Posts Tagged “feature”
California grape shipments get underway later in April, plus we’ll take a look at Washington cherry shipments, starting in May.
The 2015 season for California grapes is expected to mirror 2014 in timing, beginning with late April in the Coachella Valley and running through January in the San Joaquin Valley.
California’s table grape growers shipped their second-largest crop ever last season, sending 110 million 19-pound boxes of grapes to consumers worldwide.
The top volume export markets included Canada at 11.4 million 19-pound boxes, followed by Mexico at 5.7 million and China/Hong Kong at 5.5 million. Just over 40 percent of the total crop volume was exported.
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments are increasing – grossing about $5300 to Cleveland.
Washington Cherry Shipments
Cherry pickings should begin picking around May 20th, with the first bing peak shipping period to start about June 8-10, while the rainier peak is seen around June 15-30.
At this point the season appears it will start about five to 10 days ahead of normal, making it the earliest Washington cherry crop in six years.
Assuming the early cherry crop makes it through frost season unscathed, it could mean even greater loading opportunities leading up to the Fourth of July.
Peak Washington cherry shipments should occur between the first week of June and to the first week of July. However, keep in mind there is still a lot of weather to get through in the next month or so.
Washington apple shipments, Yakima Valley – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
California cherries should provide much better loading opportunities than a year ago.
In 2014 only 3 million 18-pound boxes were shipped. However, this season volumes could reach 6 million to 7 million boxes. Compared to the near crop failure a year ago, 2015 looks a lot better, but cherry shipments will not be huge.
South of Stockton, cherry shipments should start in Bakersfield, Arvin and Shafter with the brooks variety around April 25th. The main variety, bings, should hit peak loadings May 24th to June 4th.
Barring hail damage and other adverse weather, California cherry shipment could hit 7 million packages with a stretched out season from April 20th to June 10th.
Mainly because of another warm winter and lack of chill hours, Kern County has some orchards that are very challenged to set a crop. Particularly the tulare variety looks very light in tonnage just out of the Bakersfield area. Brooks and coral champagne look better for tonnage, but there are a fair amount of doubles and spurs based on last summer’s excessive heat.
Last year’s bloom was bizarre, especially in Stockton. The pollinization timing was off, the top of the tree bloomed after the bottom. It was completely out of whack, but this year’s bloom is much more compact and uniform.
While waiting on cherry shipments to begin, here’s a couple of other more active areas for California produce shipments.
Huron head lettuce, romaine and leaf – grossing about $7200 to New York City.
Ventura County berries and vegetables – grossing about $4500 Chicago.
The first domestic sweet onion shipments in the U.S. should get underway this week from South Texas, with product from Georgia shortly afterwards.
Texas Onion Shipments
The Lower Rio Grande Valley is just starting to dig sweet onions, with shipments of this product from South Texas to get underway within days. This is taking place the same week that onions crossing the border from Mexico are expected to end. Likewise, storage onions from Idaho, Oregon and Washington are also finishing up.
The Lone Star States is expected to have about 3,500 acres of its well-known spring onions, which are usually shipped for about six weeks from early April to mid-May. The 3,500 acres represents about a 2,000-acre decrease in plantings from a year ago.
South Texas produce shipments (grapefruit, oranges, cabbage) and Mexican produce shipments (tomatoes, watermelons, tropical fruit, vegetables) – grossing about $2800 to Chicago; about $4800 New York City.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black has set April 27 as the official shipping start date for Vidalia onions, although growers can ship before April 27 if their onions meet federal inspection requirements and are under “positive lot identification” as approved by the Federal State Inspection Service. This means Vidalias shipped before 4/27 cannot be sold as Vidalias.
Bland Farms, Glennville, Ga., has challenged the 4/27 start date in court and a judge in Atlanta ruled in favor of Bland Farms. However, the state has appealed the ruling.
A panel of three judges of the Georgia Appeals Court heard arguments Jan. 14 and have taken the case under advisement. They did not indicate when they may issue a decision.
Bland Farms, contends Black violated state law by trying to impose a new rule instead of going through the state’s legislature. The growing/shipping operation has some of the southern most fields in the Vidalia onion growing districts and believes its onions mature earlier, and should be allowed to ship under the Vidalia name prior to 4/27.
Leadership is not community organizing. Leadership is when you step up to the plate, take a firm grip on the bat, and face the challenge of the curve ball on the outside corner. Thereby, setting the example for others to follow.
From the outset this president has failed miserably when it comes to leadership. You don’t sit in the White House and wait for things to happen. You don’t constantly carp about Congress’s lack of inaction and then head to the golf course. You don’t blame and criticize the former president for billion dollar deficits while all along creating trillion dollar deficits of your own.
