Posts Tagged “feature”
Here’s a glimpse of produce shipments from Mexico crossing the border at McAllen, Tx, plus some domestic items coming out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Sweet onion shipments from Mexico and Texas are expected to start later than normal this year. By contrast, in the Northwest storage onion shipments could last longer than normal simply because there is such a big volume.
Mexican sweet onions shipments are expected to start crossing the border into South Texas in good volume by the middle of March, which would be three to four weeks later than normal. South Texas sweet onions also are behind schedule and should get underway around mid to late March…..Meanwhile, imports of sweet onions from Peru are expected to wrap up by the end of February.
Meanwhile, there’s dozens of other items crossing the border from Mexico into the Lower Rio Grand Valley. Mexican avocado shipments are averaging over 500 truck loads per week. There also are lesser amounts of produce shipments ranging from Mexican strawberries and limes to tropical fruits and vegetables.
While much of the Texas produce growing over the past couple of decades has shifted to south of the border, South Texas growing operations are still in business.
Texas grapefruit shipments are averaging around 200 trucks loads weekly, with Texas oranges amounting to roughly one-half this amount…..The Lower Rio Grande Valley, as well as the Winter Garden District, which is closer to San Antonio, are shipping cabbage in light, but increasing volume.
South Texas produce shipments – grossing about $2800 to Chicago and $4700 to New York City.
Apple shipments continue to be one of the best bets for produce haulers this time of the year, but with the huge amount of product remaining in storage could present some problems when it comes to claims.
About 3 million boxes of apples are being shipped weekly, mostly from Washington state, but so much fruit remains, there are rumblings of how well some apples are holding up in storage. One problem cited is with shrinkage, particularly with the Honeycrisp variety, as well as with the smaller sized fruit sold in club stores in larger sized bags. Additionally, there have been reports of problems with some Fuji apples. Some are lacking full color, but more importantly is the problem of the fruit showing decay.
It is reported some of the poorest quality apples are being dumped, along with some sizes and grades that marketers are unable to sell. Still, just use extra caution when picking up a load.
As of February 1st, there were about 95 million bushels of domestic apples for the fresh market remaining to be shipped. That is a whopping 24 percent more than a year ago. The total for February also is an astounding 35 percent greater than the five-year average.
Washington state apples account for about 84 million of the 95 million bushels of the fruit still in storage. Michigan apples accounts for about 3.9 million, while New York apple shippers have 3.8 million and Pennsylvania about 1 million bushels.
There also are concerns among some shippers with the arrival of March when southern hemisphere apples begin arriving, will it hurt sales and shipments. Imported apples often cost more, but that could become secondary to apple buyers (such as retailers) if the domestic fruit is coming out of storages with quality issues.
Western Michigan apples – grossing about $3500 to Dallas.
Hudson Valley, New York apples – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
Yakima Valley, Washington apples – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
by Staff Reporter, University of Montreal
Canadian men’s eating habits are associated with the availability of healthy food sources in their residential neighborhood but women’s are not, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHUM hospital.
“We found that, for men only, intake of fruit and vegetables was positively associated with the proportion of healthy food outlets around home,” explained Christelle M. Clary of the university’s department of social and preventative medicine, who led the study. Why men Canadian men’s eating habits are associated with the availability of healthy food sources in their residential neighborhood but women’s are not, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHUM hospital.
“We found that, for men only, intake of fruit and vegetables was positively associated with the proportion of healthy food outlets around home,” explained Christelle M. Clary of the university’s department of social and preventative medicine, who led the study. Why men and not women? “This may be because women, who are in general more nutritionally knowledgeable, may engage in different food shopping strategies than men, and rely on other aspects of the food environment than the proportion of food stores locally available,” suggested Professor Yan Kestens, who directed the study.
The study was based on data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS), and looked at the eating habits of 49,403 Canadians living in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa (including Gatineau, Quebec). The food outlets of each city were mapped using a database containing information on the type and location of all food businesses. For the purpose of this study, supermarkets, grocery stores, fruit and vegetable stores and natural food stores were considered as potential sources of “healthy foods” (especially fruits and vegetables), while convenience stores and fast-food restaurants were considered less healthy food sources.
