Posts Tagged “feature”
Summary by North American Potato Market News
Expect fewer potato shipments from the Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota this season.
North Dakota- Growers abandoned 15,000 acres of North Dakota’s 2019 potato crop. That is 1,000 acres more than the November estimate. In addition, USDA reduced its estimate of the state’s average yield to 350 cwt per acre from 355 cwt. That reduced the 2019 crop estimate to 20.30 million cwt, a 645,000 cwt decline. The 2019 crop is down 3.43 million cwt, or 14.4 percent, from the 2018 crop (largest percentage drop in the country). Some of the crop was compromised during harvest, which will result in additional storage losses.
Minnesota – Production is estimated at 18.04 million cwt. That is 665,000 cwt, or 3.6 percent less than Minnesota’s 2018 crop. Minnesota is the only state whose 2019 crop estimate was not adjusted in January. That is a major shift from recent years when USDA has made massive adjustments to the state’s crop estimate.
U.S. Fall Crop – The total U.S. fall crop was adjusted upwards by 439,000 cwt. which is just a 0.1 percent increase. Even with that, the total U.S. fall crop is down nearly 9 million cwt. compared to 2018, or 2.1 percent.
By Allen Lund Company
Allen Lund Company is proud to announce its fourth-year completion of Acts of Kindness totaling 86 good deeds for 2019. This tradition kicked off in 2016 to commemorate ALC’s 40th year in business and has only grown since. ALC’s 35 nationwide offices, support departments and corporate have devoted their time to some worthy causes and have surpassed goals this past year.
President of ALC, Eddie Lund commented, “I am very pleased with how our Acts of Kindness initiative has progressed over the last four years. By doing these purposeful acts, we are showing communities how grateful we are for their support which has always been important to my parents as well as promoting kindness to others. Encouraging philanthropy is a cornerstone for our company and we are thrilled to continue to see our employees getting involved with organizations that are meaningful to them and helping people that are in need.”
Some of the project’s offices were involved in included:
| The Cardinal Manning CenterALC corporate employees served food and engaged with individuals at the Cardinal Manning Center, a homeless shelter in Los Angeles, CA. It opened in 1955 and offers a comprehensive program for homeless men transitioning off the streets and into housing. |
| Gilda’s Club of MadisonALC Madison office served dinner to families at Gilda’s Club which is a cancer support organization that creates a community of free emotional support, cancer education, and hope for children and adults with any cancer diagnosis and those who care for them. |
| Great Cycle Challenge USARD Castro from ALC San Antonio participated in the Great Cycle Challenge USA riding 116.3 miles to fight kids’ cancer which is the largest killer of children from disease in the U.S. with over 15,700 children diagnosed with cancer every year and sadly, 38 children dying every week. Kids should be living life, not fighting for it. |
| We Care LAALC Los Angeles sales office gathered donations at headquarters and fed and clothed over 150 people of the LA homeless community. In addition, employees prepared 500 sack lunches, hygiene packets, and distributed clothing. |
| Kids’ Food BasketALC Grand Rapids office purchased items to put together 300 supper sacks for Kids’ Food Basket to help nourish children living at or near the poverty level. |
| Flood Support – Little RockThe ALC Little Rock office got together to help their community after the floods in June 2019. The office spent the day bagging up sandbags and donated water and Gatorade for people in need. |
- Wreaths Across America – Corporate, Boston, Phoenix
- Navidad en el Barrio – Corporate
- One80 Place – Charleston
- Therapeutic Riding Institute – Cincinnati
- Military Heroes 5/10K Run – Dallas
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation – Orlando
Allen Lund Company is proud to continue an impactful tradition. These acts of kindness are our way of giving back to the communities that have supported us over the years, as well as encourage ALC employees to give back their time.
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with nationwide offices and over 550 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers across the nation to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight; additionally, the Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF. If you are interested in joining the Allen Lund Company team, please click here.
Established in 1976, the Allen Lund Company was recognized by Food Logistics magazine as a 2019 Top 3PL & Cold Storage Provider for TransKool Solutions, Logistics Tech Outlook for our software division ALC Logistics as a 2018 Top 10 Freight Management Solution Providers, 2018 FL100+ Top Software and Technology Providers, 2017 Supply & Demand Chain Executive Top 100, 2017 Food Logistics 100+ Top Software and Tech Provider, a 2016 Top IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, 2015 Coca-Cola Challenger Carrier of the Year, 2015 Top Private Company in Los Angeles by the Los Angeles Business Journal, 2015 Top 100+ Software and Technology Providers, 2015 Top 100 Logistics IT Provider by Inbound Logistics, a 2014 Great Supply Chain Partner, and was placed in Transport Topics’ “2014 Top 25 Freight Brokerage Firms.” The company manages over 365,000 loads annually, and received the 2013 “Best in Cargo Security Award.” In 2011, the company received the TIA 3PL Samaritan Award, and NASTC (National Association of Small Trucking Companies) named Allen Lund Company the 2010 Best Broker of the Year. More information is available at allenlund.com
The Journal of American College of Cardiology has issued a new study titled Chili Pepper Consumption and Mortality in Italian Adults, finding individuals who ate chili peppers 4 or more times per week, along with a Mediterranean diet, were at a 23 percent lower risk of mortality.
