Posts Tagged “California tomato shipments”
Oceanside, CA — As the only pole-grown tomato operation west of the Mississippi, Oceanside Pole’s premium tomatoes started the week of June 24. The vine-ripe tomatoes are produced on a 700-acre farm in California and an additional 160 acres in Mexico. Product is exclusively marketed by Oppy.
Favorable weather conditions and an excellent season outlook set the expectation for 2.1 million cases of rounds and 1.2 million romas. The unique growing method raises the tomatoes off the ground to improve airflow — and therefore tomato quality — to ripen to their juicy, robust taste, naturally on the vine, then harvested at retail specifications to arrive at precise perfection. Each plant is harvested an average of 22 to 24 times, ensuring tomatoes are hand-selected at optimal ripeness.
“Our method ensures that we only deliver fruit with unmatched brix levels, robust flavor, extended shelf life and a clean-slicing texture,” said Director of Sales and Strategy, and Sales Executive Mark Smith. “Picking, packing, shipping and delivering to retailers within 24 hours, Oceanside Pole tomatoes are truly one-of-a-kind.”
Peak volume is expected from late August through October, culminating around the Thanksgiving season. Packaging options include 22-pound two-layer, 25-pound volume fill, 15-pound single-layer boxes, RPCs and a 5-pound club pack, catering to the diverse needs of retailers, including custom pack styles.
Senior Sales Representative James Galindo has been documenting the entire season through Oppy’s video series: Reports from the field. These monthly updates, which began in January, provide an inside look at the meticulous efforts involved in growing Oceanside Pole tomatoes.A
The Oppenheimer Group’s Oceanside Pole label is increasing its roma crop this season, according to a news release.
With nearly 2.2 million cases of rounds and over 1.6 million cases of romas expected to be picked from one million poles on 800 acres near Oceanside, CA, Oppy is now shipping the Oceanside Pole label.
The case count of romas grown on poles is up 500,000 compared with last year, Oppy’s senior sales representative James Galindo said in the release. “Oceanside Pole label romas are quickly becoming recognized as the best out there — particularly for their deep red color and firmness,” Galindo said in the release.
Peak volume picked up the middle of August, and will continue until the end of October.
Oceanside is the only large-scale pole-grown operation remaining in California, the release said. The growing method raises fruit off the ground to improve airflow and quality while naturally ripening on the vine, and as they travel to stores, according to the release.
Oppy is packing in 22-pound two layers, 25-pound volume fill and 15-pound single layer boxes, RPCs and a 5-pound club pack.
Over a million poles stretch toward the sky on 750 rolling acres in Oceanside, California, graced by vines which yielded the season’s first vine-ripened roma and round tomatoes the Fourth of July.
With tomatoes peaking in September and October, and finishing off at the beginning of December, the Oceanside Pole label packs in 22-pound two layers, 25-pound volume fill and 15-pound single later, RPCs and a 5-pound club pack.
The leading grower, marketer and distributor of fresh produce from around the world, Oppy offers the last remaining pole-grown tomatoes in California in its Oceanside Pole label. This year, 2.2 million cases of rounds and 1.1 million cases of romas will be shipped across the U.S. and Canada, and as always, arrive at preferred ripeness dependent on customer needs.
“Our team harvests each acre 18-20 times throughout the season to ensure each tomato is carefully hand-picked at its best,” said Oppy Director of Sales and Strategy Mark Smith. “In many cases, we pack, ship and deliver to our customers within 24 hours. Because of our central location and efficiency, we only harvest tomatoes when ready. That translates to high brix levels, exceptional flavor and an extended shelf life that you can only expect from the Oceanside Pole label.”
Attention to detail is unmatched, with teammates walking the fields each day to always know what the plants need at that time, said Smith. Along with upgrading its packing line for even better precision at Oceanside Pole this season, Oppy is prepared to meet increased foodservice demands while ensuring its tomatoes are of the best quality. Food safety and traceability protocols are constant, according to Smith.
Oceanside Pole also has great pride in their dedication to supporting the local community which includes their pledge to hiring military veterans from neighboring Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton. All while collaborating on an internship program that provides civilian work experience for soldiers leaving the military.
About Oppy
Growing, marketing and distributing fresh produce from around the globe for more than 160 years, Vancouver, BC-based Oppy discovers and delivers the best of the world’s harvest. With over 50 million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on every continent moving through its supply chain annually, Oppy offers popular favorites from avocados and berries to apples and oranges year-round, alongside innovative seasonal specialties. Over the years, Oppy has introduced North Americans to a number of items across its diverse produce range, including Granny Smith, JAZZ and Envy apples, as well as green and gold kiwifruit.
About Oceanside Pole
Growing for three generations, the Singh family is the last remaining pole tomato producer in California. Since 1939, they have tended vine-ripened tomatoes on the same land with the knowledge and expertise that can only come with time. Grown on an idyllic property near the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, the Singh family has a calm, almost spiritual approach to growing their produce. The fresh, salty air and bright sunshine makes it seem like a calling—only with such a deep sense of care and determination can exceptional produce be harvested time and again.
Here’s a produce shipping outlook from around the nation. We’ll cover everything from California tomatoes, strawberries and melons, to watermelon shipments in the Eastern half of the U.S.
California tomato shipments are gaining steam from the San Joaquin Valley to the southern coastal area.
For example, tomato loadings from Firebaugh, CA got underway June 1st and within two weeks all the tomato shippers in the San Joaquin Valley were moving product.
If the weather cooperates, the valley could be shipping tomatoes through Halloween.