By Hass Avocado Board
IRVINE, Calif. – A moderate fat diet that includes one fresh avocado daily showed greater improvement in certain blood lipid markers when compared to an energy matched moderate fat diet without avocado or a low fat diet without avocado, according to new research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Elevated cholesterol in the blood can increase risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the United States. A heart healthy diet can play an important role in keeping your cholesterol levels within a normal range. For example, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats and increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables.
The research, “The Effect of a Moderate Fat Diet With and Without Avocados on Lipoprotein Particle Number, Size and Subclasses in Overweight and Obese Adults – A Randomized, Controlled Trial,” conducted at Pennsylvania State University,evaluated whether incorporating one fresh avocado into the diet daily for five weeks could reduce bad cholesterol levels more than a diet that incorporated monounsaturated fat from vegetable oils high in oleic acid as a substitute for one fresh avocado. The diets were matched for calories and macronutrients, but not for fiber, phytosterols, or other bioactives.
The researchers found that only the avocado diet significantly improved the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL, or “good” cholesterol (TC-HDL/C) and the ratio of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, to HDL-cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C). The low fat diet did not reduce these ratios, and the reduction with the avocado diet was significantly greater than with the moderate fat diet. Additionally, the avocado diet achieved the greatest reduction in LDL-cholesterol compared to the low fat diet and moderate fat diet without avocados.
The study offers several possible explanations as to why the moderate fat diet with avocado had a more beneficial effect on certain biomarkers than the moderate fat diet without avocado, one of which may be the unique combination of vitamins, minerals, fiber, phytosterols, and other dietary bioactives that avocados provide that were not present in the other two diets. One fact worth noting is that the diet that included avocado provided 35 percent more fiber than the diets without avocado. Furthermore, these results are based on the consumption of one whole avocado each day. Additional research is needed to determine whether the results could be replicated with consumption of the recommended serving size of 1/5 of an avocado per day.
“The results of this study suggest that the monounsaturated fat, fiber, phytosterols and other dietary bioactives in avocados may provide greater benefits to cardiovascular disease risk factors compared to a calorie matched low fat diet,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, Ph.D., RD, lead author of the study who is an expert in cardiovascular nutrition and Distinguished Professor at the Pennsylvania State University. “Furthermore, using novel advanced lipid testing methods, this study demonstrated that consumption of one avocado a day may affect atherogenic lipoprotein particle numbers (APL).”
While the conclusions drawn are from a single study that cannot be generalized to all populations, the study does provide further insights on the monounsaturated fat, fiber, phytosterols and other bioactives in avocados that may have a positive effect on CVD biomarkers such as LDL cholesterol in healthy overweight and obese adults. “Avocados, which contain naturally good fats, are a versatile, cholesterol-free and nutrient-dense fruit that can fit into a full range of healthy eating plans. Now we’re adding to the body of evidence suggesting a relationship between avocados and heart health,” said Emiliano Escobedo, executive director of the Hass Avocado Board, which underwrote the study.
Here is a glimpse of imports arriving at American ports in the weeks ahead ranging from blueberries to apples and pears.
Chilean blueberries will be arriving is good volume through March. In early February about 48,000 tons had been shipped to North America, which accounted for about 65 percent of Chile’s total blueberry exports this season to date.
Pear exports from both Chile and Argentina to the U.S. should increase this season, however, a huge Washington apple crop is expected to limit Chilean apple exports to here.
The first Chilean bartlett pear shipments arrived in Long Beach, CA the week of January 26th. Moderate volumes should be arriving within the next week, with higher volumes by February 20th. Peak volume arrivals should occur throughout March before starting to taper off in April. What is not known is whether West Coast labor problems could result in some fruit being diverted to East Coast ports.
Regardless, pear volumes should be up over last season, when Chilean fruit was hit hard by freezes, but comparable to a normal year.
In addition to Chilean pears, Argentina bartlett pears should begin arriving about two weeks after Chile, with peak volumes starting the first week of March.
Chilean Apples
Chilean galas should start to arrive in the U.S. in mid- to late March, but how many will come this season remains a question, mostly due the big Washington crop.
