Posts Tagged “feature”
Chilean grape loadings should be up, while Chilean avocado loadings should be down this season at U.S. ports. On a larger scale, U.S. imports and exports of fresh produce are increasing.
The first Chilean grape shipments were launched last week and should arrive by boat at Philadelphia in time for distribution prior to Christmas. Last season Chile exported about 10 million cartons of grapes to the United States. This season the initial report pegged the season total to be in the 11 million to 11.5 million carton range.
Chile’s avocado export volumes could take a tumble this season, in part due to the ongoing drought. As a result the country may only ship half the amount of fruit it did last season, or potentially just over a third.
The drought is drastically affecting avocados, mainly in the Valparaiso region where about 75 percent of national production is located.
Looking beyond just imports from Chile, the USDA predicts fresh produce imports will outpace exports. U.S. fresh produce exports will reach $7.9 billion in fiscal year 2015.
Strong exports of fresh fruits and vegetables will help total U.S. horticultural exports reach record levels. At $7.9 billion, fresh fruit and vegetable exports for fiscal year 2015 (October 2014 through September 2015) are forecast 6.4 percent ahead of fiscal year 2014’s total of $7.42 billion. The U.S. exported $600 million in fresh berries to Canada in FY 2014, representing the biggest commodity export value to any country. U.S. berry exports to Canada were 2 percent down from 2013 but 5 percent above 2012. U.S. exports of lettuce to Canada topped $400 million, and both grapes and apples tallied more than $200 million in export sales to Canada. The top export to Mexico was apples at $257 million, down about 25 percent compared with 2013.
The USDA is projecting even stronger growth for U.S. imports of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruit imports in FY 2015 will total $10.3 billion, 8.9 percent higher than 2014 and 23 percent above fiscal year 2013. Fresh vegetable imports are forecast at $7.1 billion in 2015, 7 percent above FY 2014 and 8 percent above fiscal year 2013.
The top imported fresh commodity in 2014 was Mexican tomatoes at $1.6 billion, 1 percent above 2013. U.S. imports of Mexican avocados surged in value in 2014, rising from $920 million to $1.23 billion.
Mexican tomatoes and other vegetables crossing at Nogales, AZ – grossing about $6800 to New York City.
Mexican avocados and other tropical fruit, plus Rio Grande Valley, Tx citrus – grossing about $2800 to Chicago.
When you lay your reputation on the line, both as a company, and personally, you had better come through.
It is no accident that after 20 years in the industry, Lorne Swartz’s newest venture, Scout Logistics Corporation of Toronto, ON has delivered on its promise to provide owner operators with important services.
Besides offering some of the highest paying loads in North America, Lorne says Scout Logistics has a no fee, 24-hour Quick Pay guarantee on all produce hauls. He also says the company offers 24-hour dispatch, plus over 90% of their loads involve one pick up and one drop. Drivers are also able to stay connected with daily emails of available loads direct to their inbox through the company’s FREE Carrier Connect service.
“Currently, we arrange about 20,000 loads a year out of California, or about 400 truckloads a week, – 95 percent of these loads are in fact produce,” states Lorne Swartz, president.
Dani Etkin, Vice President of Business Development adds, “We have more than 1,000 owner operator partners who we work with on a regular basis. We know them personally – they visit our office on a regular basis and we trust each other implicitly -We give them the best rates and they know we’ll take care of them.”
By working for over 20 years with some of the largest produce companies in North America, Scout has built a relationship of mutual trust with both customers and carriers which results in fewer claims and rejected loads.
Scout Logistics works with a majority of its owner operators almost exclusively and provides both in-bound and out-bound freight opportunities.
“We try to build the business of our carriers, because when they are successful, we are successful,” says Swartz. “We’re always looking for new ways to make our carriers lives easier, just last year we redesigned our private load board, Carrier Connect, making it easier for carriers who are on the road to view loads and contact the dispatcher responsible, in just one click.”
Besides its Toronto headquarters, Scout Logistics has branch offices in London, ON, as well as Lebanon, NJ with plans to expand into Florida and Texas in coming months.
