Posts Tagged “feature”
Zespri got an early start again this year with the first shipment of SunGold Kiwifruit arriving in the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Philadelphia in mid-April. Green Kiwifruit started arriving in early May.
Following favorable growing conditions, the 2025-26 harvest is projected to see an increase to over 200 million trays across varieties to be sold worldwide.
With the season underway, kiwi is the #1 fastest growing fruit in the fruit bowl and Zespri is the #1 selling kiwi brand in the category, more than five times the next best-selling brand.* Demand is strong due to Zespri’s ongoing retail partnerships, successful in-store displays, and the introduction of their brand characters, the Zespri KiwiBrothers.
Zespri shipped over 50K display units nationwide last season as retailers recognize their power in driving incremental sales. Key retailers are seeing an average sales lift of 110% during promotions featuring displays. Moreover, Zespri branded kiwifruit is preferred by shoppers and including SunGold and Green Kiwifruit varieties in the set drives incremental growth. When both varieties are merchandised together, sales increased by 32% compared to another green kiwi brand. When SunGold and Green Kiwi organic varieties are included in a display, there is an automatic halo effect of favorable consumer perception.
SunGold Kiwifruit continues to be the main driver of growth for the brand, with dollar sales in the U.S. increasing +42% and volume sales +36% versus a year ago.**To build on their success, Zespri is expanding its portfolio with a soft introduction of the RubyRed Kiwifruit in the U.S. The new variety will bring a unique flavor experience with a naturally sweet berry flavor, which is a differentiator from the SunGold Kiwifruit. RubyRed Kiwi is high in antioxidant vitamin C and includes anthocyanins which are natural plant nutrients that give it its vibrant red color.
ABOUT ZESPRI GROUP, LTD.
Zespri is 100 percent owned by current and former kiwifruit growers and has a global team of 850 based in Mount Maunganui and throughout Asia, Europe and the Americas. Our purpose is to help people, communities and the environment thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit, and we work with 2,800 growers in New Zealand and 1,500 growers offshore to provide consumers with fresh, healthy and great-tasting Zespri Green, SunGold Kiwifruit and Zespri Organic Kiwifruit.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
A recent study has revealed that incorporating avocados into the diet can positively influence the microbiota of adults living with abdominal obesity, without requiring any caloric restrictions, and thus improving gut health.
Conducted as part of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial (HAT), the 26-week randomized controlled trial involved 1,008 participants who were split into two groups: one that consumed one avocado daily and another that maintained their usual dietary habits.
Fecal samples from a subset of 230 participants were collected at the start of the study, after four weeks, and after the 26-week period. Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, utilized advanced shotgun metagenomics sequencing to assess the gut microbiota composition and diversity.
The findings indicated that participants in the avocado-consuming group experienced a notable increase in gut microbiota diversity by the four-week mark, a change that persisted throughout the study. Particularly, individuals with lower scores on the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015), reflecting less nutritious dietary habits at the outset, showed a more significant increase in microbiota diversity when consuming avocados compared to those in the control group.
At the end of the study, the avocado group demonstrated significant changes in beta diversity, suggesting shifts in the overall composition of gut bacteria. At the species level, notable increases were observed in beneficial gut bacteria, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and Bacterium AF16_15. However, functional analysis indicated no significant differences in metabolic pathways between the two groups.
The study, which highlights the potential prebiotic benefits of avocados, suggests that incorporating this nutrient-rich fruit could be particularly advantageous for individuals with lower diet quality scores. These findings open new avenues for dietary interventions aimed at improving gut health in people with abdominal obesity.
The San Joaquin Valley, where nearly 80% of California’s cherries are grown, has issued a disaster declaration for the crop following rain in March and April that disrupted pollination.
According to CBS News, 43% of cherry crops in the region have been damaged. James Chinchiolo, vice president of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau Federation and owner of Lodi Blooms, said the county is “definitely having a light crop overall.”
He added that this year’s statewide crop could be down by as much as 50%.
The San Joaquin County agriculture commissioner has submitted the disaster declaration to the California Office of Emergency Services, which will review whether the county experienced abnormal conditions this season in order to confirm the request.
If the USDA secretary approves the disaster declaration, it would allow growers to access assistance, likely in the form of low-interest loans, according to San Joaquin County Agriculture Commissioner Kamal Bagri.
CBS News reports the county estimates nearly $98 million in financial losses.
“We’re open to accepting support,” Chinchiolo said. “That’ll help us maintain a healthy operation, keep the folks that work for us employed, and ensure that we can continue to take care of these trees to produce again for another year.”
The California cherry season typically goes from late April to early June.
Initial reports this season indicated a late start, with a decrease in volumes, but they highlighted the availability of high-quality fruit, with large sizes and excellent appearance.
Weather conditions have helped to launch an earlier start to “miniature” (dwarf mangos) from the Colombia’s Caribbean Coast. Production season is typically from early March until June each year, with exports beginning after the second week’s harvest.
