Posts Tagged “feature”
Thought we’d pass a long this little gem from
Satchell Creek Express Inc that was posted of Facebook.
CAUTION!
Protests and Violent Riots are erupting in cities nationwide.
Use extreme caution while driving, especially through major cities and congested areas. Avoid these areas whenever possible, especially after dark.
Stay on major highways to avoid traffic congestion, and do not stop if confronted. Park in lighted areas at least 50 miles from all areas with protest or violent activity.
Be sure to keep adequate fuel in your truck so you do not need to make unplanned stops. Make sure to double check the routing through these areas when booking loads.
Most importantly, STAY SAFE!
Imported Peruvian avocados should hit 200 million pounds to the U.S. this year, according to the Peruvian Avocado Commission.
Significant volume is expected by mid-June, with the season continuing until late September.
Index Fresh Inc. of Riverside, CA received its first Peruvian avocados only a few days ago. The company’s foodservice demand dropped about 90 percent around Easter, but the situation seemed to be improving by early May. Foodservice sales at Index Fresh had risen to 50 to 60 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels.
Robinson Fresh of Prairie, MN received its first U.S. arrivals of Peruvian avocados on May 3, about the same time as last year The company expects volume to be higher this year than last.
Calavo Growers Inc. of Santa Paula, CA should see its first arrivals June 15-21.
Mission Produce Inc. of Oxnard, CA should be up slightly compared to last year,
First arrivals were expected in the U.S. the first half of June, just in time as Mexico’s crop winds down for the summer.
McDaniel Fruit Co., McDaniel Fruit Co. of Fallbrook, CA received its first fruit of the season the week of May 11.
By Bob Rose
Vice President, National Produce Sales
Allen Lund Company
My daughter is a smart and caring teacher of young children in Seattle. She has been out of work for months and is doing fine, but obviously concerned about the job she loves.
Teachers’ salaries deserve more debate, but we acknowledge the societal importance. While I understand some companies have no choice but to lay off their workforce, what is surprising is the substantial number of layoffs and even changes in compensation plans for those employees in essential businesses that our society depends on.
The first quarter of 2020 was difficult for the produce industry and transportation providers like the Allen Lund Company. We are proud of how our company remained loyal to our customer base while truck rates skyrocketed. We added people to our staff to fill in key spots, quickly adapted new protocols to maintain clean and safe work environments, and we are flexible with some of our team members working from home in order manage the needs of our customers during these difficult times.
As we speak, my 401K looks a lot less like Swiss cheese and feels more like I can breathe. I’m sure this is more of a reaction the world will come back from this over time and erase the initial reaction we were all doomed, which we are certainly not.
What we should see is a speeding up of certain trends that were going to happen, just a lot earlier than we all thought. Trends like home delivery and home health care are at full speed.
Produce should be foremost in our thoughts as a process of health and wellness. I would imagine restaurants, gyms, and sporting events will return, but I’m hoping it would be a safer, new normal that will be better for everyone in the future.
Our produce clients have many challenges going forward. Innovation is all around us as change can be very positive and profitable once we all get over the shock of the suddenness of this movement. Stores such as 7-11 were born from the off shoot of their primary business of selling ice before the invention of refrigeration.
We are witnessing much stronger communication and collaboration from all parties and are hopeful our new way of working will continue as these issues subside. We expect the utmost ethical business practices are used as the economy rebounds and we all work together to ensure a robust and hopefully v-curved economic recovery!
People in our industry have always been able to work through challenges and adapt to whatever curveball is thrown. We are smart, focused, and live in an ever-changing environment. We are resilient in our business practices and the current extraordinary circumstances will be met with a positive “get it done” attitude.
bob.rose@allenlund.com
While there will be fewer Northwest cherry shipments than a year ago, which was 23 million 20-pound boxes, in 2020 there will be plenty of loading opportunities.
The original estimate for this year’s crop was about 19 million to 20 million boxes. It was issued in early May by the Northwest Cherry Growers, an organization with about 2,500 cherry growers in the Pacific Northwest. The group released an official estimate of 20.5 million 15-pound boxes.
Initial shipments have just started and volume will be ramping up in the coming days.
Sage Fruit Co. of Yakima, WA, reports the season is looking excellent and there will be good supplies heading towards the Fourth of July.
The Oppenheimer Group of Vancouver, British Columbia recalls last year was one of the best in recent history for cherry shipments.
