Posts Tagged “feature”
California spring produce shipments should be good as growers and shippers expect plentiful supplies due to favorable growing conditions.
A wide range of vegetables are shipped by Boskovich Fresh Food Group of Oxnard, CA ranging from cabbages, Chinese mix and bunched items such as parsley, cilantro and spinach.
The company grows celery in Oxnard from November through June, when the season transitions to Santa Maria.
Boskovich is wrapping up shipments of head and leaf lettuce in Yuma, AZ., and will move to Santa Maria in early April.
Other items such as radishes and beets will switch from Mexico to Oxnard in mid-April.
The company expects good volume for most items for Easter, April 12.
Five Crowns Marketing of Brawley, CA is the state’s largest shipper of sweet corn, and weather has been ideal. The operation ships sweet corn year around, starting in Brawley in April, then moving to Coachella in May, followed by Mendota, Tracy, Arizona, and Washington.
Most recently, the company has been sourcing from Sinaloa, Mexico.
Five Crowns will begin shipping cantaloupe in early May, followed by variety melons and honeydew around May 10 – 15. The company also will have seedless watermelons from Arizona starting in early June with big volume in time for the 4th of July. After that, watermelon shipments will move to Mendota and Tracy before transitioning to Mexico for the winter.
Sunnyside Packing Co. of Selma, CA has eggplant, bell peppers, soft squash, hard squash and a few green beans and a small onion program.
Ventura County vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $7200 to New York City.
Strong Florida produce shipments this spring are expected due to favorable growing conditions.
Tomatoes, strawberries and cabbage were the Florida commodities with the highest volume during the week of Feb. 16, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Increases in vegetable shipments started in mid February for items such as
avocados, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, bell peppers, other peppers, radishes, squash, strawberries and round tomatoes.
These products were joining others that already had good volume. At that time Florida accounted for 37 percent of U.S. tomatoes shipments with 49 percent for strawberries and 39 percent of cabbage.
West Coast Tomato Shippers LLC of Palmetto, FL was having an excellent season in recent months due to fewer plants by other Florida growers, plus Mexican tomato volume also was down. The company will be shipping tomatoes into early June.
Astin Strawberry Exchange LLC of Plant City, FL is just finishing its strawberry season and now has blueberries, which will be shipped through May.
Utopia Packing LLC, a division of Utopia Farms, Myakka City, Fla., will get into its main volume with cucumbers and bell peppers in April.
Seald Sweet International of Vero Beach, FL is shipping fresh valencia oranges through May and then ship out of storage through June.
Brooks Tropicals Inc. of Homestead, FL is in a seasonal lull as the
company’s Florida-grown Slimcado tropical avocados were winding down, with summer shipments set to start in June. Dragon fruit also will be available in June and passion fruit in July.
A partnership has been formed between Veg-Fresh Farms of Corona, CA and citrus grower-packer Redlands Foothill Groves, allowing Veg-Fresh to ship citrus the year-round.
Based in Redlands, CA, the citrus cooperative has over 80 growers of navels, Valencias, grapefruits and lemons, which are packed in the last operating packinghouse in San Bernardino County, according to a news release.
“In addition, being located just 30 miles from our Corona facility, it provides our customers the logistic advantage that we have found so valuable being located in the Inland Empire,” Veg-Fresh managing partner Dino Cancellieri Jr. said in the release.
The partnership will expand retail and foodservice opportunities, Veg-Fresh Farms citrus director Jacob Garcia said, referring to the 96-year-old Redlands Foothill Groves as a “storied packinghouse” that has continued to invest in fruit-grading technologies to improve packing.
Veg-Fresh packs under the Veg-Fresh Farms, Crystal Cove Berry Farms and Good Life Organic labels.
Le Grand, California — Live Oak Farms adds to its Bell Pepper Program this spring with supplies starting from mid-April, as the Le Grand-based family-owned farming operation adds Green and Red Bell Peppers from the Coachella Valley to its production network.
The addition of Coachella and Southern San Joaquin Valley production in late-May will enable Live Oak to meet the needs of its customer base better. “Our customers have been asking for Live Oak to expand our production window, and we’re pleased to announce that Live Oak’s commitment to excellence in product quality and service is coming to Coachella this year,” said Donna Vaughan, Live Oak Partner, and salesperson.
Live Oak’s Bell Pepper program had previously been limited to a late June to October window. With the additional acreage across new growing regions, Live Oak’s California program ensures supplies through the end of the year, with acreage in Coachella and Bakersfield joining the established production in Merced and Santa Clara Counties.
