area (Kern County) on items ranging from carrots to turnips, beets, rutabagas and navel oranges….(Carrots, along with sweet corn are available in the Imperial Valley). Carrot volume is light in Kern County, but will have a significant increase in May…..Around May 1st, Kern County green bell peppers get started.
There should be more info on Coachella Valley grape shipments soon when the first domestic grapes get underway in early May. This will occur within a few days after the start of Mexican grape shipments. (Look for a more detailed shipping outlook on Mexican grapes, Friday, April 22nd.) Coachella table grapes, similar to Mexico, are expected to finish shipments a little early this year – late June. About this time table grapes from the Bakersfield area will get underway with both red and green varieties, followed by black seedless grapes in mid July.
Kern Co. vegetable shipments – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Strawberry Shipments
California strawberry shipments have been a big disappointment this year. As of April 9th about 27.3 million trays had been shipped, far less than the 43.3 million trays at the same time a year ago. Lack of labor and weather have been cited as primary factors. California has 32,515 acres planted this year, a drop of 5,585 acres from 2015.
Ventura County strawberries and vegetables – grossing about $5100 to Atlanta.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
About 500 truck loads of head lettuce are being shipped weekly from Salinas, with volume expected to increase on it and other types of lettuce. Overall, Salinas is still leaving a lot to be desired in total vegetable shipments, but the month of May should be much better. Lettuce shipments from the Huron area in the San Joaquin Valley are in a seasonal decline. There’s several other veggies in very light volume also coming out of the Central San Joaquin Valley.
(Another California shipping update will be coming next week.)
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments – grossing about $6800 to Boston.
A handful of storms that have hit drought-stricken California this winter has put a damper on overall California strawberry shipments to date.
With the week ending March 5, 6.7 million trays of strawberries had been shipped. That was down significantly from the 12.9 million trays shipped at the same time last year. However, this year’s volume for that week was about 1 million trays more than the projected.
Despite the slow shipments in January, volume is increasing fast, particularly out of Oxnard. Those Ventura County loadings should continue until about mid-May.
Ventura County celery, berries, and lettuce shipments – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Strawberry Health Benefits Promoted
The California Strawberry Commission is promoting consumption of eight strawberries a day, citing research that finds it may aid cognitive function, among other health benefits.
The MIND diet — short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay — lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s as much as 53% in rigorous adherents and about 35% in those who follow it moderately well, according to a Rush University Medical Center study.
Berries are the only fruit specified for inclusion in the MIND diet, and the study’s authors have noted cognitive benefits from consumption of strawberries and blueberries.
The study results were published last September in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Separately, strawberries and other berries have been named by the American Diabetes Association as among the top 10 superfoods for a diabetes meal plan because of their low-sugar, vitamin, antioxidant and fiber content.
Eight medium strawberries equal about one cup a day and total 45 calories. Vitamin C content per serving exceeds that of oranges, according to the commission, and the fruit provides folate, potassium, three grams of fiber and seven grams of sugar.
California strawberry shipments are down this season about 40 percent compared to this time a year ago.
But the West Coast isn’t alone with lower volume on strawberries. Some are calling Florida’s strawberry season a crop failure. Florida strawberry shipments are down 50 percent, while Mexico is off by one-third.
Strawberries shipments are typically big for Valentine’s Day (which was February 14). This next big push is for Easter, which arrives early this year, March 27th. Although California strawberry shipments should increase for Easter, loadings are still expected to be well below normal.
Mexican strawberry shipments are also increasing. During the week of January 18-22 Mexico was averaging 160,000 to 180,000 trays. The following week there was at least 20 percent.
Above average rainfall in California from El Nino is expected to last into April, which could continue to make increases in strawberry volume a challenge.
A trend that is now adversely affecting early season shipments the past few years has been the shifting of strawberry field acreage away from Ventura County in Southern California, which is the earliest shipping district. Oxnard (Ventura County) has just over 6,800 acres of strawberries. That compares to the 10,300 acres planted just three years ago. Most of the grower/shippers have planted more strawberries in the Santa Maria district over the last few years, which is further north along the California coast.