Oneonta Trading Corp. Wenatchee, WA is expecting to have 25 percent fewer loadings this season due to frost damage.
Despite being down in volume as a state, the addition of Stadelman Fruit to to company family has positioned Oneonta Trading to have a great season.
Chelan Fresh Marketing of Chelan, WA believes there will be improved shipments in the in northern growing areas of the Northwest than a year ago. The company expects shipments to run through mid-August.
BC Tree Fruits of Kelowna, British Columbia will start with light volume about June 12 and sees peak shipments hitting in mid July and continuing until the first half of August.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $6300 to New York City.
A combination of a warm winter, rainy spring and throwing in a few hail storms and tornadoes to boot, will mean fewer Georgia vegetable shipments this season. Although Georgia is shipping some type of veggie the year around, mid-May to mid-June is when heaviest volume occurs.
The weather factors will probably reduce Vidalia onion volume as much as 20 percent, although a better handle on losses will come when harvest is complete.
Baker Farms of Norman Park in southwestern Georgia has kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, collards, turnip roots, beet roots, chard, cilantro, cabbage and broccoli. Although Baker Farms grows veggies year-round, it spring shipments will be less, primarily due to excessive rains.
A&M Farms of Lyons, GA will have a 15 to 20 less volume with its Vidalia onions.
Generations Farms of Vidalia, Ga., was hit by hail in April which damaged a few fields, causing a loss of about 85 acres, or 10 percent of its Vidalia onion crop.
Shuman Farms of Reidsville, GA reports the Vidalia onion industry will see lower yields per acre compared to the past three to four years, as well as a smaller size profile.
Corbett Bros. Farms of Lake Park, GA, which is part of the Grower Network, had some tornado damage in mid- to late April. The farm, located in the southern-central part of Georgia close to the Florida border, produces cabbage, cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplants, hot peppers and citrus.
Georgia watermelon shipments, which rank fourth nationally in volume, get underway in early June, with peak loadings coming by June 20th. The state averages over 18,000 acres of harvested watermelon each year. Other top watermelon-shipping states are Texas, Florida and California.
Vidalia onions – grossing about $2600 to Chicago and New York City.
A new facility that helps move imported fresh fruit quicker to retailers and foodservice operators has opened at Port Manatee, Palmetto, FL.
The transfer facility, which opened in early April, frees dock space by moving trailers to an area that can park 120 trailers, according to a news release. It optimizes capabilities for expedited cargo movement by freeing up room for up to 300 containers.
“The trailer transfer facility could not be coming online at a more encouraging time,” Carlos Buqueras, Port Manatee’s executive director, said in the release. “The enhanced efficiencies this new installation facilitates already are proving vital in best utilizing port acreage to accelerate shipments of imported fruits and vegetables to consumers.”
The 3.6-acre site cost $916,000. It serves shippers that include Del Monte Fresh Produce, which imports bananas, pineapples and avocados from Central and South America, and World Direct Shipping, which imports numerous perishables from Mexico.
“Strategic investments in infrastructure, such as this newest facility, are essential to Port Manatee’s ability to best serve its users and, moreover, the consumers of our region and beyond,” Priscilla Whisenant Trace, chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority said. “This is particularly important amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, as we maintain essential operations while steadfastly focused on safety and health.”
SALINAS, CA – Baja Son Growers began harvesting their asparagus crops on May 1st out of Central Mexico. While supplies are picking up they’re encouraging customers to take advantage of various ad opportunities through the month of June.
“With increased acreage out of Central Mexico, we will be able to handle more ad opportunities than we have in previous seasons,” says Robert Leonard, Director or Sales, Baja Son Growers.
Their current volume, along with new plantings in Baja and Caborca, will now give the Salinas-based grower-shipper approximately 2 million boxes of fresh asparagus each year. Baja Son Growers also grows and packs 2 million cases of conventional green onions and now 250,000 cases of organic green onions each year. They continue to grow and invest in new equipment and technology to give their customers fresh, healthy produce.
“We are expanding our production volume in both green onions and asparagus. We plan on increasing our green onion volume by 5-8% per year for the next 5 years. Additionally, we plan on expanding our asparagus volume by 10-15% annually for the next 5 years,” says Robert Leonard, Director of Sales, Baja Son Growers.