Goldenberry Farms of Miami, FL has branded their Sugar Mango brand of miniature mangos since 2021, which has grown in popularity with more than 20 large retailers in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. This year, the focus of the brand is traceability and improved product differentiation.
Miniature mangos are sourced from small family mango farms on the Caribbean Coast.
“Small producers are responsible for 40% of the agricultural yield in counties such as Ecuador and Colombia, however generally do not have access to export markets,” says Michelle Anders, communications director for Goldenberry Farms.
Goldenberry Farms SA exports “Sugar Mango” branded mini mangos to the United States, Canada, Europe, the Caribbean, and Hong Kong. The brand includes unique presentations, only first quality fruit is able to be included in the branded export programs.
ABOUT
Goldenberry Farms® is a leading grower, packer, and shipper of high quality tropical fruit, as well as the owner of various IP, shelf life technologies, and commercial trade brands. The company has growing regions near both Medellin and Bogota Colombia, Ecuador, and the Caribbean, exporting via air and sea to distributors and retailers in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Domestic melon shipper Westside Produce of Firebaugh, CA is a grower that ships cantaloupes and honeydews the year around.
Due to its partnership with Classic Fruit, from November to mid-May, cantaloupes, honeydews, and watermelons come from Guatemala—before California’s season starts.
Most of the company’s melons are grown in California’s San Joaquin Valley and the deserts of Yuma, Arizona, and Southern California.
Westside’s first harvest begins in the southern desert areas, either in Southern California or Yuma, Arizona around late May to early June. Then the operations move into the Central Valley of California around the 1st of July, and will be here until the middle of October, before returning to Arizona for October and November shipments.
Yields are expected to be above average this year based on weather conditions so far—around 900 cartons per acre for cantaloupes and 1,200 to 1,300 cartons per acre for honeydews, which are typical for Westside Produce.
Last year, the company averaged about 850 cartons per acre for cantaloupes and between 1,100 and 1,200 cartons per acre for honeydews.
The crop grows in a relatively short cycle of about 75 to 90 days.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
By Sarah Stone ALC Atlanta
Everyone is talking about freight fraud and cargo theft. I recently attended the Mid-America Trucking Show (MATS), the largest trucking show in North America, where fraud and theft were the primary topics of discussion among the carriers and drivers in attendance. Held annually in Louisville, KY, MATS attracts everyone from large carrier owners looking to expand their fleets to the owner-operators who drive the trucks.
While concern is growing among those on the road, combating fraud requires support from every corner of the supply chain, including shippers. Freight fraud is a broad term encompassing various forms of theft, deception, or misrepresentation throughout the shipping process. It is more than just stealing cargo, it can involve identity impersonation (using fake MC/DOT numbers), double brokering, and fake carriers using spoofed websites to book loads. As a shipper, this can lead to the theft of cargo, supply chain disruptions, damage to reputation, and financial loss.
Preventing freight fraud isn’t just a broker or carrier issue, it’s a supply chain issue. For shippers, it is important to include your vendors and contracted warehouse groups on the plan to protect your freight. It will take everyone in the chain to fight fraud and theft. Establish a verification process for confirming carrier and driver information before loading a truck, and make certain that the carrier is providing the correct pick up information. This may sound simple, but it can often be overlooked at a warehouse that is backed up, or short staffed, and just wants to get the freight out the door.
Customers can play a vital role in building a more secure industry by following best practices such as:
- Partnering with fraud-aware brokers and carriers.
- Requiring load-tracking apps or systems.
- Verifying pick up numbers and driver names prior to loading.
- Embracing technology and data-driven security measures.
- Engaging in industry discussions and education.
By working together and staying informed, we can strengthen our defenses and keep freight moving safely and securely.
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Sarah Stone graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing). She started working at the Allen Lund Company in December 2010 after several years in the international air and ocean freight industry. She is the Senior Transportation Broker for ALC Atlanta.
sarah.stone@allenlund.com
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
U.S. domestic sweet potato shipments continue entering the last half of the shipping season which will wind down in late summer, just a the new harvest gets underway.
U.S. sweet potato harvested acreage rose by 23,300 acres in 2024 to 148,200, according to the USDA. And the U.S. Sweet potato Council Inc. of Dillsburg, PA, is expecting 2025’s acreage to be similar to last year’s.
North Carolina, Mississippi and California continue to be the leading U.S. producers of sweetpotatoes.
Vick Family Farms of Wilson, NC is celebrating 50 years.
The company broke ground last year for a new storage facility that should be in operation when new-crop potatoes arrive in the fall. The new crop will start planting in May, but the company has sweet potatoes stored in controlled-atmosphere buildings year-round.
During the 2024 season there was a drought early in the growing season, followed by excessive rain. As a result some areas reported from a 10% to 50% reduction in yields, the company reported.
USDA said the North Carolina harvested acreage rose to 86,500, up from 76,900 in 2023, but yields dropped to 150 cwt per acre, down from 195 cwt per acre.