Live Oak Chief Operating Officer Ed Beckman said, “Live Oak embarked on the expansion of our existing Bell Pepper program in 2018, with the installation of one of the most advanced technology packing lines in North America. We’re now complementing our growth in Central California with an expanded production window supported by an aggressive product development program that works closely with seed companies and other technology providers to differentiate Live Oak in the marketplace.”
The program for the coming spring includes Green and Elongated Red Bell Peppers, including DRC packs to order. The January plantings will allow for the first product to be shipped in April, with Red Bells to follow in May.
Live Oak Farms is now in its 91st year and includes both third and fourth generation family members in its day to day operations. The company also grows tomatoes and roma tomatoes from June through Late October and added an upscale Jalapeno pepper to its specialty pepper line in 2018.
Bill Bess, director of carrier development for The Allen Lund Company of La Canada Flintridge, CA has been awarded the inaugural Allen Lund Legacy Award.
The new award, given to Bess at the company’s recent annual managers’ meeting and awards banquet, recognizes employees who exemplify the leadership qualities and character of company founder Allen Lund, according to a news release.
Bess said Lund has been the most influential person in his life.
“It was his example as a businessman, a family man and a Christian that has guided most of my personal decisions over the last 35 years,” Bess said when he accepted the award, according to the release. “He set the bar high and encouraged you to be the best that you could be.”
Allen Lund’s wife, Kathie Lund, announced Bess as the recipient.
“I am so proud of all of our employees and I can say with confidence Allen would be as well,” she said, according to the release. “After much reflection with the family, we created this award to continue Allen’s legacy and recognize a truly outstanding employee that exemplifies his qualities.”
Mr. Lund died in April 2018.
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PHOTO:
Bill Bess was recently honored with the inaugural Allen Lund Award. Anna (Lund) Clapp (from left), Kathie Lund, Bess and his wife Gaye, Christina (Lund) Doerfler and Natalie (Lund) Peterson attended the award ceremony.
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Nicole RumseyMarch 20 · My view pulling into work this morning. These trucks all rolled in last night to load produce heading out across the country! I’m honored to be part of the amazing produce industry. God bless our truck drivers, provide them with safety & health as they do their part to keep our country going!
U.S. imported Mexican mangoes will increase dramatically through the spring and into the summer.
Peru’s mango shipments to the U.S. are winding down after peaking in late January. Due to heavy Peruvian mango volumes some imports from Mexico by the U.S. have been delayed.
The Mango Board reports Peru’s volume to the U.S. will increase by approximately 61 percent over to last year, from approximately 12 million boxes to 19.3 million boxes (4 kilograms/box).
Mexico’s eventual volume will be much bigger than Peru.
Mexican mango shipments to the U.S. have increased from just 277,000 metric tons in 2015 to 368,000 metric tons in 2019. Mexican mango shipments to the U.S. in 2019 were nearly 5 percent higher than 2018 shipments, the USDA reports.
In 2019, Mexico mango shipments to the U.S. reached a peak in July, when 18 percent of Mexico’s annual volume was shipped. After July, top volume months for Mexican mango shipments to the U.S. were June (16 percent), May (15 percent), August (15 percent) and April (12 percent).
With per capita mango availability rising from about half a pound in 1990 to more than three pounds in 2017, U.S. distributors believe there is room to increase imports of Mexican mangoes.
Mexico accounts for about two-thirds of total U.S. mango imports.
2019 Mexican Mango Imports
In 2019, Mexico exported 82 million boxes of mangoes to the U.S., which was an increase of 5 percent over the previous year.
Volume projections for quarter are expected to be similar to last year’s 10 million boxes, except the Michoacan season is delayed by two to three weeks, which will shift its volumes from March to April.
Looking Ahead
Ciruli Bros. of Nogales, AZ recently received it first shipment of ataulfo mangoes from Chiapas to south Texas and Nogales. The company now has good supplies of yellow mangoes from Chiapas that will continue into April for Easter, April 12th.
Mexican yellow mango volume should be about 15 percent higher than a year ago in March.
With Mexican mango imports recently growing 8 to 10 percent a year, Ciruli Bros. expects to have higher double-digit growth in mango volume this year.
South Texas onion shipments are now underway and the region has had favorable growing conditions
Acreage has been trending downward with about 6,000 acres of plantings. It wasn’t that long ago there was around 7,000 acres.
Good shipments are seen for a few months.
The Onion House LLC in Weslaco, Texas reports on its better crops in over four decades due to nearly perfect growing conditions, limited rain and moderate temperatures.