About Baja Son Growers
Baja Son Growers is a vertically integrated grower-shipper for the acreage they sell. With full control over the supply chain,
Michigan Asparagus Shipments
Michigan asparagus shipments got under way the week of May 19th with some companies, while others are getting started this week. Quality and volumes will be similar to last season with peak shipments in late May and early June.
About the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board
The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board (MAAB) promotes the production and consumption of Michigan Asparagus nationwide.
There are 21 percent more fresh apples remaining in storages to be shipped this season compared to a year ago
As of May 1 the total stood at 46.8 million 42-pound bushels, which is 21 percent greater than a year ago, and 18 percent more than the five-year average.
The U.S. Apple Association reports apples in storage for the processing market on May 1 totaled 18.4 million bushels, 18 percent more than year-ago levels, and 12 percent more than the five-year average.
While fewer fresh-market apples were moved out of storage in April, the COVID-19 pandemic did not lead to a significant drop in fresh sales from year-to-year, according to statistics in the apple association’s monthly MarketNews report.
U.S. fresh-apple movement in April was 11.99 million bushels, compared with 12.3 million in April 2019. In April 2018, 13.78 million bushels were shipped, leaving 43.95 million bushels of fresh apples in storage.
The states with the most fresh-market apples on May 1, in bushels, were:
Washington: 43.48 million; New York: 1.46 million; Michigan: 700,00; and Pennsylvania: 458,000.
The leading fresh-market varieties in storage on May 1, in bushels, were:
- Red delicious: 11.16 million
- Gala: 9.56 million
- Granny smith: 6.7 million
- Fujis: 6.13 million
- Golden: 3.72 million
- Honeycrisp: 3.19 million
- Cripps pink/Pink Lady: 2.38 million
BROWARD COUNTY, FL – Port Everglades is the newest stop on Evergreen Line’s CAJ weekly container shipping service to and from Panama, Jamaica and Haiti. Florida International Terminal at Port Everglades is the marine terminal operator for Evergreen, which has ships slated for arrival on weekends beginning May 2, 2020.
“Evergreen is a worldwide name in ocean shipping. Their presence at Port Everglades creates the opportunity for expansion into the Asian market,” said Glenn Wiltshire, Acting Chief Executive & Port Director.
Evergreen will have three vessels in the service rotation, which will include calls at Manzanillo, Panama; Colon-Coco Solo, Panama; Kingston, Jamaica; Port Au Prince, Haiti; Port Everglades; New Orleans; Houston before returning to Manzanillo, Panama.
About Evergreen
Based in Taiwan, Evergreen Line provides efficient shipping transportation throughout its global service network. The company operates some 200 ships, providing a capacity of approximately 1,270,000 TEUs. Evergreen Line maintains agency offices at more than 110 countries around the world, each providing superior transport services for local customers. More information about Evergreen Line and its services can be found at evergreen-line.com.
About Port Everglades
A global powerhouse for international trade, Port Everglades handles more than one million TEUs annually (20-foot equivalent units, the industry standard measurement for container volumes) and serves as a gateway to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe. Located within the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, and Dania Beach, Florida, Port Everglades is in the heart of one of the world’s largest consumer regions, including a constant flow of approximately 112 million visitors statewide and 6 million residents within an 80-mile radius. Port Everglades has direct access to the interstate highway system and the Florida East Coast Railway’s 43-acre Intermodal Container Transfer Facility, and is closer to the Atlantic Shipping Lanes than any other Southeastern U.S. port. Ongoing capital improvements and expansion ensure that Port Everglades continues to handle future growth in container traffic. More information about Broward County’s Port Everglades is available at porteverglades
As California cherry shipments wind down loadings will soon move to the Northwest led by Washington state. Initial movement starts in May, with peak shipments occurring during June before the season winds down in August.
The Northwest Cherry Growers have issued an initial forecast of 20.5 million, 15-pound boxes. No record shipments are being predicted this season, but there should be good volume, with larger sized fruit.
A strong start to cherry shipments is expected in the last few days of May, and due to growing conditions, one of the largest spreads between early and late districts is predicted. In other words, a little longer shipping season this year.
One of the earliest areas for the first Washington cherry shipments are Mattawa (Washington), about 60 miles northeast of Yakima. Another early producing area is LeGrow, found in the Tri-Cities grown region. A third early producing are is along the Columbia River at Hermiston, OR. One of the latest producing areas is at Wenatchee, WA.