Posts Tagged “feature”
Traditional stone fruit varieties ranging from peaches to plums and nectarines have been on a steady decline in California over the past 20 years.
The USDA’s 2017 Census of Agriculture provides an interesting comparison on the acreage of major produce crops compared with 2012, 2007 and 2002.
On the bright side, the census reports California plum apricot hybrid acreage has grown from 3,240 in 2012 to 4,583 acres in 2017.
Here are some of the big fruit crop acreage changes since the last census.
- Nectarines: 2017 acres were 17,618 acres, down from 19,555 acres from 2012 and 28,431 in 2007 and 42,532 acres in 2002;
- Peaches: 2017 acres were 24,004 acres, down from 26,082 acres in 2012, 35,499 acres in 2007 and 42,302 acres in 2002; and
- Plums and prunes: 2017 acres 64,702 acres, down from 82,910 acres in 2012 and 102,860 acres in 2007, and 141,494 acres in 2002.
- Apples: 2017 acres were 13,637 acres, down from 18,205 acres in 2012, 22,184 acres in 2007 and 38,268 acres in 2002;
- Avocados: 2017 acres were 57,192 acres, down from 59,814 acres in 2012, 74,767 in 2007 and 67,553 in 2002;
- Sweet cherries: 2017 acres were 36,853 acres, down from 37,944 acres in 2012 but up from 30,433 acres in 2007 and 26,440 acres in 2002;
- Dates: 2017 acres were 11,423 acres, up from 7,257 acres in 2012 and 6,315 acres in 2007 and 6,187 acres in 2002;
- Grapes: 2017 acres were 935,272 acres, down from 940,178 acres in 2012 and 868,330 acres in 2007 and 890,896 aces in 2002;
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California onion shipments have shifted from the California desert areas and are now coming in good volume out the San Joaquin Valley.
Domestic volume most of this year has been well below normal, but loadings now appear to be back to normal as weather has been favorable for California crops.
Gills Onions LLC of Oxnard, CA finished shipments of its Brawley, CA onions in mid-May and has transitioned to the Bakersfield area, where its loadings will continue through August.
In September, the company’s storage onion shipments will move to the King City area, where the company’s onion loadings should continue until March or April.
Volume at Gills Onions should be up this season compared to a year ago due to some new packinghouse packing equipment.
Telesis Onion Co. of Five Points, CA will be shipping red, white, yellow and sweet onions until the end of August, with volume expected to be similar to last year.
Peri & Sons Farms of Yerington, NV concluded its Imperial Valley onions shipments in California in late May and has transitioned northward to the San Joaquin Valley.
The company is growing, packing and shipping mostly yellow and sweet onions in the San Joaquin Valley, but also will offer some white and red varieties from that region. When valley shipments taper off in late August, the company will transition to its Yerington headquarters. Overall volume should be similar to last year.
JBJ Distributing Inc./Veg’Land Inc, will start shipping white, yellow and red onions from its grower in Hollister, CA, after the 4th of July and continue from that location through October . The company handles organic onions exclusively.
JBJ was importing onions from Mexico during the winter and spring, and transitioned to Arvin, CA., before launching its Hollister season.
For the 15th consecutive year U.S. fresh vegetable imports have increased, according to the latest numbers from the USDA.
Imports accounted for about nearly 32 percent of the total fresh vegetable supply in 2018, up from nearly 30 percent in 2017 and almost 25 percent in 2010.
The vegetable commodity with the highest import share was asparagus, with nearly 99 percent accounted for by imports in 2018. That compares with over 95 percent in 2017 and nearly 90 percent in 2010.
Over 60 percent of U.S. fresh tomato supplies in 2018 were imported, up from 59 percent in 2017 and 53 percent in 2010.
The lowest share of imports for a fresh vegetable commodity was held by spinach, with imports accounting for just over 3 percent of the supply in 2018.
The rising share of imports does illustrate the tough competitive position for U.S. growers, particularly for labor-intensive crops like asparagus. The import share of head lettuce (5 percent) and leaf lettuce (10 percent) are still relatively low, though both broccoli and cauliflower now have 20 percent of supply from imports.
