Posts Tagged “feature”
During the next decade, Florida orange production could sink by another two-thirds unless better solutions to the fatal bacterial disease citrus greening aren’t found.
That’s the worst-case scenario presented recently to the Florida Citrus Commission in a new, long-term citrus production forecast by Marisa Zansler, chief economist at the Florida Department of Citrus, and Tom Spreen, emeritus professor of agricultural economics at the University of Florida and a department consultant. The commission is the Citrus Department’s governing board.
Spreen presented three forecasts based on different computer models of the future, including one based on no research breakthroughs on greening and no change in current production trends, such as declines in yield, or the boxes of fruit harvested per tree, and in the shrinking number of trees and commercial grove acres.
The pessimistic model projects Florida growers harvesting 27.3 million boxes of oranges in the 2026-27 season. That compares to 81.6 million orange boxes harvested in the recently completed 2015-16 season and 242 million boxes in 2003-04, the last season unaffected by greening or hurricanes.
“I hope that scenario is not more likely,” Spreen said. “It’s a very scary picture. There’s no other way to put it.”
One factor affecting yields on greening-infected trees has been a significant increase in the levels of pre-harvest fruit drop, which began appearing in the 2011-12 season. Other factors include smaller fruit size, which means more fruit to fill a standard box, thus a lower total harvest.
But the most optimistic scenario makes some big assumptions, including investing at least $500 million in planting new trees at a 255 percent replanting rate over the number of trees lost each season, he said. Growers would need to sustain that rate every year over the next decade.
The current replanting rate is 50 percent, largely because many growers are unwilling to make the investment until researchers find better methods against greening.
Even at that aggressive replanting rate, Florida growers would produce just 100 million orange boxes in 2026-27, or less than half the production 12 years ago.
Florida growers can achieve the optimistic scenario, said Spreen, citing high levels of replanting in the late 1980s and early 1990s following three major destructive freezes in 1983 to 1989.
But it would take a scientific breakthrough in breeding a new citrus tree that is tolerant or resistant to greening, he added. Tolerance means the tree would get infected but suffer less damage, notably yield loss, and resistance means the tree would be less susceptible to infection.
“We just need that light at the end of the tunnel to show up, and then we’ll see a burst of new planting similar to what we saw in the 1980s,” Spreen said.
by Bridges Produce
This Fall, Bridges Produce is debuting a new label in the U.S. for the fresh organic cranberries from Patience Fruit & Co. This new label, “Patience,” was chosen to reflect the belief that doing things the right way is better than rushing through them. Growing cranberries organically takes more effort, more thoughtfulness, more respect for nature, but the results are worth it.
The relationship between Patience, formerly known as Fruit d’Or, and Bridges Produce began over 16 years ago and has evolved as the companies and the organic market has grown. During the 2014 season Bridges became the exclusive fresh sales representative for Fruit d’Or in the U.S., selling 8 oz. bags and 7.5 oz clamshells. The following season they debuted a 12 oz. poly bag, a size that is in high demand for use in many recipes. For the 2016 fresh cranberry season, all pack styles and sizes will be branded as Patience Fruit & Co.
The group of Quebec growers practice organic farming to minimize their ecological footprint. They believe in working with nature and following its rhythms rather than trying to work against it. For example, they use a “closed circuit” water system where rainwater and melted snow are collected in a drainage basin and used to irrigate the fields and flood them for harvesting. They also rely on 6 million bees to help pollinate the cranberry plants. Growing organically is not the easiest way but yields the best results.
Their superior quality fruit as well as their sustainable growing practices make Bridges so pleased to continue their partnership with Patience Fruit & Co. This year the pack styles Bridges will offer include 12 oz. and 8 oz. poly bags, 7.5 oz. clams, and a 22 lb bulk box. They are available for shipping from Los Angeles and New Jersey October through December. Patience Fruit & Co. also has a line organic dried cranberries, dried mixed berries and artisan blends available as well.
For more information regarding fresh organic cranberries contact Bridges Produce at: info@bridgesproduce.com 503-235-7333
by Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico
URUAPAN, Mexico – The Avocado Producers and Exporting Packers Association of Mexico (APEAM) is pleased to report strong shipments to the U.S. market, as the Mexican avocado industry moves swiftly to resume normal operations after a temporary shipping delay caused by a work stoppage in Mexico earlier this month. Harvesting in Mexico resumed on October 15th, and APEAM initially projected shipping 40 million pounds of avocados to the U.S. last week (October 24 – 28). The industry surpassed that projection and shipped a total of 51.6 million pounds – one of the largest weeks ever for Mexican avocado shipments to the United States.
APEAM expects the distribution system to be fully back on track over the next 10 days. This will enable the industry to fulfill ongoing demand throughout the coming months including football season, Thanksgiving and the Holidays.