The study was performed on 22,811 Italian men and women. Chili pepper intake was estimated by the EPIC (European Prospective Investigation Into Cancer) Food Frequency Questionnaire and categorized as none/rare consumption, up to 2 times/week, >2 to ≤4 times/week, and >4 times/week.”
“Regular consumption of chili pepper is associated with a lower risk of total and CVD death independent of CVD risk factors or adherence to a Mediterranean diet.” according to the study.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out heart disease is the leading cause of deaths in the United States. When considering all-causes for cardiovascular disease participants that consumed chili peppers 4 times/week were at a 23 percent lower risk of mortality comparing to none/rare consumption of chili peppers were at a 34 percent risk of mortality.
With the absence of major hurricanes, storms, heatwaves or freezes in California, Florida or Texas citrus shipping areas, growers are reporting good quality.
The January 10 citrus crop estimate from the USDA forecasts a harvest of 125.5 million boxes of oranges for the current season, up from 124 million last year.
The grapefruit forecast is 15.7 million boxes, up from 13.8 last season.
Lemon and tangerine production is down.
Growers are expected to ship 20.4 million boxes of lemons, compared to 24.1 million in 2018-19, and 23 million boxes of tangerines, down from about 27 million last year.
Booth Ranches LLC of Orange Cove, CA is in full swing harvesting, packing and shipping navel oranges, The company expects to wrap up navel shipments by late June and is reporting excellent quality and color.
Limoneira Co. of Santa Paula, CA is picking lemons in California’s San Joaquin Valley and in the coastal region. The operation reports good quality.
Florida Citrus Shipments
Florida Classic Gowers Inc. of Dundee, FL will transition from navels to valencias in mid-February and continue shipping those through May. Then the summer storage orange shipments will get underway, continuing through June.
Florida Citrus Mutual of Lakeland, FL reports a good citrus shipping season and expects it to continue through the second half of the season.
Texas Citrus Shipments
Texas Citrus Mutual of Mission, TX sees good quality with Lower Rio Grande citrus being shipped out of South Texas. Product is split with 70 percent of the citrus volume consisting of grapefruit and 30 percent oranges.. The company was completing their navels and early variety shipments in mid January, and was planning to start valencias in February,
Lone Star Citrus Growers, Mission, TX reports good quality grapefruit, although volume is down from last season, but with larger sized fruit.
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Lower Rio Grande Valley citrus as well as Mexican produce crossings – grossing about $3200 to Chicago, about $5700 to New York City.
Blueberries are recommended frequently or always 86 percent of the time, according to a survey of about 200 U.S. based dietitians. The survey was conducted by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council of Folsom, CA.
Other fruits with high levels of support include strawberries, apples and oranges, according to a news release.
“We’re committed to working with registered dietitians because they’re at the forefront of making a positive difference in the health of Americans by providing science-based dietary and lifestyle recommendations,” Kasey Cronquist, president of USHBC, said in the release. “It’s part of the mission of the USHBC to continuously investigate the role blueberries may play in promoting good health, and it’s encouraging to see that research is reflected by the health professional community.”
The survey revealed:
- 88 percent of surveyed of dietitians said blueberries are rich in vitamins and minerals;
- 85 percent of those polled said one cup of blueberries as a good source of fiber; and
- 78 percent of those surveyed said cited plant polyphenols in blueberries.
Earlier this year, research published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found participants with metabolic syndrome who consumed the equivalent of one cup of fresh blueberries showed clinically relevant changes in measures of heart health, according to the release. The council said it will continue to communicate with health professionals about the science-backed benefits of blueberries. Information on the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s health professional programs is available at ushbc.org/health.
World Direct Shipping of Palmetto, FL., has extended an agreement with Port Manatee, and added a third vessel to its service.
The company offers three-day transits between Mexico and the Southeast, Midwest and Northeast U.S. for refrigerated fresh produce and other cargo, according to a news release.
The agreement is good through 2026. World Direct Shipping began service at Port Manatee in 2014 with a single vessel from Veracruz, Mexico. Service now includes Tuxpan and Tampico, Mexico.
A new vessel arrived first arrived at Port Manatee January 10th, carrying 231 high-cube, 40-foot refrigerated containers from China to be added to the World Direct Shipping service. The move enhances the company’s equipment fleet in trade across the Gulf of Mexico.
The company’s cargo volume rose 90 percent in 2019 from the previous year totaling nearly 50,000 20-foot-equivalent container units.
“World Direct Shipping has enjoyed a solid, trusted partnership with Port Manatee from the beginning,” Carlos Diaz, World Direct Shipping director, said in the release. “As our operations have expanded, the port has worked diligently to keep pace with our needs.”