Unless mechanization makes rapid gains in the next decade, the import share of fresh vegetable supply will continue to increase.
While Washington state continues to easily lead the nation in apple shipments, both Michigan and New York have been running neck and neck in recent years for second place.
During the 2018-19 season Michigan shipped apples to retailers in 32 states, up from about 28 states the previous season.
The Michigan Apple Committee in Lansing relates there has been a good increase into markets in the Northeast and the organization is hoping to expand its presence into the Southern U.S.
While the bloom on trees is a little late this year due to a cool and wet spring, warmer temperatures recently have spurred bee activity during pollination. This has observers optimistic about a full crop.
Last year, the Michigan apple shipments totaled about 24 million bushels, down from early season projections of 27 million bushels or more.
Michigan fresh apple loadings typically range from 10 million to 14 million bushels, with the balance of the crop going to processors. The 2018 crop was about 10 million to 11 million cartons fresh.
While an overall larger crop is seen, one exception could be the Honeycrisp variety, where growers are seeing a somewhat lighter crop compared with a year ago.
While early varieties will begin harvest in August, gala harvest is expected to get underway around Labor Day.
The trucking industry lost one of its finest last Friday, June 21st, with the passing of Irwin L. Groff, 78, of Lititz, PA, although he spent most of his life living in New Holland. He passed away following a lengthy illness at Brethren Village.
Irvie was a dear friend of mine and one of the best long haul truckers to ever own a big rig. I often referred to him as Mr. Chairman, because he served as chairman of the non-profit Independent Truckers Association for several years and I had the honor of serving on the board with him.
Irvie was an independent trucker for 46 years, retiring in 2006. He had driven over 5 million millions. I want to say they were accident free, but it seems there was a minor accident at one time along the way.
He was an owner operator, but I remember him more as an independent trucker, because he was truly independent. Not only did he have his own operating authority allowing him to work directly with shippers, but he was a business man.
I first met Irvie in 1980 at a trucking convention. Over the following years we attended many truck shows and conventions together. He knew equipment inside and out and I learned so much from him.
Irvie kept detailed records of his operating costs and how much net profit was there. He had a formula for doing it and never operated a year in the red.
Irvie was a smart, caring, loving decent human being and devoted family man. He was a mentor to younger drivers.
Irvie taught Sunday School for 26 years, was a member of Transport for Christ, and managed the Chicken BBQ for the Brethern Disaster Relief auction for several years. He also enjoyed customizing Smith-Miller toy trucks in his retirement.
Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, June 26 at 10 am at Conestoga Church of the Brethren, 141 E. Main St., Leola, PA. Interment will be in the Bareville Cemetery. Viewing will be held on Tuesday from 6-8 pm and on Wednesday from 9-10 am at the Church. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to Transport for Christ, www.transportforchrist.org. To send the family online condolences visit us at www.groffeckenroth.com. Arrangements by Groff-High Funeral Home, New Holland.
Deepest sympathies to his wife Joyce and other family members. RIP Irvie. You will be missed.
Northwest cherry shipments are off to a good start and excellent volume is expected leading up to the Fourth of July and beyond.
Around 2.5 million cartons had been picked as of June 19. Northwest cherry shipments this season are forecast to fall in the 20 million to 23 million cartons range. Cherry picking got underway around June 8th, a little later than last year.
“Our cherries ripened up a few days earlier than expected as the weather has really been favorable this spring,” said Steve Castleman, vice president for sales for CMI Orchards of Wenatchee, WA. “Lots of sunshine and warm temperatures have brought the color and sugars up and we’re looking at a superior harvest with sweet, vibrant and high-quality fruit for the duration of the season.”
Tim Welsh, a general manager for Columbia Fruit Packers (one of four grower/packer companies that owns CMI Orchards) said in the release the Washington cherry crop has seen very little wind, and that has resulted in very clean fruit.
Welsh said in the release that sizing will be mixed with a range of small to extra large at the beginning of the season.
“As the season progresses, our cherries continue to get larger and larger, and by July we should see a lot more large fruit than typical,” he said in the release. Welsh said there will be “huge” promotable volume between the end of June and the end of July.
