Posts Tagged “feature”
Super Starr International of Colima, Mexico will be entering the New Year with good volumes of cantaloupe, honeydew, and Hami melons. The firm papaya and melon grower, shipper, and processor.
The company experienced a great season last year and expects an even better season this winter with increased production.
For three generations, Super Starr has farmed in the U.S. and Mexico to produce year-round winter melons and papayas by growing, packing, and shipping in-house. The firm indicates that it controls the quality of its products from planting the initial seed to store shelves. The grower provides the only Fair-Trade-certified papayas on the market.
Peruvian onions imported by the U.S. have increased from 130,807 metric tons in 2018 to 164,734 metric tons in 2022, according to statistics from the USDA.
The total value of U.S. imports of Peruvian onions rose from $52.3 million in 2018 to $67 million in 2022, the USDA said.
The value of U.S. imports of Peruvian onions topped $412.30 per metric ton in 2022, up from $406.50 in 2021 but down from $446 per metric ton in 2020, according to trade numbers from USDA.
Peru accounted for 12% of total U.S. onion imports in 2022, the same share as in 2018.
In 2022, Peru shipped onions to the U.S. in every month but June, according to the USDA. The top shipment months were October through December, accounting for more than half of Peru’s total onion shipments to U.S.
However, Peru shipped a significant volume of onions to the U.S. from September through March.
The total number of U.S. fresh apples in storage remaining to be shipped as of Nov. 1 is up 32.4% over a year ago.
U.S. Apple Association of Falls Church, VA recently released its November 2023 USAppleTracker, which indicates the United States industry is holding 190.7 million bushels of apples. This compares to November 2022’s total of 144 million bushels. This is 19.8% above the five-year average for Nov. 1.
Washington by far had the greatest state fresh apple holdings, with 152.3 million as of Nov. 1, 2023. New York is second with 14.9 million bushels, and Michigan is a close third, with 12.3 million. Pennsylvania has 5.4 million bushels. Oregon reports 942,000 bushels and no other state is close to one million.
By volume, Honeycrisp is the largest fresh apple variety in storage this November, with 30.2 million bushels. Gala is a close second, at 29.2 million bushels and Red Delicious is third at 26.4 million. Granny Smith and Fuji register 22.5 million and 18.3 million, respectively.
In November 2022, U.S. fresh apple holdings were 103.0 million bushels. In November 2021, the total was 115.6 million.
Processing apple holdings totaled 50.6 million bushels, 23.2 percent more than last year on November 1.
Fresh apple holdings in February 2023 totaled 140.2 million bushels, 36.1% more than the inventories reported for November 2022.
This report captures more than 95% of the national storage capacity. The statistics are compiled by USApple.
The Peruvian Producers and Exporters Association (Provid) forecasts a 9 percent decline in grape exports for the 2023-24 season. If the prediction holds this would amount to about 65 million 18-pound boxes.
As of November 1, Peru had exported 14 million boxes, about 28% of the total projection. Some 38 percent of Peruvian grapes are exported to the U.S.
Provid blames most of the decline on adverse weather including El Niño Costero, resulting in heavy rains and flooding in Peru’s northern coastal regions.
There also was cyclone Yaku which brought similar conditions to Tumbes, Piura and Lambayeque, some of the main producing regions in the country.
The U.S. continues to be the leading destination for Peruvian grapes, in part because the U.S. domestic production is currently lower than expected.
Chilean blueberries imported by the U.S. totaled 45,982 metric tons in 2022, up from 42,458 metric tons in 2021 and up from 42,608 metric tons in 2020, according to the USDA.
U.S. imports of Chilean blueberries in 2020 were reported from August through April, with peak supplies in January and February.
The value of U.S. imports of Chilean blueberries totaled $4,605 per metric ton in 2022, down slightly from $4,675 per metric ton in 2021 but up from $4,533 per metric ton in 2020.
Chile provided 19% by volume of U.S. imports of fresh blueberries in 2022, down from 20% in 2021 and down from 23% in 2020, according to the USDA.
U.S. imports of Chilean blueberries (metric tons):
- 2018: 62,185 metric tons;
- 2019: 51,701 metric tons;
- 2020: 42,608 metric tons;
- 2021: 42,458 metric tons; and
- 2022: 45,982 metric tons.
Starting in November, Live Oak Farms of Le Grand, CA began importing product from its farming operations in Mexico to help complete a 52-week cycle of availability on green and red bell peppers, according to a news release.
“The message has been loud and clear from both our retail and foodservice customers, we need you to be in the game year-round,” Damon Barkdull, vice president pepper sales for the fourth-generation grower-packer-shipper, said in the release. “We’re excited to begin this next chapter in Live Oak’s history.”
Historically, Live Oak has focused on its crops close to Le Grand in the San Joaquin Valley, from July through October. Those crops included mature green tomatoes — round and Roma — along with chili peppers and green, red and yellow bell peppers. With Live Oak’s hire of Pete Aiello, vice president pepper programs, came the addition of programs in Coachella and Bakersfield to help extend that California window.