The reason for the acreage shift relates to the varieties of the fruit. Oxnard needs a good short-day strawberry variety and there aren’t any good ones right now. Growers simply are not getting the yields in Oxnard.
If you’ve noticed sky high strawberry prices in your local supermarket, there’s a reason. Shipments from California, Mexico and Florida are all low, but things are starting change.
November rains excellerated already seasonally lower volumes for California strawberry shipments, and volumes also have been below the three-year average. Volume will improve, but it’s going to take some time. El Niño predictions are still showing the strong probability of continuous rains and occasional heavy down pours in the west.
Some California shippers will rely on Florida and Mexico production to supplement California loadings, though bad weather in central Mexico in mid-November was complicating that crop.
This time of year California volume is unpredictable due to cold weather and number of daylight hours. With short days, cold nights and the threat of rain, volume is difficult to predict.
Florida strawberry shipments are increasing and should hit decent volume by next week from the Plant City, Fla. area. However, it will be the first of the year before peak volumes occur.
By the week of November 23rd, shipments from Watsonville, CA had mostly wound down for the year, as production shifted to Southern California. Ventura County is ramping up and Orange County will get underway soon.
Southern California citrus shipments – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Central and Southern Florida tomatoes, vegetables – grossing about $2300 to New York City.
California strawberry shipments are on a normal track, while Washington state cranberry shipments may be in big trouble. Shipments of California strawberries through late September were up slightly over last season.
About 173.8 million crates of fruit had shipped year-to-date through Sept. 26, up from 172.7 million crates last year at the same time, according to the Watsonville-based California Strawberry Commission’s weekly Pink Sheet newsletter. Shipments were down in the Oxnard growing region but up in the Santa Maria and Watsonville/Salinas regions, with Watsonville/Salinas leading the way with 86.1 million crates. Volumes shipping the week ending Sept. 26 were higher than expected, according to the report. About 3.46 million trays shipped, up from a projected total of 3.22 million trays.
Salinas/Watsonville strawberries – grossing about $4800 to Houston.
Washington Cranberry Shipments
Severe drought persists on Washington’s Southwest coast, complicating the region’s cranberry harvest. The lack of rain, however, threatens to extend the harvest, putting berries at risk of rot, frost and ripening into a dark color unsuited to consumer expectations, following the hottest July on record.
The growing season, May through August, was the sixth driest on record. Washington state is the nation’s third leading shipper of cranberries for the fresh market, behind Wisconsin and Massachusetts, which account together for about 90 percent of the nation’s fresh cranberries.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
Supply gaps on leaf lettuce, cauliflower and other items in the Salinas Valley have cut shipments and made it more difficult for produce truckers to figure out when loads will be available. However, as we enter May loadings should improve and be more predictable.
Caution should also be used loading Salinas vegetables due to adverse effects from weather, which has experienced periods of very warm and cold temperatures. There also has been reports of wind burn and tip burn, that hurt quality, as well as yields. Just make sure your receiver is aware of any quality problems. Some product is being shipped three to four weeks earlier than normal due to above average temperatures.
Loadings of green and red leaf are particularly light due to the weather issues. The wild swings in volume have made it difficult for truckers and shippers a like.
California Strawberry Shipments
Watsonville strawberries shipments also have come on earlier this season. Strawberries, which started in February, have posted phenomenal early-season volume shipments in Salinas and Watsonville. Through April 11, the district shipped 4.1 million fresh trays, up from 1 million last year and 890,424 in 2013. Statewide in California the totals were 43.4 million, up about 4 million over 2014.
All spring holidays — Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), Mother’s Day (May 10th), Memorial Day (May 25th) — should have plenty of strawberry shipments leading up these events. Other berry shipments will experience great volume in May ranging from California raspberries, to blackberries and blueberries.
Salinas Valley vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $5000 to Chicago, $7100 to New York City.
If you are planning on hauling strawberries and vegetables grown south of San Diego and across the border on the Baja pennisula, you probably will be better off going elsewhere.