Harvest for CMI is officially underway for the company’s very first crop of Skylar Rae cherries, according to the release.
“They are big, bright, blushing and sweet as can be,” Shane Marston, sales manager for CMI, said in the release.
CMI joined forces with Stemilt this year to grow and market Skylar Rae cherries, according to the release. The variety, originally discovered by the Toftness family in Washington, are available in a 1-pound clamshell or pouch bag, and supply is limited, according to the release.
Northwest cherries, apples and pears, grossing about $6300 to New York City.
Specialty products are now the focus of Flavor Tree Fruit Co. LLC of Hanford, CA and no one item seems bigger than its Verry Cherry plum – a high-brix fruit cross between various cherry and plum varieties.
Flavor Tree expects to begin harvesting Verry Cherries this year in about the third week of June, with shipments extending into August.
This year’s volume is projected to grow by over 100 percent compared to 2018, totaling about 500,000 boxes this year.
The Verry Cherry is described as being juicy like a plum and having the size of a small plum. On the cherry side, it is painted as sweet with a nice cherry flavor.
Flavor Tree also exports the Verry Cherry to China, which amounted to about 40,000 boxes in 2018, despite facing tariffs of 50 percent.
The company has rights to almost all Verry Cherries grown, with about 450 acres in production, mostly grown in the Hanford area.
Two E. coli outbreak investigations linked to romaine lettuce in 2018 took its toll in overall lettuce per capita availability. One of those probes led to a six-day hiatus of all romaine sales helping lead to a plunge of 20 percent, according to a new report.
Dragged sharply by lower lettuce availability, the latest per capita numbers on fresh vegetables reveal a reduction of 8 percent in 2018 compared with 2017.
Not counting potatoes and melons, the USDA reported 2018 fresh per capita vegetable availability was 144.81 pounds, down from 157.45 pounds a year ago.
The biggest fresh vegetable per capita declines from 2017-18, by percentage, were:
- Squash: 4.43 pounds, down 22 percent.
- Head lettuce: 12.33 pounds, down 19 percent;
- Leaf lettuce: 12.29 pounds, down 19 percent;
- Onions: 20.39 pounds, down 19 percent; and
- Broccoli: 5.93 pounds, down 17 percent.
With the decline in availability — what growers have shipped — and consumer reluctance to purchase romaine the wake of the E. coli outbreaks, romaine sales were down 18 percent by value and 17 percent by volume in 2018, according to IRI/Fresh Look Marketing,
Compared with 2017, the USDA said the top 5 gains in per capita availability for 2018, by percentage, were:
- Carrots: 8.53 pounds, up 16 percent;
- Asparagus: 1.76 pounds, up 9 percent;
- Snap beans: 1.68 pounds, up 8 percent;
- Cucumbers: 7.99 pounds, up 8 percent; and
- Celery: 4.98 pounds, up 5 percent.
The change in per capita consumption over the last decade shows winners and losers in a bigger context. Total fresh vegetable per capita availability in 2018 of 144.81 pounds is 1 percent higher than 2008.
Compared with 2008, the fresh vegetables with the biggest gains in per capita availability in 2018, by percentage, compared to 2008, were:
- Southern greens: 2.89 pounds (2018), up 64 percent;
- Cauliflower: 2.44 pounds (2018), up 55 percent;
- Asparagus: 1.76 pounds (2018), up 48 percent;
- Cucumber: 7.99 pounds (2018), up 25 percent; and
- Bell peppers: 11.16 pounds (2018), up 18 percent.
Biggest reductions in per capita availability over 10 years, from 2008 to 2018, according to the USDA, were:
- Head lettuce: 12.33 pounds, down 27 percent;
- Sweet corn: 6.75 pounds, down 26 percent;
- Cabbage: 5.71 pounds, down 29 percent;
- Celery: 4.98 pounds, down 20 percent; and
- Snap/green beans: 1.68 pounds, down 15 percent.
By California Giant Berry Farms
Watsonville, CA – California Giant has been building their year-round berry shipments over the past several years in response to customer demand for increased volume of all four berry types. This year the company reports a milestone with fresh blueberries.