Southern California imported fruit – grossing about $4300 to Chicago.
Nogales Produce Shipments
As the Midwest and Northeast endured one blizzard after another in late January and early February, it was 90 degrees in the vegetable fields of Culiacan, Mexico. As a result, shipments may not been as brisk as normal, but shipments still are heavy.
Eggplant loadings should increase leading up to Ash Wednesday (February 18), as retailers double their eggplant orders for Catholics to find a meaty item to replace meat in their diets, particularly in markets such as Chicago, Philadelphia and Boston, which use a lot of eggplant during Lent.
Besides eggplant, this is a peak shipping period for Mexican items ranging from bell peppers to broccoli, cucumbers, green beans, watermelons, tomatoes and squash.
Concerning spring Mexican grape shipments, it is still early, but initial reports note excellent weather and growing conditions. Initial harvest is expected around May 1st, with crossings at Nogales starting soon afterwards.
Here’s a list of some of the Nogales produce shippers: Bay Area Produce, Big Chuy Distributors, Calavo, Crown Jewels Produce, Delta Fresh Produce, Fresh Farms, Franks Distributing, Lisa Inc., Pacific Tomato Growers, P.D.G. Produce, Tepeyac Produce and Weis-Buy Farms.
Mexican vegetables crossing the border at Nogales – grossing about $1300 to L.A.; $3200 to Chicago; and $5400 to New York City.
Hang in there, spring may be a little closer than you think, although the official beginning of the season is March 20th. This is good news if you are looking to haul Florida vegetables.
Florida Produce Shipments
Winter vegetable harvests and loadings had been delayed because of the cold dating back to November. However, a warmer December is expected to result in some south Florida vegetable shipments occurring earlier than normal.
As a result, spring vegetable loadings in South Florida which normally get underway in early March could very well start in late February. South Florida produce volume has been lower than normal for several weeks now for items ranging from bell peppers to chili peppers, squash and eggplant. Florida never is that good for produce haulers this time of the year, and loading opportunities have been compounded by horrendous winter weather in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Consumers get out less to grocery shop, which reduces demand for vegetables.
South Florida red potato shipments have recently started.
Plant City, FL area strawberry growers are picking everything in sight as they wrap up their pre-Valentine Day’s shipments.
South Florida vegetables – grossing about $3200 to Boston.
Central Florida strawberries, vegetables – grossing about $2300 Chicago.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam called for increased funding to fight citrus greening, which is threatening to decimate Florida’s famed citrus crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture revised its estimate recently for the 2014-15 harvest season to 103 million boxes of oranges, a decline from the forecast released in 2014.
“Now is the time to put all the resources we can toward fighting citrus greening,” said Commissioner Putnam. “We must do what we can to save Florida’s signature crop, an industry that generates $9 billion in annual economic impact and supports 76,000 jobs for Floridians.”
The USDA announcement estimates 103 million boxes of oranges will be harvested this season, down from the forecast of 108 million boxes announced in 2014 and also a decline from the 104 million boxes produced in 2014, the lowest on record. This represents a total decline of 60 percent since the peak of citrus production at 254 million boxes in 1997-98.
“State and federal governments, along with Florida’s citrus growers, have dedicated more than $230 million to support research over the past decade, and there are some promising leads,” Commissioner Putnam said. “I’ve requested an additional $18 million from the state this year to continue in-depth research, grow clean citrus stock, and replant where diseased trees have been removed.”
Nearly three months ago Haulproduce.com reported that refrigerated rail service McKay TransCold LLC of Eden, MN had closed its doors. Now it has been learned TransCold Logistics LLC, parent company McKay TransCold LLC has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation with debts of about $7 million.
The refrigerated rail service was launched in May 2014.
McKay TransCold worked with BNSF Railway to operate the TransCold Logistics hub-to-hub, dedicated refrigerated boxcar train between Selma, CA and Wilmington, IL. The operation began with two trains pulling 50 refrigerated boxcars in each direction, making the trip in four days.
It offered cold storage in California and as of September 2014 was still planning to add cold storage services in Illinois.
