Posts Tagged “California strawberry volume”
As the Easter shipping period for a number of produce items approaches, here’s a look a few commodities coming out of California, Mexico and Florida.
Decent California strawberry volume is expected following a weeks of challenges regarding production. A wild winter for strawberries should stabilize enough to provide steady loading opportunities for Easter, which falls on March 27th.
The should mean steady volumes from the Oxnard and Santa Maria growing regions of California and from the Ruskin, FL area.
Because Easter is early this year, and based on the timing of this year’s crop, Florida strawberry shipments should be situated perfectly for Easter.
The past couple of Easters have fallen after peak Florida shipments.
Asparagus Shipments
Thanks to the early Easter this year, there should be enough asparagus shipments from Mexico and California. Mexican volumes will be declining for the season, but because of the early Easter, it should serve as a good supplement to California, which is having peak shipments.
Avocado Shipments
California avocado loadings should be plentiful this spring and summer, with volume expected to be up to 40 percent greater than last year’s. California is expected to produce 392.5 million pounds of avocados this season, up significantly from the 279 million pounds shipped last year. That would be approaching 10,000 truck load equivalents.
The California avocado harvest started in January, hit good volume by late March, with peak shipments occurring from April to July.
Most California avocado shipments are destined for markets are in the western U.S.,, while Mexico will continue shipping heavily into the Midwest and to the East Coast.
Kiwifruit Shipments
The California kiwifruit shipping season continues and about 40 percent of the six-million seven-pound trays remain. The fuzzy brown fruit is shipped out of California’s Central San Joaquin Valley. Loading will continue through May and as late as June.
Normally light Florida produce shipments are much lighter this season due to excessive rains. If the weather trend continues it soon will be threatening the Florida spring shipping season that typically peaks in April and May.
Up to 8 inches of rain last week soaked fields of sweet corn, green beans, celery, radishes, leafy greens and other vegetables and flooded some areas, leaving crops underwater. Damage to crops is estimated to be 25 to 50 percent. Losses of crops and even lighter than normal shipments is a given. Now it’s a wait to see how bad the situation is.
The heavy rains mean vegetable shipments in general will probably be much lighter than usual through February and March. Belle Glade is the hub of Florida sweet corn and green bean shipments.
It’s been a crazy winter for produce shipments, not only in Florida, but elsewhere.
Mexican volume of bell peppers, strawberries and other items have been lowered by cold weather. California strawberry volume is down due to weather factors.
Meanwhile, Florida strawberry volume have suffered from heat; Florida avocado loadings are down due to a fruit fly quarantine; Florida tomatoes are off due to rains; Florida cabbage shipments are down as much as 40 percent from weather; Florida citrus volume is drastically off due to citrus greening disease.