On the Southern California coastline, pole tomato shipments got underway around June e13th from the Oceanside area. Shipments of roma tomatoes will start July 1. Round tomato volumes will likely peak from mid-August through October, with roma peak shipments taking place from July through September.
Good volume with cherry tomatoes should be shipped this summer from Baja, California. However it will be the middle of October before there are rounds and vine-ripes from the region.
California Strawberry Shipments
Heavy shipments of strawberries from the Salinas-Watsonville area are taking place. On average, about 950 truck loads of strawberries are being shipped weekly. The Santa Maria district is shipping roughly one-half the volume of Salinas-Watsonville.
Watsonville strawberries and Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $7200 to New York City.
Cantaloupe Shipments
It’s getting awfully hot in the desert region, but cantaloupe shipments are still on track. About 825 truck loads of cantaloupe are being loaded weekly from the Imperial Valley, as well as the Yuma area and central Arizona.
Watermelon Shipments
Georgia is easily leading the pack of states currently shipping watermelons. Heavy volume should continue through the Fourth of July before a seasonal decline begins. Meanwhile, very light volume has started with South Carolina watermelon shipments. North Carolina gets underway the first week of July. Another big state for watermelons is Missouri. Watermelon shipments from the boot heel of Missouri get start in mid July.
Southern Georgian watermelons and vegetables – grossing about $2600 to New York City.
Mexican Mangoes
Imported Mexico mango volumes have been trailing last year, but that is changing. Record shipments from Mexico are now occurring. For example, during the week of June 6th, 3.6 million cartons of mangoes were shipped. This was 6 percent more than projected.
It’s looking like another banner year for California grape shipments as the desert winds down and the San Joaquin Valley cranks up.
With the end of May, Coachella volume appeared down 20% from 2014. Early starts can make for early finishes. Some Coachella shippers are just finishing their desert grape season, about a week early. However, a few shipments will occur in the last week of June….Mexican grape shipments face a similar situation. Some loadings will end the around June 20th, when July 4th is typical.
While Coachella and Mexico are finishing up early, shipping gaps are not seen because the San Joaquin Valley grape shipments are ahead of schedule. Initial light harvests are expected by June 20-22. Shipments should be moving into good volume by the second week of July.
Preliminary estimates for California grape shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley are pegged at 113.3 million 19-pound boxes for 2015. This is up from 110.9 million last year. The state’s record, set in 2013, was 116.3 million. Loadings of California grapes should be available through November.
California Tomato Shipments
California shipped its first load of mature green tomatoes on June 2. Several more loads were shipped during the week of June 8th, putting the crop about a week ahead of schedule. If all goes as expected, California will have mature greens through about mid-November. The mature green tomato is popular with foodservice companies and also is used by repackers across the country. Acreage is down about 10 percent this year due to the California drought.
While the California season gets under way, there are also tomatoes from several other locations including crossings from Mexico into California, Arizona and Texas.
San Joaquin Valley tomatoes, stone fruit and vegetables – grossing about $5000 to Chicago; $7400 to New York City.
Here is a glimpse at shipments on Northwest pears, as well as California melon loadings, and finally tomato shipments out of Southern California and Mexico. Finally, are produce rates too high as one shipper claims?
Pear Shipments
The Northwest pear shipping forecast has been revised for the upcoming 2014 harvest, with 20.2 million, 44-pound cartons now expected to be packed by season’s end. This estimate is two per cent larger than the five-year average but six per cent smaller than last year’s record shipments. This year’s initial spring projection showed a crop of 18.7 million cartons.
Shipments have been underway about a month, and with no significant weather issues so far, and harvest is expected to extend into mid-October. Green Anjou pears are expected to make up 53 per cent of the total 2014 crop, with the Bartlett and Bosc varieties likely to yield 22 per cent and 15 per cent respectively. The organic portion of the Northwest crop has increased by around three per cent, with around 976,700 cartons.
Melon Shipments
In California, Westside district melon shipments from the San Joaquin Valley should continue into mid October, although volume will be much smaller that last month of the season. Quality is reported excellent, however, shippers are complaining about movement not being as good as it should. A big crop is reported, so could it be the market is a little high and consumers are resisting?
California Tomato Shipments
Further south in California, tomato shipments are in full swing with another large crop moving from the San Diego area and Mexico’s Baja California. One tomato shipper recently described freight rates on tomatoes as “ridiculous.” He said it was costing $4 to $5 per box to ship his tomatoes.
California avocado shipments should hit about 12,500 truckloads equivalents this year, up about 1,000 truck loads from 2012. Because of the larger crop, California avocado loadings are expected to run later than last year, continuing at peak volume through August and into September, with shipments running into November.
About 2,050 truckloads of fruit is expected to be hauled from September through November.
Weekly avocado shipments in the USA this year have reached as high as 1,000 truckloads. Loadings take place mostly in Southern California.
California tomato shipments
California mature green tomato shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley remain good, but are lighter than when loadings got underway in mid- to late June. That steady, but lighter volume should continue through the end of the year.
Around the Oceaside area of Southern California, there are loadings of cherry tomatoes, yellow tomatoes, grape tomatoes, and romas in addition to the vine ripened tomatoes.
Mature greens are typically sold to foodservice operators for their use with burgers or other dishes, or repackers, who package them in multiples, complete the ripening process and shipped to a variety of customers. Vine-ripe tomatoes are often shipped directly to the retailers.
Meanwhile volume shipments of Salinas Valley vegetables and San Joaquin Valley produce loadings of vegetables, stone fruit, grapes and melons continue.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $5300 to Chicago.
Southern California avocados – grossing about $7500 to New York City.