Posts Tagged “East Coast shipping areas”

Whether we are talking Georgia, New Jersey, Ohio, Eastern Canada and points in between there have been significantly fewer loading opportunites for vegetables this summer – due primarily to weather factors.

Vegetable fields throughout the Southeast were flooded, destroying crops and inflating prices for produce and adversely affecting produce shipments.

 For example, produce loads on squash, okra, butter beans and string beans have been hit hard.  You’ll also notice these items are costing 20 percent or more at your local supermarket.

Some parts of Georgia has received rainfall amounts far exceeding normal. In June, for example, Augusta Regional Airport measured 10.83 inches of rain, the wettest June on record.  July recorded 9.05 inches of rain, 4.72 inches above normal.   The excessive mositure also is adversely affecting quality of produce. 

Check closely what you are putting into the truck to reduce your chances of a claim or load rejection.

In another example, the South Carolina State Farmers Market in West Columbia, S.C., was recently selling sweet corn for $16 a box compared to $10 to $12 last summer, and a box of apples was up $5 to $35.

Weather has greatly reduce shipments of tomatoes from East Coast shipping areas.   With no tomatoes in Florida or Georgia, East Coast markets area having to rely much heavier of truck loadings of tomatoes out of California.

Besides the excessive rains in the Southeast, it has been too wet in New Jersey which ships a lot of vegetables from the Southern part of the state.  Eastern Canada also has have heavy rains.  In Ohio, vegetable shipments are down due to excessive heat.