While the company is strongest with loads originating out of California and Arizona, it also does a sizeable business from South Texas and Florida as well as loads transitioning into Canada.
Fresh produce is involved in a new service at a Florida port ranging from avocados to bananas, limes mangos and pineapples.
Port Manatee, located at Palmetto, FL is starting a two-way service with Mexico that includes fresh fruits and vegetables. The Port of Coatzacoalcos in the southern part of Mexico is involved in the new service, which got underway several weeks ago.
The calls at the port are scheduled to be carried out by the continer ship Falmouth, which has a nominal capacity of 862 TEUs, or 20-foot equvilent container units and is equipped with 204 plugs to provide power to refrigerated containers. The service is being promoted as the quickest short sea connection from Mexico to the United States Southeast, Northeast and Mid-west.
“Port Manatee’s proximity to Mexico is ideal for this service, said Carlos Diaz, the line’s business director. “This new fast connection will offer reduced costs and enhanced delivery of fresher product to consumers east of the Mississippi.”
Port Manatee bills itself as the largest capacity port on Florida’s west coast. Institution of the service builds upon the port’s history of successfully handling refrigerated products and its cross Gulf proximity to Mexico.
More produce loadings are available at three ports in the Southestern United States.
According to fiscal year 2014 statistics, more than 1 million 20-foot equivalent units — the standard measurement for cargo containers — moved through Port Everglades, almost evenly split between imports and exports. A continually increasing portion of the import units were filled with fresh produce, primarily from Central America and South America.
PortMiami is the only U.S. port with direct, non-stop access to the U.S. interstate highway system. Its rail and highway connections are promoted as ensuring that perishable goods reach 70 percent of the U.S. population in four days or less. It boasts same-day delivery of perishable goods to markets in central Florida, with next-day service to markets in Atlanta and the Southeastern U.S.
PortMiami has 228 million square feet of warehouse space with more than 13 new bulk warehouses under construction. It also lays claim to being the U.S. port closest to Latin America and the Caribbean, resulting in shorter shipping times and extended shelf life for perishables.
Last summer, the Port of Savannah, GA, announced it would import South American citrus, grapes and blueberries that “will arrive sooner and last longer for consumers in the Southeastern U.S.”
South American fresh fruit destined to the Savannah port has traditionally been shipped to Northern U.S. ports. Delivery to Savannah means fruits won’t have to be trucked as far to reach Southeastern markets, allowing fresher fruit and longer shelf life.
Vegetable shipments are typically down this time of the year, but it will be even lighter than normal the remainder the year for many items.Although the Yuma area in Arizona is experiencing warmer weather, there have been plenty of cold spells and morning frost. Thus, it will take a while for Yuma vegetable shipments to rebound.
Oxnard will probably be the main supplier on celery going into Christmas.
Celery shipments will most likely be light through the New Year and into January. As a result, there will be a later start for harvest, probably after Christmas in the desert.
Cauliflower is in a similar situation. It was to start in the desert the week of Thanksgiving, but the pace is more of a crawl than a sprint.
A similar situation is found as well with various with head lettuce, romaine, and other lettuces. Head lettuce is averaging around 1200 truck loads per week, but volume really drops off for other desert items ranging from broccoli to cauliflower, celery, escarole-endive and greens.
If winter weather cooperates, there should be a significant increase in desert vegetable shipments after the New Year. The same can be said for winter produce shipments from Mexico crossing through Nogales.
California and Arizona desert veggies – grossing about $4000 to Chicago and $7300 to New York City.
Here is a glimpse of produce loading opportunities on Mexican produce shipments crossing the border into Texas, as well as domestic citrus shipments from the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
In 2013, about 170,000 truckloads of fruits and vegetables from Mexico came into the United through the ports of entry in South Texas, making it the leading state in the country for imports of fresh produce.
Approximately 40 to 45 percent of the fresh produce consumed in the United States is imported.
It has been estimated annually an additional 500,000 truckloads of goods (not just produce) will travel through Texas into the United States because of the ease of driving across Mexico through the mountains and into the Lone Star State.