An image of a strange-looking avocado recently posted on Facebook by a U.S. company has gone viral. It has stunned social media commenters with its peculiar shape and size.
Florida-based fruit supplier Miami Fruit last week posted the photo of the fruit.
In its Facebook post, the company said: “The avocados are popping off right now!”
“South Florida farmers grow dozens of unique varieties not common in any other part of the mainland USA.”
The image of the fruit, reportedly of the Pura Vida avocado variety, has generated thousands of likes, comments, and shares.
“That looks like a house deposit right there!” said one user, referring to controversial comments made by a millionaire two years ago that young people cannot afford to buy houses because they’re wasting their money on avocado toast.
Meanwhile, Australia Organic referred to the fruit as a “long neck avocado” and “100 percent organic and GMO-free”. Its post alone has received more than 10,000 comments and 8,000 shares.
Fagerberg Produce of Eaton, CO., has agreed to extend its use of IFCO reusable plastic containers (RPCs) for its dry onionss through 2020.
“IFCO (of Tampa, FL) is a great partner,” Ryan Fagerberg, president of Fagerberg Produce, said in a news release. “Their RPCs are a great packaging solution for our onions, they deliver first-class customer service and they share our passion for efficiency and sustainability in the food supply chain.”
Fagerberg, a fifth-generation family farm, has used IFCO RPCs since 2000, according to the release.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company will utilize IFCO RPCs to ship its yellow, red, white, Colorado sweet and organic onions to hundreds of U.S. retail locations, according to the release.
“We are pleased to continue to provide Fagerberg Produce with IFCO RPCs for their dry onions,” Dan Martin, president of IFCO North America, said in the release. “Our two companies are committed to providing consumers across the U.S. with safe, high quality, nutritious and affordable fresh food year-round.”
According to IFCO, the company has 314 million RPCs globally, and those containers are used for over 1.7 billion shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, bread, and other items every year.
For Fagerberg alone, the release said that in 2018, the company’s use of IFCO RPCs reduced C02 emissions by 170,000 kilograms and eliminated 205,000 pounds of solid waste, in addition to preventing product damage, reducing water consumption and giving other benefits.
California navel orange shipments may be down nearly 20 percent this season, although growers and shipper are not complaining considering the over production and poor markets of last season.
There was a huge navel orange crop with shipments hitting 80 million 40-pound cartons, and this doesn’t even count fruit that fell to the ground and product so small it didn’t make grade.
California Citrus Mutual of Exeter, CA is pleased the navel orange forecast for the 2019-20 season is down to 73 million cartons. As of mid January about 20 percent of California’s navels had been harvested, very similar to a year ago.
California grower-shippers are expecting ample supplies, large sizes and good-quality fruit.
Johnston Farms of Edison, CA believes there will be good supplies, better sizing and quality on navels over last year. The company has just wrapped up its satsuma mandarin season and is transitioning to murcotts. Good quality is reported.
Shipper, packer Cecelia Packing Corp. of Orange, CA expects navel volume to slow down a little in late March or early April since there will not be a lot of late varieties this year.
SunWest Fruit Co. Inc. of Parlier, CA is experiencing increased volume with its cara cara navel oranges. The grower, shipper points out its increased volume with cara cara navels has not come at the expense of its navel orange loadings.
Southern California oranges – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
The NFL playoffs are only days away, but one thing’s for certain — Avocados From Mexico are returning to the Super Bowl.
The organization plans to air a 30-second commercial during Super Bowl LIV, which takes place Feb. 2 at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Fla. The ad will be supported by a digital, earned media, retail and foodservice promotional campaign emphasizing Avocados From Mexico are “always worth it,” according to a news release.
The Big Game features the San Francisco 49ers vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
“We have really found our sweet spot with Big Game viewers, and we look forward to delighting avocadoo fans nationwide with what will be a really fun spot,” Kevin Hamilton, head of brand marketing, PR & strategy at Avocados From Mexico, said in the release.
“Our fully integrated campaign builds on what we’ve done before, engaging existing avocado lovers, while highlighting for new consumers that Avocados From Mexico are Always Worth It,” he said in the release.
This will be the sixth year in a row that the group has run an ad during the Super Bowl, but this year, fans at the game can also find guacamole and tacos at AFM’s Tacos Por fAVOr concession stand, which opened in September at the stadium, according to the release.
The group’s ads have earned more than 27 billion impressions over the past five years, according to the release.
“Avocados From Mexico sources more than 80 percent of Americans’ avocado obsession — this is a story worth showcasing to 112 million viewers and an opportunity we couldn’t pass up this year,” Alvaro Luque, president of Avocados From Mexico, said in the release.
“We look forward to being part of a big day in the marketing world and the country at large while reminding consumers that Avocados From Mexico are healthy, delicious and always in season,” he said in the release.