If you ask people who was the worst president in modern history the answer always comes back Jimmy Carter. But Jimmy Carter was the one who took the bull by the horns and got Egyptian President Anwar El Sadat and the Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin to Camp David.
Carter provided the leadership that resulted in the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt which stands to this day. Not an easy task! For the most part the election of our president is a popularity contest. The average American on the street doesn’t know the first thing about what goes on in the world. Nor do they seem to care. We are a spoiled lot. We take our liberty for granted and we don’t understand how easy it is to lose the liberty that so many Americans have given their lives for.
We are too willing to trade liberty for government handouts these days. Liberty is more important than life itself. It was one of our founding fathers, Patrick Henry, who coined the phrase, “I know what course others may take, but as for me give me liberty or give me death.”
This cell phone generation we are now raising may just wake up one day and find out they live in a far different world than the hope and change they envisioned and voted for. A world where a
tyrannical government rules them based on a narrow set of religious beliefs and enforces those beliefs with a deadly iron fist. After all, if we don’t guard our liberty and the freedom to live our lives as we wish, we can all say hello to tyranny. Or maybe we should just follow our presidents’ lead and go play golf!
Larry Oscar is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and holds a degree in electrical engineering. He is retired and lives with his wife on a lake in Oklahoma where he brews his own beer, sails, and is a member of numerous clubs and organizations.
Opal apples is experiencing a record-breaking fifth season, reaching new highs in volume as well as the number of consumers reached. Opal made its first appearance this season in November and is expected to run through April.
Opal achieved a high record in weekly volume after delivering over 1 million pounds of fresh Opals to retailers across the United States and Canada in the seven-day shipping period ending March 8. Season-to-date, the average weekly volume is running 28 percent higher compared to last season. Also, the number of retailers in the Opal program has reached record highs with 85 percent of the top retailers in the U.S. and Canada carrying Opals for their consumers. In addition, Opal has seen a jump in consumer reach after executing a robust marketing campaign reaching over 1.1 million people.
“We’re having a great Opal season with tremendous momentum,” Keith Mathews, chief executive officer of FirstFruits Marketing of Washington, said in a press release. “Consumers are telling us how much they love the apple, retailers are having great pull-throughs and consequently, we’re experiencing record shipments. We’re so honored to have solid retail relationships to help us sell through nearly 1 million pounds of Opals in one week. Without their support, we could not get Opals to consumers.”
Grown in Washington by Broetje Orchards, Opal apples are sold exclusively in North America by FirstFruits Marketing. The company said this cross between Topaz and Golden Delicious stands out on the shelf with its yellow color and great taste. While Opal is non-GMO it does naturally resists browning after slicing.
by The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council
Given the forecast and coinciding with the recent World Day against Cancer, the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) wants to share some facts that can help us live a healthier life and may help prevent this disease.
According to a recent study run by Harvard University, which analyzed over 100,000 people over 30 years, nut consumption was inversely associated with total mortality by over 20%, disregarding the cause, and had an inverse relationship with some of the most common causes of death, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.
This study, the largest ever conducted investigating the effect of nut intake on mortality, concluded that participants who ate a daily handful of nuts reduced the chance of mortality due to cancer by 11%, compared to those who didn’t consume any nuts. Dr. Ying Bao concluded that “nut consumption was inversely associated with mortality, independently of other risk factors”.
In another study also run by Dr. Bao called “Nut consumption and risk of pancreatic cancer in women”, it was revealed that frequent nut consumption is inversely associated with the risk of pancreatic cancer in women, independent of other potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer.
Besides nuts, dried fruits are also suggested for cancer prevention, as they are as healthy as their fresh equivalent and high in polyphenols, which are strong antioxidants that may protect DNA against damage, decrease inflammation and prevent cancer.
Properties and Benefits
A number of scientific studies have demonstrated the health benefits of nuts and dried fruits. All these benefits are attributed to the multiple components that these products have, such as vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, arginine, plant sterols and phytochemical compounds. Furthermore, they have a low content of saturated fatty acids, among others.
About the INC
The International Nut & Dried Fruit Council (INC) groups nearly 700 companies of the nut and dried fruit sector from over 70 countries. INC is the international organization of reference as regards nuts and dried fruits, health, nutrition, food safety, statistics, international standards and regulations.
Spring Florida produce shipments are shifting towards high gear!
Florida produce shipments for this spring are shaping up to be a good one for produce haulers because of excellent weather and growing conditions.