Weekly avocado shipments now projected through December have been increased by about 10 percent from previous estimates for a total projection of 469 million pounds for the mid October to December time period.
Last year, the U.S. consumed over two billion pounds of avocados with about 80 percent of the supply coming from Mexico. With the updated projections, Mexico is on track to support the strong U.S. demand for avocados through its network of importers, retailers and foodservice partners.
About APEAM
APEAM is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 to represent the Hass avocado industry throughout Mexico in its export program for the brand Avocados From Mexico. APEAM is dedicated to developing and implementing stringent quality measures to ensure the production of the finest avocados available anywhere, worldwide. APEAM currently represents more than 19,000 growers and 46 packinghouses.
Mexican avocados, tropical fruit and vegetables crossing the border in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of (Pharr) Texas – grossing about $3700 to New York City; Chicago about $2300; and Atlanta, GA, about $2100.
Salinas Valley lettuce shipments are on the decline and the seasonal transition to the San Joaquin Valley is underway. Also, here is an update on potato shipments out of the nation’s leading state – Idaho.
Harvest of iceberg lettuce from the Westside district in the San Joaquin Valley in the Huron, CA area got underway about 10 days ago and volume shipments are increasing.
The seasonal transition of lettuce from California’s Salinas Valley to Huron and to desert growing regions of Arizona (Yuma) and California (Imperial Valley) are underway. Although some minor insect problems and wind damage have occurred, other all quality of the iceberg is reported to be good.
Salinas Valley fruit and vegetable shipments – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
San Joaquin Valley vegetable shipments – grossing about $5100 to Atlanta.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Idaho potato acreage is reported to be very similar compared with a year ago, and Idaho potato growers and shippers are looking at good quality crop with a good range of sizes for the 2016-17 shipping season. Yields are reported to be fairly good.
About 325,000 acres of Idaho potatoes were planted this year, compared with 323,000 acres planted a year ago. The state’s potato crop accounts for about 33 percent of all U.S. potato volume.
According to the USDA Idaho’s 2015-16 crop was being shipped throughout the season, with top shipment months occurring in September (12 percent of annual volume), October (12 percent), April (11 percent), March (9 percent) and May (9 percent). The comparatively lower volume months were July (6 percent) and August (6 percent).
For the state’s acreage in the 2014-15 season, Russet Burbank potatoes stood at 50.4 percent of the shipments, down from 52.5 percent in 2013-14. Russet Norkotah volume accounted for 17 percent of the acreage, down from 20.1 percent in 2013-14 shipping season. Ranger Russet rose from 14.2 percent in the 2013-14 season to 15.5 percent in the 2014-15 shipping season.
Idaho potato shipments from the Idaho Falls area – grossing about $3000 to Chicago; $5000 to New York City.
Patients with kidney disease eating three to four more servings of fruits and vegetables every day could lower their blood pressure and nearly cut medication costs by 50 percent, new research suggests.
The findings stem from the multi-year tracking of a small group of patients, in which standard medical treatment was compared with the simple nutritional intervention. The goal: to see which approach did a better job at driving down both blood pressure and drug expenses.
The result on both fronts showed a clear win for healthy food.
Dr. Nimrit Goraya, author of the study, described the links seen between increased fruit and vegetable intake, kidney disease control and lower medication expenses as “huge.” And “the impact was visible from the very first year. This study has been done over five years, but every year since the therapy with fruits and vegetables began, we were able to lower medications,” she noted.
The program director for nephrology with Baylor Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, TX and her colleagues recently presented their findings at an American Heart Association meeting on blood pressure, in Orlando, FL
The heart association points out high blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. The kidneys and the circulatory system depend on each other for good health.
In all, 108 kidney disease patients were enlisted in the study, all of whom were taking similar doses of blood pressure drugs. Patients were divided into three groups. One group was treated with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), the standard treatment designed to neutralize the lingering acid that kidney patients typically struggle to excrete. Failure to excrete can lead to abnormally high acid levels, a condition known as “metabolic acidosis.”
A second group was not prescribed sodium bicarbonate, but instead was provided three to four servings of fruits and vegetables a day. These patients were not instructed to alter their usual diet beyond consuming their new fruit and vegetable allotment.
A third group was not treated in any way.
The result: After five years, systolic blood pressure (the top number in a reading) was pegged at 125 mm Hg among the fruit and vegetable group, compared with 135 mm Hg and 134 mm Hg, respectively, among the medication and no treatment groups.
What’s more, those in the food group were taking considerably lower doses of daily blood pressure medication than those in the other groups, the study authors said.
This translated into a near halving of the food group’s total expenditure on such drugs, down to roughly $80,000 over five years compared with an average total of more than $153,000 among each of the other two groups.