Mexican strawberries and vegetables grown in Baja California are facing supply disruptions because of a strike by farm workers.
The extent of the effect on supplies remains unclear, but there are definately fewer loads available at San Diego area warehouses, which are distributors for the produce items destined for markets in much of North America. Losses on strawberries are reported to be substantial, causing millions of dollars in losses.
The strike began March 17 in Baja’s San Quintin valley, where workers are seeking an increase on current eight-hour pay from the U.S. $7.94 to $8.60 range to about $19.84, or 300 pesos. San Quintin is 118 miles south of Ensenada.
Strawberry shipments crossing the border through the Otay Mesa district in the San Diego area have been very low. About 27 percent of Mexico’s strawberry harvest comes from Baja California. Vegetable shipments from other crops produced there include tomatoes, green onions, squash, carrots, peas and broccoli.
Meanwhile, until the labor issues are resolved produce truckers should have better luck obtaining loads with Southern California avocados, or perhaps various berries and vegetables out of Ventura County.
Oxnard (Ventura County) lettuce, cabbage, celery and berries – grossing about $4800 to Chicago.
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.
Valentine’s Day (February 14th) is the one of the most popular days of the year for strawberries and shipments soon will be ramping up for the occasion.
Florida strawberry shipments are steady with adequate volume expected. About 90 percent of some shipper’s supplies from the Plant City, FL have already been pre-sold.
Still, the strawberry industry says there are never enough berries for Valentine’s Day, especially stem berries. These are always popular as a Valentine’s Day gift. Both Florida, as well as Mexican strawberry shipments are running ahead of last year’s totals, while California strawberry shipments are down a bit. Mexican strawberries are crossing the border in south Texas, as well as border crossings into California.
California reached the 1 million tray-per-week level in mid-January, but by the end of the month supplies had dropped below that threshold. However, California berry loadings are expected to increase each week in February as volume builds from Orange and Ventura counties.
Meanwhile, Southern California also has lettuce shipments as well as some other vegetables from the Coachella and Imperial valleys, plus from the nearby Yuma (AZ) district.
In south Texas, besides Mexican strawberries, there are a number of other items available ranging from vegetables, tomatoes, citrus and tropical fruit.
While Florida strawberries are coming out of the growing area just west of Tampa, Central Florida also is shipping in light volume vegetables, tomatoes and citrus.
Southern California berries – grossing about $4000 to Dallas.
South Texas/Mexican produce – grossing about $2400 to Atlanta.
Central Florida berries, veggies – grossing about $2200 to Chicago.
This isn’t one of the better times of the year for hauling produce from California as seasonal shifts to different growing areas or varieties are underway, with items ranging from lettuce to citrus and strawberries.
California Produce Shipments
Lettuce shipments continue from Huron in California’s San Joaquin Valley, but a shift is slowly taking place to the desert of Yuma, AZ to be followed shortly by the nearby Imperial Valley in California.
Yuma lettuce shipments should hit decent volume within about a week. Shipments have been light out of California and Arizona for weeks and could very well remain lighter than normal through Thanksgiving, if not the end of the year.
Romaine volume is particularly light and you should use caution hauling this product coming out of Huron. Warmer than normal weather during October is resulting in romaine growing too fast, leading to some quality issues – particularly with the product going to seed.
Lettuce shipments shifted from Salinas to Huron the last half of October. Now the shift is from the short Huron harvest to Yuma and the Imperial Valley.
California Citrus Shipments
Valencia shipments are coming to a seasonal end, while light loadings of navel oranges have started from Central and Southern California, as well as Arizona.
California Strawberry Shipments
While Salinas and Santa Maria strawberry shipments are nearly finished for the season, light, but increasing volume is taking place from Ventura County.
California Grape Shipments
Meanwhile, grapes continue to provide some of the heaviest volume out the San Joaquin Valley. Loadings are averaging over 1,700 truck loads per week.
Central San Joaquin Valley grapes, other items – grossing about $5400 to Atlanta.