Vegetables being harvested in the Sunshine State range from tomatoes to snap beans, sweet corn, cabbage, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, celery, squash, lettuce and other leaf vegetables. Florida citrus shipments continue, while the strawberry harvest has concluded, but blueberry loadings are ramping up.
The state grows and ships over 350 commodities.
Weather didn’t pose any significant obstacles to growers this season as the state has experienced a mild winter.
Tomato shipments for both grape and cherry tomatoes from the Palmetto/Ruskin areas of Florida should get underway about April 10th, while romas and rounds should follow around April 17-20.
Tomato shipments should reach seasonal norms the week of April 6 or the week of April 13.
South Florida fresh potato shipments commenced in early February and will continue until early to mid-May. Peak Florida potato shipments are occuring during March and April.
Florida red, yellow and white potatoes – grossing about $2975 to Dallas.
Florida mixed vegetables – grossing about $3400 to New York City and about $3100 to Chicago.
If you are planning on hauling strawberries and vegetables grown south of San Diego and across the border on the Baja pennisula, you probably will be better off going elsewhere.
Mexican strawberries and vegetables grown in Baja California are facing supply disruptions because of a strike by farm workers.
The extent of the effect on supplies remains unclear, but there are definately fewer loads available at San Diego area warehouses, which are distributors for the produce items destined for markets in much of North America. Losses on strawberries are reported to be substantial, causing millions of dollars in losses.
The strike began March 17 in Baja’s San Quintin valley, where workers are seeking an increase on current eight-hour pay from the U.S. $7.94 to $8.60 range to about $19.84, or 300 pesos. San Quintin is 118 miles south of Ensenada.
Strawberry shipments crossing the border through the Otay Mesa district in the San Diego area have been very low. About 27 percent of Mexico’s strawberry harvest comes from Baja California. Vegetable shipments from other crops produced there include tomatoes, green onions, squash, carrots, peas and broccoli.
Meanwhile, until the labor issues are resolved produce truckers should have better luck obtaining loads with Southern California avocados, or perhaps various berries and vegetables out of Ventura County.
Oxnard (Ventura County) lettuce, cabbage, celery and berries – grossing about $4800 to Chicago.
Relating to produce shipments originating on the East Coast this time of year, Florida deservedly is receiving the most attention as vegetable volume is rapidly increasing. However, this is more of a report on other Eastern areas that are shipping.
If you want more info on Florida vegetable shipments, there have been a few recent posts that go into more detail, plus an update is coming this Wednesday, April 1st – and this is not an April fool’s joke!
New York Produce Shipments
The state’s biggest volume is with storage onions, most of it coming out of Orange County. averaging about 125 truck loads per week…..The next biggest mover is with apples coming out of the Hudson and Champlain Valleys, as well Central and Western areas of the state. New York is a leading cabbage shipper, but volume is now in a seasonal decline.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $3100 to Orlando.
Maine Potato Shipments
Aroostrook County in northern Maine is shipping about 150 truck loads of potatoes weekly.
Maine potatoes – grossing about $1400 to Boston.
Appalachian Apple Shipments
Volume is light, but apples are being loaded in the district comprised of portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
North Carolina Sweet Potato Shipments
With Easter closing in on April 5th, sweet potato shipments from the Eastern areas of the state are increasing, now surpassing 300 truck loads per week.
NC sweet potatoes – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
South Carolina Vegetable Shipments
There certainly are not any truck loads here, but the Lexington area has very light volume with greens and green onions.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
From Southern Georgia there are light shipments of broccoli, carrots and greens.
Chiquita Brands International Inc. is still moving containers through the Port of Gulfport even after relocating its shipping operations to the Port of New Orleans.
The (Biloxi, Miss.) Sun Herald reports congestion in New Orleans is keeping the Charlotte, N.C.-based Chiquita operating in the Mississippi port.
After a 40-year absence, Chiquita in October returned to the Port of New Orleans.
Chiquita had planned to end its containerized goods handling at Gulfport by December 31, but Gulfport tenant Crowley Maritime Corp. Inc., Jacksonville, Fla., was still shipping northbound Chiquita produce containers into the port, according to the Sun Herald.
Gulfport director said the two ports are working to “alleviate congestion issues at the port of New Orleans,” according to the report.
Chiquita’s transition to New Orleans remains on schedule and Chiquita was expected to continue moving some cargo through Gulfport while the New Orleans port makes improvements, a New Orleans port official said in the report.
For Chiquita, the New Orleans port planned to invest $2.2 million in improvements in refrigerated-container electrical infrastructure and at a distribution and ripening facility leased to Chiquita. Imported bananas provide huge volume from Chiquita throughout North America.