The company posted $2.47 million in gross revenue for 2012, according to court documents. In 2013 gross revenue dropped to about $533,000. In 2014 they climbed back to $5.23 million.
The company has a total of secured claims of $865,533, all owed to Marquette Transportation Finance, Minneapolis. Its total unsecured debt is about $5.9 million.
The top five unsecured debts are:
**** BNSF Railway Co., Chicago, $3.37 million;
**** KLLM Transport Services LLC, Birmingham, Ala., $735,486;
**** National Carriers Inc., Kansas City, Mo., $519,918;
**** Werner Enterprises Inc., Chicago, $384,830;
****NLCS-Wilmington, Ill., $235,945.
The first produce train service to fold in 2014 was Cold Train Express Intermodal service that suspended service last summer. Cold Train saw its on time service on BNSF’s Northern Corridor plummet from 90 percent in November 2013 to only 5% percent last April. Cold Train said the reason relates to soaring oil and coal shipments by rail.
By Fresh Solutions Network
The NPD Group just released their 29th annual Eating Patterns in America report, and finds that an increase in meals from home is one of the single biggest changes in eating patterns in Americans in the last five years.
“We are eating more meals in our homes, but not cooking more dishes,” says Harry Balzer, vice president of The NPD Group and author of the report. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the fresh potato category, where the white-hot microwaveable/steamable segment has seen dollar sales shooting up a scorching 31 percent for the latest 52-week period ending 9/27/14, according to data from Nielsen FreshFacts®.
One potato brand is uniquely positioned to take advantage of these trends to satisfy Americans who want fresh, nutritious food fast and with a minimum of fuss. Side Delightsâ Steamables™ are triple washed, fresh, whole, small potatoes in a microwave safe package that is ready to serve in just 8 minutes. And Steamables are the ONLY microwave-ready potato brand that uses light-blocker packaging technology to keep potatoes fresher and protected from greening due to harsh store lighting.
Side Delights Steamables come in 7 delicious potato varieties – Russet, Red, Golden, White, Purple, Fingerling and Sweet Potatoes – the most expansive lineup in the steamable segment. And the inclusion of Purples, Fingerlings and Sweet Potatoes brings together these rapidly growing specialty potato types with the on-trend convenience of microwave cooking.
“Retailers have a tremendous opportunity with offering their shoppers more quick and convenient ways to enjoy fresh potatoes” said Kathleen Triou, President and CEO of Fresh Solutions Network. “Side Delights Steamables gives them a complete lineup of gourmet potatoes that appeal to time-starved families as well as Millennial shoppers, all packaged using the latest technology to protect their premium quality.” While Triou recommends merchandising Side Delights Steamables in the produce department with other fresh potatoes on an everyday basis, she notes that the big volume opportunities come from displaying these high-impulse potatoes near rotisserie chicken in the service deli or adjacent to the ready-to-heat entrees in the meat department.
Side Delights Steamables are perfectly positioned for today’s busy consumer – the fast, easy, delicious way to serve fresh potatoes with any meal!
About Fresh Solutions Network, LLC: Fresh Solutions Network is where potato growers work together for individual growth and category success. Fresh Solutions Network helps the most sophisticated potato and onion buyers grow their categories, fill product gaps, maximize category investment, and increase sales. We reinvented the procurement model by introducing a direct-supply “dream team.” Our approach gives you unprecedented access to competitive insights, collaborative innovation and optimal potato and onion assortment. Fresh Solutions Network Partners grow, pack, sell and deliver potatoes and onions directly to their retail and foodservice customers, providing seamless, transparent product supply and service. Fresh Solutions Network, LLC partners are: Sterman Masser, Inc. (Masser Potato Farms and Keystone Potato Products in Sacramento and Hegins, PA), Michael Family Farms, Inc. (Urbana, OH), Basin Gold Cooperative, Inc. (Pasco, WA), Green Thumb Farms, Inc. (Fryeburg, ME), Red Isle Potato Growers, Ltd. (Prince Edward Island, Canada), NoKota Packers, Inc. (Buxton, ND), and Sun-Glo of Idaho, Inc. (Sugar City, ID).