The company expects the summer blueberry crop to begin just in time for July holiday promotions both in retail and foodservice. Availability of fresh California Giant organic and conventional blueberries will continue throughout the summer and into the fall when the season moves to Mexico & South America. Again, the company has developed long term relationships with farming partners in those regions as well enabling a smooth transition from one region to another allowing promotions to continue.
Due to higher demand over the past 5 years, fresh California Giant blueberry volume has increased each year by anywhere from 15 to 30 percent.
However, summer volume from the Pacific Northwest in 2019 will increase by 45 percent over just last year. The conventional program will increase by 25 percent over last year, and the organic blueberry volume is expected to increase by 90 percent over 2018. The significant increase in California Giant brand blueberries is due to efforts in building grower partnerships, specifically in Oregon, allowing the company to ship most of their summer blueberries domestically reducing food miles.
California Giant is looking forward to this new program addition as the company will provide good volume of both conventional and organic blueberries now on a year-round basis.
“We have worked together at California Giant to develop long term partnerships with our blueberry farming partners and are excited to see these relationships come together to benefit both of us. We look forward to sharing details with our trading partners about our expended blueberry program and the volume we will bring to the table with both conventional and organic fruit just in time for summer,” says Markus Duran, North American Blueberry Operations Manager.
By Butterfly Equity
LOS ANGELES, CA — Butterfly, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Bolthouse Farms from Campbell Soup Company (NYSE:CPB) for $510 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments.
Founded in 1915 and based in Bakersfield, CA and Santa Monica, CA, Bolthouse Farms is a vertically integrated food and beverage company focused on developing, manufacturing and marketing proprietary, high value-added natural, healthy products. The company has leading market positions in fresh carrots and refrigerated premium beverages in the U.S., along with a strong and growing presence in refrigerated salad dressings. Bolthouse Farms benefits from access to over 65,000 acres of premium growing land, nationwide fresh distribution capabilities, and a state-of-the-art carrot and beverage processing facility. The company has approximately 2,200 employees and operates facilities in Bakersfield, California, Hodgkins, Illinois, Wheatley, Ontario and Prosser, Washington.
Bolthouse Farms is Butterfly’s fourth investment within its “seed to fork” approach to investing in food across agriculture, aquaculture, food and beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Going forward, Butterfly Operating Partner Jeff Dunn will assume the role of CEO of Bolthouse Farms, where he previously served as President and CEO from 2008 until 2012, when it was acquired by Campbell Soup Company. He continued leading the business for Campbell Soup Company from 2012 until his departure from the company in 2016.
“We are thrilled to partner with a vertically-integrated produce and fresh food leader with a history as rich as Bolthouse Farms, and we believe the company’s future is very bright especially given the continued rise of plant-based food in the diet of today’s consumer,” said Butterfly Co-Founder Adam Waglay.
“We are proud to support Bolthouse Farms in further bolstering its strong positioning within fresh carrots and chilled premium beverages, and are excited to back a group of seasoned operators as passionate about produce as Jeff and his team to lead what is already a strong organization,” said Dustin Beck, Butterfly’s other Co-Founder.
“Bolthouse Farms holds a special place in the produce industry and my team and I are deeply committed to strengthening and broadening Bolthouse Farms’ unique legacy,” said Mr. Dunn. “We can’t wait to get started.”
The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions and is expected to occur in summer 2019.
Butterfly was advised by Kirkland & Ellis on legal matters in connection with the transaction. Campbell Soup Company was advised by Centerview Partners, Goldman Sachs and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP.
About Butterfly:
Butterfly Equity (“Butterfly”) is a Los Angeles, California based private equity firm specializing in the food sector, spanning the entire food value chain from “seed to fork” via four target verticals: agriculture & aquaculture, food & beverage products, food distribution and foodservice. Butterfly aims to generate attractive investment returns through deep industry specialization, a unique approach to sourcing transactions, and leveraging an operations-focused and technology-driven approach to value creation. For additional information about Butterfly, please visit its website at www.butterflyequity.com.