With its program in Sinaloa, Mexico, Live Oak says it now has bell pepper coverage 52 weeks a year. Live Oak is expecting green bells to begin crossing in late November and red bell peppers as early as the second week of December into Nogales, AZ.
In addition to bringing Mexico peppers to its customers, Live Oak says it plans to expand its portfolio of product in both conventional and organic vegetables, including but not limited to Italian squash, yellow squash, cucumbers and an expanded array of chili peppers.
Live Oak expects the Mexico pepper program to carry it into May for a smooth transition into its California crop.
Costa Rica is the primary exporter of fresh pineapple in the world, according to the Foreign Trade Promoter of Costa Rica (Procomer). Also, the United States is the main destination for the fruit.
The National Chamber of Pineapple Producers and Exporters (CANAPEP) reports pineapple contributes 1.90% of the country’s GDP, and about 34% of the country’s agricultural exports.
CANAPEP reflects U.S. per capita consumption of pineapple used to be low because most of the fruit that came from Mexico which had quality issues.
When Costa Rica entered the U.S. market with the Golden mb-2 pineapple, it was so well received that today Costa Rica supplies 84% of the fruit.
The United States also receives pineapple from Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, and Panama.
Costa Rica’s pineapple production level has reached a peak, now producing about 48,000 120,000 acres, generating a volume of more than 160,000 containers per year of fresh pineapple. On a weekly weekly basis, the country averages 2,300 containers being exports to various markets.
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California’s desert regions shift into high gear with winter vegetable shipments as many other parts of the country go into the proverbial deep freeze.
Imperial County grows more than 65 commodities, with head and leaf lettuces, broccoli, spinach and carrots among its primary crops. Likewise, Coachella Valley grows everything from cabbage to carrots to cauliflower.
Due to mild temperatures in these Colorado Desert regions, along with Central Coast locations such as Salinas and Oxnard, produce haulers have loading opportunities throughout the winter for fresh produce including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, lettuces and celery.
When cooler temperatures hit Northern California and the weather becomes wetter in the winter months, many growers head south for the season to Yuma, AZ., or Mexico. However, some prefer to farm certain commodities in California’s desert regions.
Ocean Mist Farms in Castroville, Calif., grows a small percentage of its winter crops in Yuma, as well as Salinas Valley and Oxnard, yet the company reserves Coachella Valley as its primary winter growing region due to its abundant resources and ideal winter climate. The company’s winter crops grown in Southern California include artichokes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, fennel, lettuces and spinach.
Higher than normal temperatures have led to an earlier-than-usual harvest for some crops and may cause issues with seed stems in the romaine and iceberg lettuces.
To help mitigate the issue, growers will often harvest the lettuce a bit earlier, which leads to smaller sizing and lower weight.
However, the romaine crop looks good, and the growing conditions have been very nice.
Boskovich Farms in Oxnard, grows spinach and cilantro crops as well as parsley, cabbage, celery and bok choy on its Ventura County farmland.
Ocean Mist expresses confidence it will be able to provide a strong supply of winter vegetables and was in full production for Coachella Valley crops Nov. 27.
Texas Citrus Mutual of Mission, TX reports fresh citrus shipments should be similar to last season.
The trade association expects the industry expects to ship about 4.5 million cartons of grapefruit and 2 million cartons of oranges.
South Texas citrus harvest began in October with peak loadings of Texas citrus typically running from November through March.
Although the crop may be close last year, this is about 50% of a 20-year average. Growers are taking out older trees and planting younger trees. Quality is reported as very good.
Texas has three major fresh citrus shippers and a couple of smaller companies. Fresh shippers Lone Star Citrus and The Wonderful Company. both of Mission, TX, also have juice plants.
According to USDA reported numbers, Texas grapefruit-bearing acreage declined from 16,400 acres in 2017 to 10,500 acres in 2023.
Orange-bearing acreage also decreased, from 8,000 acres in 2017 to 5,900 acres in 2023, according to USDA data.
Within oranges, USDA numbers reported mid/navel variety acreage went from 5,800 acres in 2017 to 3,600 acres in 2023.
Valencia orange acreage declined slightly, from 2,200 acres in 2017 to 2,300 acres in 2023, according to USDA numbers.
While real estate development of citrus groves continues, some growers in Texas are in the early stages of investing in sophisticated growing technology, including growing citrus under protective screens, called the CUPS method.
Presidential Thanksgiving proclamations and speeches have been popular throughout American history. Within the federal government, the tradition pre-dates the U.S. Constitution adopted in 1789, and was observed by the Continental Congress.
President George Washington issued the first presidential Thanksgiving proclamation but that was not officially observed as a concurrent tradition by every president until Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving to be observed on Thursday, November 26, 1863.
Before Lincoln, Thanksgiving was generally promoted in government at the state level.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt officially made the holiday the fourth Thursday in November in 1942.