Posts Tagged “feature”
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments have been reduced for much of 2023 due to rain, floods, cold and cloudy weather. However, warmer weather is now leading to bigger volume and loading opportunties.
Impatiens necrotic spot virus – INSV – a daunting lettuce pest in recent years, may be a problem as warm weather otherwise boosts Salinas production.
The most recent chilly, cloudy weather cleared in mid-June, which is increasing Salinas vegetable production and shipments. Sales and marketing company Produce West of Salinas, CA reports the slow start to the season was all weather related, resulting in a two week delay in plantings.
Salinas celery has a lot of seeders and yields are down.
In Salinas, INSV has been a problem for the last three years, although not much of a problem so far this year. However, there are concerns it may be a problem with warmer temperatures. The virus sucks the life out of plants. Santa Maria also is discovering a little INSV now. That’s not a good sign if they have warmer weather.
The goldenberry is slowly becoming a staple of Ecuador’s fruit industry, with a strong year-round supply. It is a naturally occurring crop in most of the Andes region,
Golden Sweet Spirit, reports the U.S. has become the main destination fresh goldenberries, as consumption trends continue to lean towards more health-conscious food choices. Golden Sweet Spirit also exports to Canada, with less volume going to Germany, Holland, Spain and England.
The company exports goldenberries fresh, dried and in jam form.
With a high antioxidant content, goldenberries are particularly popular in breakfast recipes and preparations.
Ecuador’s rich soil, cheap water sources and sunny climate, with at least 12 hours of sun a day, makes up for a big competitive advantage.
Ecuadorian goldenberries are grown and harvested the 52 weeks of the year.
For Golden Sweet Spirit, current consumer price for 3.5 ounces of goldenberries averages at 4 to 6 dollars. The product can be found in select Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and Costco stores, among other popular grocery shops.
As for growing areas, the company currently has 247 acres for production and is working to increase that number tenfold by 2028, as it hopes to attract foreign capital in the coming years.
The company exports around 500 tons to the U.S., which represents approximately 80% of the production and covers less than 0.06% of the U.S. demand for berries, according to statistics, Gold Seet Spirit reports.
However, not many producing countries have the advantages that Ecuador has when it comes to this fruit, as the country is the biological center of origin for goldenberries.
The product was mistakenly named physallis peruviana, in reference to Peru. But its true origin is in Ecuador, where there are currently 36 different types of goldenberry being produced.
Chelsea, MA – Morning Kiss Organic is bringing back a summer classic! Shipping from Mexico and California, organic mini watermelons, organic cantaloupes, and organic honey dew melons are now available from Morning Kiss organic.
Morning Kiss Organic will offer organic melons through December and offers just-in-time inventory management to reduce loss to product spoilage. Melons can be banded with organic tape upon request to guarantee the organic sale at checkout.
“Get ready to savor the taste of summer,” says Nelly Czajkowski of Morning Kiss Organic. “Organic melons are a great addition to the summer retail set and a fantastic way to boost organic category sales. We’ve seen a major increase in demand for organic melons and our growers have done an excellent job expanding the category.”
New this season, Morning Kiss Organic will be offering a new label option which includes a scannable UPC to guarantee the organic sale a check out. The labels feature Morning Kiss Organic’s new logo and are designed to stay adhered to the fruit despite temperature differentials. “With self checkout on the rise we wanted to provide our customers with a scannable option so they can trust they will get the organic sale,” says Czajkowski.
About Morning Kiss Organic
Morning Kiss Organic is the organic brand of Gold Bell, DiSilva Fruit and Arrowfarms. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Morning Kiss Organic products are available year round in a range of customizable formats, packed to order. Unique packaging options offer economical packaging, pricing, faster turns and less waste. Always fresh, the company uses just in time inventory management as well as daily deliveries to ensure the highest quality, best tasting selection available. Natural and healthy, Morning Kiss products are always non-GMO. Morning Kiss Organic is committed to sourcing from East Coast farmers whenever possible, and delivers daily to stores and distribution centers.
The issue today is the same as it has been throughout all history, whether man shall be allowed to govern himself or be ruled by a small elite.
— Thomas Jefferson
Visalia, CA — Further strengthening its supply in California, Oppy, is introducing new acreage under the Ocean Spray label.
Oppy kicks off the San Joaquin Valley season from ranches in Wasco, through McFarland, Pixley, Farmersville and Strathmore. Together, these five regions are expected to produce 20% more than Oppy harvested in 2022 as more acreage comes online.
“We are well-poised to meet the increasing demand for high-quality grapes with both domestic and internationally grown fruit,” said Senior Vice President of Categories and Marketing James Milne. “As the California industry compresses, Oppy ranches continue to grow alongside consumption. We’ve prepared for this transition, bringing Piers Hanbury onto our team last year.”