There’s probably more Mexican avocados crossing the border into the Lower Rio Grand Valley of Texas now than any other produce item – averaging about 800 truck loads per week. There is also much lighter volume with various tropical fruits.
In South Texas, shipments of domestic grapefruit is averaging about 200 truck loads weekly, with oranges amounting to about one-half this volume.
There also is light volume with Wintergarden District cabbage, which is located just south of San Antonio.
South Texas domestic citrus and Mexican tropical fruit – grossing about $2900 to Chicago and about $4500 to New York City.
By the California Walnut Commission
FOLSOM, Calif. — A new animal study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease indicates that a diet including walnuts may have a beneficial effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset, slowing the progression of, or preventing Alzheimer’s disease.
Research led by Abha Chauhan, PhD, head of the Developmental Neuroscience Laboratory at the New York State Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities (IBR), found significant improvement in learning skills, memory, reducing anxiety, and motor development in mice fed a walnut-enriched diet.
The researchers suggest that the high antioxidant content of walnuts (3.7 mmol/ounce)1 may have been a contributing factor in protecting the mouse brain from the degeneration typically seen in Alzheimer’s disease. Oxidative stress and inflammation are prominent features in this disease, which affects more than five million Americans2.
“These findings are very promising and help lay the groundwork for future human studies on walnuts and Alzheimer’s disease – a disease for which there is no known cure,” said lead researcher Dr. Abha Chauhan, PhD. “Our study adds to the growing body of research that demonstrates the protective effects of walnuts on cognitive functioning.”
The research group examined the effects of dietary supplementation on mice with 6 percent or 9 percent walnuts, which are equivalent to 1 ounce and 1.5 ounces per day, respectively, of walnuts in humans. This research stemmed from a previous cell culture study3 led by Dr. Chauhan that highlighted the protective effects of walnut extract against the oxidative damage caused by amyloid beta protein. This protein is the major component of amyloid plaques that form in the brains of those with Alzheimer’s disease.
Someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s disease every 67 seconds, and the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are expected to rapidly escalate in coming years as the baby boom generation ages. By 2050, the number of people age 65 and older with Alzheimer’s disease may nearly triple, from five million to as many as 16 million, emphasizing the importance of determining ways to prevent, slow or stop the disease. Estimated total payments in 2014 for all individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are $214 billion2.
Walnuts have other nutritional benefits as they contain numerous vitamins and minerals and are the only nut that contains a significant source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (2.5 grams per ounce), an omega-3 fatty acid with heart and brain-health benefits4,5. The researchers also suggest that ALA may have played a role in improving the behavioral symptoms seen in the study.
This study was supported in part by funds from the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities and the California Walnut Commission.
About California Walnut Commission The California Walnut Commission, established in 1987, is funded by mandatory assessments of the growers. The Commission is an agency of the State of California that works in concurrence with the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA). The CWC is mainly involved in health research and export market development activities. For more industry information, health research and recipe ideas, visit www.walnuts.org.
By the Produce for Better Health Foundation
The vast majority of shoppers cite the importance of eating fresh produce, but they also find it to be a hassle, according to a new report.
Since 1991, Produce for Better Health Foundation (PBH) has been dedicated to producing a healthier America through increased fruit and vegetable consumption. PBH conducts regular consumer surveys to identify psychosocial factors associated with fruit and vegetable consumption in an effort to monitor progress and inform industry, health influencers, and policy makers. Primary shoppers were surveyed in 2012 and 2014 and are the basis for PBH’s latest report, Primary Shoppers’ Attitudes and Beliefs Related to Fruit & Vegetable Consumption 2012 vs 2014.
Highlights from the report include:
- Shoppers Eat More
- More than 80% of primary shoppers think it’s important to eat fruit and vegetables and nearly that same percentage find them enjoyable to eat.
- Consuming Fruit & Vegetables Can Be A Chore
- Concerns about spoilage is cited as more of a problem in 2014 than two years prior when it comes to increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables.