Observers cited several reasons for the decline ranging from low markets, to labor shortages, pests, disease and urbanization resulting from dramatic population growth in the Lone Star State. This is particularly true with onion production areas closer to metropolitan areas — such as Austin, San Antonio or the Rio Grande Valley. This means farmers are having to weigh the trade-off between continuing agriculture or moving into real estate. Still, much of the acreage is located in relatively remote areas.
Bland Farms of Glennville, GA grows onions on about 300 acres in South Texas, and has a normal crop. The company began shipping Mexican onions in mid February and now was starting with its Texas product. Bland expects to start its Vidalia onion loadings from Southeast Georgia in mid April.
South Texas onions and Mexican produce crossings this week have increased by double digits to many destinations (20 percent plus to some) – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
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SINGAPORE – Carrier Transicold, with Chiquita, successfully completed live cargo shipments for the new EverFRESH® active controlled atmosphere system, transporting fully loaded containers of bananas from Panama to the Netherlands. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier, a leading global provider of innovative heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC), refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies.
Chiquita shipped bananas using 40-foot, high-cube containers equipped with Carrier Transicold PrimeLINE® refrigeration units. The EverFRESH systems were programmed to maintain oxygen levels at 5% and carbon dioxide at 4%. Temperature, gas and humidity concentrations were monitored continuously throughout the 17-day shipments.
Significantly, the containers used in the shipments were not new and had some degree of air leakage due to normal wear and tear, making them more representative of typical containers used throughout the global fleet. Positive-pressures generated by the installed EverFRESH system helped offset issues related to leakage from the existing containers.
“Through multiple trials, the EverFRESH system delivered on its promise to create a controlled atmosphere balance that could be sustained throughout the voyage,” said Stefano Di Paolo, president, Great White Fleet, Chiquita. “The speed at which the EverFRESH system reduced oxygen levels to slow ripening and its ability to maintain high humidity were impressive.”
Jim Taeckens, senior product manager, Global Container Refrigeration, Carrier Transicold, said, “In the shipments, container humidity levels were maintained as high as 90%, a feat other active atmosphere control systems can struggle with, which can potentially lead to a loss of fruit moisture content. We are pleased to have had the opportunity to work with Chiquita on this trial, successfully demonstrating the EverFRESH system’s ability to protect and preserve their valuable cargo en route to consumers in Europe.”
Introduced in November 2019, Carrier Transicold’s new EverFRESH system builds on the first generation EverFRESH system introduced 25 years ago. Today’s EverFRESH system continues to help preserve the quality of perishables beyond what refrigeration alone can do by actively managing oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to slow respiration and the natural ripening of the commodity inside. Moreover, it does so more affordably than the previous EverFRESH system. As an active system, it generates nitrogen to more quickly and responsively displace oxygen, rather than relying on respiration alone to gradually reduce oxygen levels.
The new EverFRESH system will be available in the first quarter for Carrier Transicold PrimeLINE refrigeration systems equipped with the Micro-Link® 5 controller option. For more information, visit www.transicold.carrier.com.
About Carrier Transicold
Carrier Transicold helps improve transport and shipping of temperature-controlled cargoes with a complete line of equipment and services for refrigerated transport and cold chain visibility. For more than 50 years, Carrier Transicold has been an industry leader, providing customers around the world with advanced, energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable container refrigeration systems and generator sets, direct-drive and diesel truck units, and trailer refrigeration systems. Carrier Transicold is a part of Carrier, a leading global provider of innovative HVAC, refrigeration, fire, security and building automation technologies. For more information, visit www.transicold.carrier.com. Follow Carrier on Twitter: @SmartColdChain.
LOXAHATCHEE, FL – A new tag team enters the fresh produce ring. J&J Family of Farms, a locally grown, nationally-known marketer and distributor of fresh produce, announced a new partnership with Tifton, Georgia-based Lewis Taylor Farms. With a new alliance formed, Lewis Taylor Farms brings superior production with 6,500 acres of produce as well as 81 greenhouses for 275 million vegetable transplants and 65 million pine tree seedlings.
According to the press release, J&J’s new partnership with Lewis Taylor will expand its portfolio significantly in the form of greens, broccoli, mini watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. Lewis Taylor, in turn, gains a powerful ally in the peppers, cucumbers, squash, and eggplant categories.
Lewis Taylor began farming operations in the 1930s and is now one of the largest privately-owned vegetable and greenhouse operations in the Southeast. Known for its focus on sustainable agriculture, Lewis Taylor Farms maintains the highest quality and standards to ensure the best product reaches customers.
Together, the J&J Family of Farms and Lewis Taylor Farms have more than 100 years of combined experience specializing in fresh produce and innovation. J&J Family of Farms is strategically positioned as a national supplier, with a robust line of products offered year-round to meet growing customer demand.