Building T&G’s export grape category in California a decade ago, Hanbury eventually oversaw its global grape program, leading supply to and from the U.S. including Peru, Chile, Australia, South Africa, Asia and Europe. Hanbury’s expertise and strategic approach encompassed new variety licensing deals and breeding programs.
“We look towards a fantastic five-month season in California as we ensure stable year-round supply with our transition to Peru, Brazil, Chile, South Africa and Mexico,” said Hanbury.
About Oppy
Oppy, based in Vancouver, BC has been growing, marketing and distributing fresh produce from around the globe for 165 years. With over 50 million boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables grown on every continent moving through its supply chain annually, Oppy offers items from avocados and berries to apples and oranges year-round, alongside innovative seasonal specialties. Over the years, Oppy has introduced North Americans to a number of items across its diverse produce range, including Granny Smith, JAZZ and Envy apples, as well as green and gold kiwifruit.
Chilean mandarins are now available from Bee Sweet Citrus of Fowler, CA.
As California’s citrus domestic season is winding down, the marketer is shifting focus to the company’s summer citrus line, according to a news release.
“Off-shore mandarins have arrived at Bee Sweet Citrus, signaling the start of our summer import program,” Joe Berberian, Bee Sweet citrus sales representative, said. “Over the next few weeks, we will also receive Chilean lemons and navel oranges to help our customers meet year-round demand for citrus.”
Bee Sweet Citrus is currently harvesting domestic star ruby grapefruit, lemons, valencia oranges and royal red oranges, the release said.
Chilean mandarins are also available; Chilean lemons are expected to arrive by the first of July, and navel oranges the second week of July, according to the release.
“All imported product is brought to our main facility where it undergoes a thorough quality inspection before it’s shipped out to customers,” Berberian said in the release. “Our customers also have the option to repack any offshore product to meet specific pack styles throughout the program.”
BEAVERTON, Ore., June 15, 2023—Truckload freight volumes rallied modestly in May and national average spot rates were stable for a second straight month, said DAT Freight & Analytics, operators of the DAT One freight marketplace and DAT iQ data analytics service.
The DAT Truckload Volume Index (TVI), an indicator of loads moved during a given month, increased for van, refrigerated (“reefer”) and flatbed freight:
• Van TVI: 220, up 5% from April
• Reefer TVI: 164, a 5% increase month over month
• Flatbed TVI: 258, up 7% from April
Month over month, the van and reefer TVI numbers rebounded from their lowest points since February 2021. Truckload volumes typically decline from April to May, but they increased for the first time since 2019.
“This was the second-best May on record for van and reefer freight, according to our TVI,” said Ken Adamo, DAT Chief of Analytics. “There was demand to move seasonal goods at a time when the truck supply on the spot market tightened due to the International Roadcheck inspection event, the Memorial Day holiday and general carrier attrition.”
Van and reefer load-to-truck ratios increased
National average van and reefer load-to-truck ratios rose in May:
• Van ratio: 2.5, up from 1.9 in April, meaning there were 2.5 loads for every truck on the DAT One marketplace
• Reefer ratio: 3.6, up from 2.7
• Flatbed ratio: 11.7, down from 12.1
National average broker-to-carrier spot rates were steady compared to April:
• Spot van rate: $2.05 per mile, down 1 cent
• Spot reefer rate: $2.44 a mile, up 3 cents
• Spot flatbed rate: $2.65 a mile, down 2 cents
Monthly national average line-haul rates, which subtract an amount equal to an average fuel surcharge, increased for the first time this year for all three equipment types. The average van line-haul rate was $1.61 a mile, up 2 cents compared to April; the reefer line-haul rate jumped 7 cents to $1.96 a mile; and the flatbed line-haul rate rose 2 cents to $2.12 a mile.
Contract rates declined
National average rates for contracted freight declined compared to April:
• Contract van rate: $2.62 per mile, down 6 cents
• Contract reefer rate: $2.91 a mile, down 10 cents
• Contract flatbed rate: $3.30 a mile, down 3 cents
The average rate for contract van and reefer freight has fallen for seven consecutive months.
“Shippers are taking advantage of abundant truckload capacity to establish new contract rates at substantial savings compared to 2022, and to make strategic use of the spot market,” Adamo said. “We expect these trends to continue through the end of the year.”
About the DAT Truckload Volume Index
The DAT Truckload Volume Index reflects the change in the number of loads with a pickup date during that month; the actual index number is normalized each month to accommodate any new data sources without distortion. A baseline of 100 equals the number of loads moved in January 2015, as recorded in DAT RateView, a truckload pricing database and analysis tool with rates paid on an average of 3 million loads per month.