A modern packing facility is being built by Pioneer Growers Co-op of Belle Glade, FL, which will transition the Glades’ oldest corn and bean packing operations to one of the region’s newest.
It will include 37,000 square feet of refrigerated storage space and 12,000 square feet of refrigerated processing area for the organization’s sweet corn and green beans and have over 50,000-square-foot for the packing operation.
With a projected opening of March 1st, the cooperative broke ground on the new venture over the summer.
Construction crews demolished Pioneer’s aging facilities, which were constructed in 1955.
Among the improvements are refrigerated docks, food safety capabilities and updated components from the receiving docks to hydrocooling.
There are nine truck bays to receive and ship product at the multi-million dollar plant. It also has five more bays used in an existing tray packing line, an ice plant for filling crates of corn with ice as well as offices for sales and shipping operations.
The new building is slightly smaller than the older operation, but increased efficiencies from new racking capabilities should allow increased handling.
Construction of the packinghouse represents the third and final phase of a renovation program Pioneer’s grower-owners started in 2008. The first phase was a new corn tray packing facility, which will be housed in the new operation. The second phase involved construction of a new corn receiving and hydrocooling area.
For Gene Duff, executive vice president and general manager, the new building represents an investment in the future.
Founded in 1950, Pioneer’s 12 grower members grow 14,000 acres of corn in Florida and Georgia from October to July. The growers grow on 4,000 acres of beans in Florida and Georgia and in Florida, around 2,000 acres of cabbage and radishes.
During the summer, Pioneer Growers Co-op sources sweet corn from the states of Michigan, Delaware and New York.
Outlook — California citrus shipments will be down this season, while Chilean blueberries arriving in North America are expected to increase. We also take a peak at New York state produce shipments.
With a final shipment of California navels, the total was about 94 million cartons for the 2015-16 season, which was the second largest on record. The upcoming season is expected to be 10 to 15 percent less, amounting to about 84 million cartons.
The California navel orange crop as well as the specialty citrus – led by mandarin oranges – are coming along fine. Harvesting and shipping of navel oranges should be getting underway any day now, while mandarin shipments have already started. California continues to the leading shipper of fresh market citrus in the United States. While early shipping volumes for mandarins have been down a bit, the crop matures, the numbers are expected to increase.
San Joaquin Valley grapes and vegetables – grossing about $4100 to Chicago.
Chilean Blueberry Imports
The U.S. and Canada received 69 percent of the 91,500 metric tons of blueberries exported by Chile during the 2015-16 season. Light blueberry harvest began in August, with peak volume expected to begin at the end of November and continue until the first or second week of March.
Forecast volume to the U.S. is expected to rise about 3 percent this season. During the 2015-16 season, Chilean exporters shipped 15 percent of all blueberry exports by air, and the rest by ocean container.
New York Produce Shipments
Apples are the largest volume produce item being shipped this time of the year, ranging from the Hudson Valley to the Champlain Valley, the central part of the state (Ithaca area). There’s shipments from Western New York (Buffalo) area stretching eastward along the southern shores of Lake Ontario all the way to Oswego. The state expects to ship about 30 million cartons of apples this season and will rank a close third in volume behind Michigan.
There also is moderate volume of cabbage shipments from central and western areas of the Empire state. Orange County, New York is moving a moderate, but steady volume of storage onions.
By Western Growers
IRVINE, Calif. – Western Growers has revamped its Produce Price Index (PPI) website to allow consumers to easily identify the price difference between what customers pay at grocery stores for fresh produce and what farmers actually receive for their products. In an effort to educate consumers and stakeholders on how much farmers receive for the fruits and vegetables they grow, the PPI details the selling price at the farm, the average price charged at major retail stores and the percentage spread between the two.
“The escalating input costs farmers have to pay in order to sustain a nutritious and reliable global food supply is often overlooked,” said Tom Oliveri, director of trade practices & commodity services at Western Growers. “With this improved Produce Price Index, we’ll continue to educate the public on the gap between farm and retail prices, as well as help consumers understand the pricing structure in the agriculture industry.”
Western Growers has been providing pricing data on fresh produce items since 1996. The index, which is now outfitted with an improved interface and easier navigation, highlights how farmers continue to remain price takers rather than price makers. Many consumers do not realize that on average farmers receive less than 16 cents of every $1 spent on food. Due to rising input costs for farmers—including labor, water, land and other resources—and the continuous implementation of costly buyer and regulatory demands, the historically-lean profit margins for fresh produce farmers continue to tighten, requiring continuous innovation by farmers in order to maintain the long-term economic viability of many family farming businesses.
The PPI is updated weekly and lists prices from U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago and New York. Users now have the ability to search the database by commodity, date range and location. Visit the PPI website at http://www.producepriceindex.com/. For more information, contact Tom Oliveri at (949) 885-2269.