- Favorability
- Despite the fact that shoppers recognize the health benefits of eating fruit and vegetables, virtually all forms of fruit and vegetables (fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and 100% juice) are viewed less favorably in 2014 than two years prior.
- Communications
- Primary shoppers report that TV news segments, supermarket flyers or newspaper ads, and signs on supermarket displays are the most effective ways to communicate with them when they are making a food decision.
- Income Differences
- Lower income households consume fewer fruit and vegetables than higher income households, yet they equally perceive that they consume enough.
- Motivated Purchases
Two out of three shoppers are favorable toward the Fruits & Veggies—More Matters® national health campaign and brand and appreciate the message as a reminder to eat more fruit and vegetables.
You know there’s a glut of potatoes available when you can go into your local supermarket and find a 10-pound bag of russets for $1.49, while a five-pound bag of the same spuds is selling for $2.47. That means plenty of potatoes for hauling this season. In fact, truck shortages are being reported in most of the major shipping areas, ranging from Idaho to Washington, Colorado and Wisconsin.
Idaho grows and ships about one-third of all U.S. potatoes each year. The state’s 2014 harvest, which recently completed, yielded about 13 billion pounds of potatoes from a little over 320,000 acres. That is enough potatoes to fill 500 football stadiums 10 feet high.
Idaho potato shipments should be pretty normal this season. Known for its russet potatoes, over the past decade, growers have diversified and now have an assortment of specialty potato varieties. The state is the number one shipper of fingerling potatoes, and Idaho is now the number two shipper of red potatoes.
Twin Falls, Idaho potatoes – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
U.S., Canada Potatoes
About 508 million cwt. of potatoes potentially will be shipped in the U.S. and Canada this season, 2 percent more than last season. U.S. fall production is estimated at 406 million cwt., Canadian production at 102 million cwt. The U.S. total is 3 percent higher than in Fall 2013. Canada’s production is down 1 percent. Production is up in the U.S. even though acreage is down. About 926,000 acres were harvested this fall, down from 934,000 acres last fall. Yields rose, however — from 425 cwt. to 439 cwt. per acre. Harvested acreage in Canada fell from 351,000 acres to 342,000 acres. Yields rose from 292 cwt. to 298 cwt. per acre.
San Luis Valley, Colorado potato shipments – grossing about $2700 to Atlanta.
Columbia Basin, Washington potato shipments – grossing about $3000 to Chicago.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin potato shipments – grossing about $3400 to Dallas.
Florida produce shipments
Florida isn’t exactly a hot bed for produce haulers this time of the year, but when you get right down to it, neither is Nogales, the Arizona and California deserts, or many other places. But here’s what’s happening in Florida, or will be occurring in the weeks and months ahead.
Grapefruit shipments provide some of the best loading opportunities. It started in October and will continue through April, although January through March provides the biggest volume. Florida typically ships 18 to 20 million boxes of grapefruit each season. Pink grapefruit comprises about 70 percent of the shipments, and Florida remains the world’s largest shipper of commercial grapefruit.
Winter veggies provide light to moderate loading opportunities out of Florida this time of the year. The state ranks second nationally in bell pepper shipments, which kicked off last October and should be available through June, Florida is number one in both sweet corn and snap bean shipments., which started in November and should continue through May. Typically April and May are the top two months for Florida veggies loadings.
Tomato shipments are just coming into decent volume and will be available through the spring. Loadings are originating from the Palmetto-Ruskin area, as well as Immokalee. There also is light volume with cherry and grape tomatoes from Central Florida.
Strawberry shipments from the Plant City area provide some of the best Florida hauling opportunities during the winter. Light volume is under way and good volume will be available in the next week or two. Shipments will continue into the middle of March.
Florida blueberry shipments have seen dramatic increases in recent years, but won’t be available until March, continuing through May….Likewise, watermelon shipments will start in mid-March and continue to early June. In fact, Florida is the only state shipping watermelons during much of this time period.
Central and South Florida vegetables and tomatoes – grossing about $2700 to New York City.