Spot truckload rates are negotiated for each load and paid to the carrier by a freight broker. National average spot rates are derived from payments to carriers by freight brokers, third-party logistics providers and other transportation buyers for hauls of 250 miles or more with a pickup date during the month reported. DAT’s rate analysis is based on $150 billion in annualized freight transactions.
Load-to-truck ratios reflect truckload supply and demand on the DAT One marketplace and indicate the pricing environment for spot truckload freight.
About DAT Freight & Analytics
DAT Freight & Analytics operates the largest truckload freight marketplace in North America. Shippers, transportation brokers, carriers, news organizations and industry analysts rely on DAT for market trends and data insights based on more than 400 million freight matches and a database of $150 billion in annual market transactions.
Founded in 1978, DAT is a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Technologies (NYSE: ROP), a diversified technology company and constituent of the S&P 500 and Fortune 1000 indices.
Springtime is here with warmer days, blooming plants, and most prime artichoke season!
Ocean Mist Farms is the largest grower of fresh artichokes in North America. Fresh Ocean Mist Farms Artichokes are grown year-round in three fertile California growing regions; Castroville, Oxnard, and Coachella. These growing regions are strategically located in areas with prime soil and microclimates to enable year-round production of the highest quality and freshest tasting artichokes, in multiple varieties!
From anti-inflammatory to sleep-promoting properties, the artichoke has an extensive list of various health benefits! Artichokes are anti-inflammatory and can be used as a digestive aid to improve the digestive system while lowering your autoimmune response. They also contain antioxidants that fight free radicals and help protect against aging. Artichokes are rich in vitamins including magnesium, which can help with sleeping. Further, because artichokes are a great source of pre-and pro-biotics, they can improve nutrient absorption and gut health, and increase energy production.
How do you prep artichokes?
Don’t let prepping this prickly vegetable intimidate you! We’ve got you covered with five simple steps.
- Rinse and scrub – Start by rinsing and lightly scrubbing the natural film off the artichoke
- “Top and tail” – Cut the top and the end of the tail off the artichoke, then snip the tip of each leaf with kitchen shears for a restaurant-ready presentation
- Rub with lemon – Rub fresh lemon all over artichoke to prevent the artichoke from browning
- Spread petals – Loosen and spread the “petals” of the artichoke
- Add seasoning – Add your preferred seasoning and enjoy!
Whether baked, steamed, microwaved, pressure-cooked, or grilled, artichokes will be the star of any table! This unique vegetable is delicious no matter how it’s prepared. For great recipes check out Ocean Mist Farms website or facebook page.
Mountain View Fruit Sales will be highlighting three varieties for the upcoming season of its Estate Vineyards table grape program.
The Reedley, Calif.-based company introduced its premium table grape program last summer under the Estate Vineyards label, led by Grape Division Director George Matoian.
“We will have our first candy variety with Candy Snaps, available in our Estate Vineyards brand,” Matoian said in a news release. “And we are one of [only a] few growers in California to have the newly released USDA black seedless grape variety, Solbrio, in production. We will also offer the highly coveted, concord-flavored Kyoho black seeded grape this season.”
Packs will be available in traditional corrugated cartons, new plastic corrugated cartons, and Styrofoam, the release said.
Matoian said Mountain View is “catching up a little from last year’s start dates” as the 2023 season nears.
“We are approximately eight to nine days behind last year’s crop. On most varieties we are at the leaf removal and bunch thinning stages,” he said. “The good news is this year’s bunches are some of the largest I have seen in many years and the cells of the grape berry are rapidly dividing to give us the maximum berry size we require.”
“Mountain View will have increased volume this season on both premium and proprietary grape varieties,” owner Mike Thurlow said in the release. “We are expecting fantastic quality again this year, and we believe 2023 will be a vintage grape season.”
ABOUT MOUNTAIN VIEW FRUIT SALES
- Established in 1994 with a vision focused on growing flavorful peaches, plums and nectarines on family farms packed under the brands Summeripe, Summertime and Summersweet.
- In 2017, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include premium citrus packed under the brands Rascals, Brilliant and Aces.
- In 2022, Mountain View expanded its portfolio to include a premium grape program under the brand Estate Vineyards.
Strawberries enjoy one of the highest household penetration levels in the U.S. among fresh fruits, and the highest per capita consumption in the berry patch, both in fresh and frozen markets.
In the latest RaboResearch Report, it highlights that as demand continues to grow steadily, planted area in California is expanding. Record shipments are likely in 2023, but weather remains the usual wildcard, particularly this season, as growing areas in California have been impacted by record rainfall.
While the fresh market remains mainly a regional North American story, U.S. imports of frozen strawberries from South America are changing the landscape. With the availability and consumption of all berries expanding, interesting market opportunities arise.