About Western Growers:
Founded in 1926, Western Growers represents local and regional family farmers growing fresh produce in Arizona, California and Colorado. Our members and their workers provide half the nation’s fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts, including half of America’s fresh organic produce. For generations we have provided variety and healthy choices to consumers. Connect with and learn more about Western Growers on our Twitter and Facebook.
By Scott Farms International
Scott Farms International, based in Lucama, N.C., has long been one of the leaders in the sweet potato industry. Keeping in that tradition, the Scott Family continues to expand and innovate.
In just two short years, the grower-shipper has built a 60,000 sq. ft. automated packing facility, opened an additional international office, and completed construction of an 80,000 sq. ft. storage and curing facility. All to the betterment of sweet potatoes.
“Sweet potato consumption is growing in the US and around the world”, Linwood “Sonny” Scott, Jr. said. “We built our automated line with the expectation it would offer a more consistent pack for our customers. It was only natural we move on to the next phase with more storage, as well.”
The company boasted 1.6 million bushels of environmentally controlled storage before adding another 600,000 bushels in the new facility. “Increasing our storage capacity will help us serve our domestic and international markets better and more efficiently”, Dewey Scott, Vice President, Sweet Potato Operations, said. “Our new office in the Netherlands will complement our already successful office in the UK. Our domestic business is growing with the trends in consumption as well. Scott Farms is committed to being at the front of the industry with quality, consistency and safe products.”
In addition to infrastructure expansions, the operation is expanding product lines as well. In August, their new Steam-In-Bag line was added to complement their other added-value products. “The Steam-In-Bag product is starting to gain traction with our retail customers”, Stephanie Williams, Director of Sales for Scott Farms, said recently. “Our customers are the driving force for us. We are in a unique position as the grower, packer and shipper of our sweet potatoes to have control of the entire process from the plant to the customer. It is great to be able to offer the quality and consistency we do for our customers.”
Key Facts:
- Scott Farms is a sixth generation family owned farm
- Incorporation date – 1980
- Scott Farms International office opened in the United Kingdom – 2005
- 2.2 Million bushels of environmentally controlled storage and curing
- 60,000 sq. ft. packing facility opened – March 2015
- Second Scott Farms International office opened in Holland – 2016
- Additional 80,000 sq. ft. storage and curing facility opened – October 2016
Located on approximately 13,000 acres in North Carolina’s sweet potato and tobacco heartland of Wilson and surrounding counties, the company has been in continuous operation and expansion for 150 years. The sixth generation, family owned farm specializes in growing corn, wheat, soybeans, tobacco and sweet potatoes. The Scott Family employs a hands-on approach to supplying the highest quality products to the marketplace with efficiency while maintaining the strictest food safety standards. The addition of a 60,000 sq. ft. grading and packing facility for sweet potatoes has allowed the operation to expand the reach of supply to the international market, as well as, opening Scott Farms International offices in the United Kingdom and Holland.
Florida is pretty dead for produce shipments this time of year, but a faint “pulse” will be found with new season citrus. Nogales is another dead spot, but here’s a preview of when it is expected to come to life. Finally, Mexican avocado loads through South Texas are coming back, joining a number of other produce items.
Florida’s Indian River citrus harvest has just started, making it 10 days to two weeks later than normal due to excessive rains, that were compounded by the arrival of Hurricane Matthew. Matthew dumped up to seven inches of rain on the region, but the brunt of the storm was further north. While Vero Beach sustained 70 mph-80 mph winds, wind speeds hit 50 mph-60 mph in the groves. In Central Florida, harvesting started about a week earlier than Indian River. Florida citrus really dodged a bullet and in the weeks ahead normal shipments are seen.
Nogales Produce Shipments
This is one of the slowest times of the year for Mexican produce crossing into Nogales, AZ for distribution to U.S. and Canadian markets. The next big volumes will occur from January through March. A second, but smaller surge typically takes place from mid-April through June. Tomatoes have historically led produce shipments through Nogales from Mexico, but watermelon volume has increased to the point it could over take tomatoes. Other big volume items range from squash to peppers and many other winter vegetables. A significant factor in the growth and popularity of Mexican grown produce is due to many California farming operations investing and marketing produce from south of the border. They see lower production and labor costs with fewer stifling rules and regulations, which continue to come with doing business in California….Kind of sounds like trucking in California, doesn’t it.
Mexican Avocado Shipments
A projected 40 million pounds of avocados were expected to be shipped to the U.S. for the week ending October 21st. Mexican volume, entering the U.S. primarily through South Texas, had fallen sharply to 13.7 million the week of Oct. 10 – 14.
There had been a strike by Mexican workers with the primary issue revolving around sales negotiations between the growers and packers. The dispute apparently has been resolved.
Mexican tropical fruit, tomatoes and vegetable shipments through South Texas – grossing about $2100 to Chicago.