Mississippi State University of Starkville, MS reported growers in Mississippi have tried to capitalize on the diminished yields in North Carolina this season.
MSU said harvested acreage should be the same or more this year than last year’s 31,500 acres, which was up from 29,000 acres in 2023.
AV Thomas of Livingston, CA ships sweet potatoes year-round but had sold out of its specialty Stokes purple sweet potatoes.
The company still had its four primary varieties on hand: red, orange, white and Japanese sweetpotatoes.
The company was finishing its hotbeds in mid-March. That’s where it grows transplants that will produce cuttings to be planted six or eight weeks later for its sweet potato crop, which will be harvested 90 to 120 days later.
The 2024 storage crop still was putting out good quality.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
According to Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) President and CEO Griff Lynch, Georgia’s Savannah Port is the fastest-growing container gateway on the U.S. East Coast, with container volumes up 12.5% compared to 2023.
GPA handled nearly 5.6 million twenty-foot equivalent container units (TEUs) last year, an increase of approximately 618,000 TEUs compared to 2023.
In a presentation at the annual Savannah State of the Port Address, the CEO explained that what sets the ports of Savannah and Brunswick apart is building strong partnerships, superior connectivity, ample capacity ahead of demand, and a responsible approach with communities.
He also laid out plans to increase capacity in Savannah, add berth space over the short and long term, boost container yard and rail capacity, and grow the truck gates at the Port of Savannah before an audience of more than 1,700 business leaders and elected officials at the Savannah Convention Center.
To stay ahead of demand, Lynch announced the opening of a new lay berth effective immediately at Ocean Terminal. A second lay berth at Ocean Terminal will come online in 2026.
Phase I of the Ocean Terminal yard renovation will be completed in mid-2027; and the second phase will be by mid-2028. This will increase capacity by up to 1.5 million TEUs per year.
The expansion, he explained, is needed to handle growing business, “Growth at the nation’s gateway terminals outpaced all other ports in the nation, and Savannah is the gateway port for the U.S. Southeast,” Lynch said. “We see this pattern only continuing to accelerate.”
April through September is the primary shipping season for growers in the Santa Maria Valley who produce a wide variety of produce commodities on about 50,000 acres, according to the Grower Shipper Association of Santa Barbara & San Luis Obispo Counties, based in Santa Maria, CA.
The growing region supplies a wide variety of of fresh fruits and vegetables to the United States and beyond.
Strawberries, wine grapes, broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce are the top five items produced in the Santa Maria Valley. With spring season underway, grower-shippers ramp up production.
Babé Farms in Santa Maria is featuring its Pink Rhone Little Gem lettuce, which was launched last summer.
This spring and summer, Babé Farms is shipping a mix of specialty vegetables, including colorful root veggies, baby head lettuces, its signature Blonde Frisée, romanesco cauliflower, fennel, celery root and more.
Babé Farms typically grows and ships over 60 items at any given time.
The company ships year-round, and expects to have an increase in volume this year.
Pacific Coast Produce of Santa Mara has good volume of conventional and organic soft squash, including green Italian, yellow straightneck and Mexican gray squash from May through November. In mid-June, the company will kick off its chili pepper program, which will run through December.
Pacific Coast Produce ships broccoli, celery and cauliflower year-round.
Gold Coast Packing Inc. in Santa Maria continues to ship its legacy items such as broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, spinach, cilantro, Brussels sprouts and other value-added vegetables.
The company’s Santa Maria harvest is now underway and will continue until the season returns to the desert.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
Green leaf and iceberg markets remain depressed amid abundant supplies and weak demand. Romaine prices are slowly rising as quality issues are more prevalent following recent humid, windy weather, according to a news release from Markhon of Salinas, CA.
Markon First Crop (MFC) Premium Green Leaf, Iceberg, and Romaine are available; Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted sporadically due to low weights.
Green leaf and iceberg quality are very good; mildew, fringe burn, and sun scalding are being avoided or trimmed at harvest.
Romaine quality has been impacted by high temperatures and humid weather, followed by windy days; fog burn, internal burn, and fringe burn are reducing harvestable supplies.
Expect fairly steady green leaf and iceberg markets through May; Romaine will continue inching up in the near term.
In a May 6 report, the company said Markon First Crop (MFC) Romaine is limited in California’s Salinas Valley; Markon Best Available (MBA) is being substituted as needed.
Markon inspectors are currently reporting an abrupt shift in romaine quality over the past two to four days. Last week the Salinas Valley region experienced a heavy marine layer that quickly gave way to clear skies and warm afternoons. These conditions caused the development of fog burn in many crops. Strong winds and elevated humidity were also recorded, causing fringe burn and sporadic mildew pressure.
Commodity and value-added supplies are expected to exhibit some of the above-mentioned challenges for the next several weeks, possibly longer. Some iceberg and green leaf supplies are experiencing these challenges, but these commodities are easier to manage than Romaine.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER HAULERS: 1-800-404-5863.