Posts Tagged “feature”
Naturipe of Watsonville, CA will have strong supplies of berries throughout the spring and summer of 2023 from different growing areas.
The company was underway in early May with peak supplies of California strawberries that will last through the summer months. Good volume should continue as well with blueberries this spring and summer.
Naturipe blueberries will source from diversified farming regions in the spring, which include Mexico, California, Florida and Georgia, and then will transition in the summer months into its farms from New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia.
The company will continue to have good raspberry volumes from its farming regions across Mexico. Blackberries are now in peak supplies from Georgia and North Carolina farms for late spring and early summer.
Jalisco entered the U.S. market for the first time , on June 28, 2022,
29 years after the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) opened the doors for Mexico, the world’s biggest producer of avocados, to import the fruit into the U.S.
Jalisco Avocado Exporting Producers Association reports before exports to the U.S. began, Europe accounted for about 30% of its exports, Japan 31% and Canada with 33%, totaling around 115,000 tons of avocados divided among the three countries.
With the opening of the U.S. market, 50% of total exports are now destined for the U.S., with Canada and Japan going down to around 19%, while European exports have reduced drastically to around 8%.
The association notes European exports decreased due to logistical issues with the pandemic, both in terms of time and costs. In some cases, this affected the quality of the arriving fruit, reducing costs, which is why Jalisco exporters have decided to allocate more of their fruit to the U.S. which has because less risk.
For the U.S. market, the fruit travels for less than 24 hours, while the European market transit can take up to 25 days.
Avocados from Jalisco complement Michoacan (the main producing region), because the season starts in July, and usually, between May and July, there is not enough volume from Mexico to supply the U.S. market.
So the new exporting region intends to fill up that gap so Mexican avocados are available to the U.S. year-round.
- New facility is strategically located near the Port of Savannah and will allow Lineage to process up to 1.4 million pounds of produce per day
- Facility brings Lineage’s total investment in Chatham County to over $100 million and expands the Company’s growing footprint in Georgia
PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. –Lineage Logistics, Lone of the leading temperature-controlled industrial REITs and integrated solutions providers worldwide, today celebrated the grand opening of its newest facility in Port Wentworth, Georgia.
Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth is strategically located near the Port of Savannah, the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America and the third busiest container gateway in the U.S.
The 220,000-square-foot facility offers cross-docking services for products to enter and exit the facility on the same day if needed, reducing storage time, creating cost efficiencies, and ensuring consumers receive fresh produce faster. The facility has 23 inbound and outbound lanes that can process more than 40 trucks daily, moving up to 1.4 million pounds of produce per day.
“Today, the demand for port-centric temperature-controlled storage has never been greater and our Fresh solution offerings at Lineage have never been more robust. Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth will allow us to expand our Fresh offering to new and existing customers and also provides the needed capacity to improve market conditions,” said Jim Henderson, Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development at Lineage.
“The opening of this new facility is a critical step for Lineage as we continuously work to reimagine the world’s food supply chain. We are honored to further our long-standing partnership with Georgia Ports Authority and look forward to building our presence in the state of Georgia, an essential hub for trade and innovation.”
For the past two years, Lineage has worked closely with the Savannah Economic Development Authority, Georgia Ports Authority, and the city of Port Wentworth to construct the Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth facility in addition to its port-adjacent facility on Tremont Road in Savannah. The Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth project resulted in a $78 million investment alone that created 65 new jobs, bringing Lineage’s total economic investment in Chatham County to over $100 million. To date, Lineage’s footprint in Georgia spans over 3 million sq. ft.
Savannah Fresh-Port Wentworth was designed to address the overwhelming influx in imports of fresh produce to ports in the Mid-Atlantic that lack the space to keep up with the demand. With proximity to the Port of Savannah, the new facility will enable Lineage to deliver larger quantities of fresh produce more efficiently to serve customers across the Southeast.
“With increasing demand for fresh produce capacity in Savannah, this new, state of the art facility is a welcome addition,” said Griff Lynch, Executive Director of the Georgia Ports Authority. “Lineage Logistics’ suite of services, such as cold-retreatment and onsite CBP inspections, will save time, help prevent loss and, ultimately, bring fresh food to market faster.”
Leaders from Lineage, business partners from the state of Georgia, community leaders from the city of Port Wentworth, and leadership from Georgia Ports Authority attended the facility’s grand opening.
About Lineage Logistics
Lineage is one of the leading temperature-controlled industrial REITs and integrated solutions providers worldwide. It has a global network of over 400 strategically located facilities totaling over 2 billion cubic feet of capacity which spans 20 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Lineage has industry-leading expertise in end-to-end logistical solutions, an unrivaled real estate network, and develops and deploys innovative technology. This helps increase distribution efficiency, advance sustainability, minimize supply chain waste, and most importantly, as a Visionary Partner of Feeding America, helps feed the world. In recognition of the Company’s leading innovations and sustainability initiatives, Lineage was listed as No. 3 in the 2022 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, named a Deloitte US Best Managed Company in 2022, the No. 1 Data Science company, and 23rd overall on Fast Company’s 2019 list of The World’s Most Innovative Companies, in addition to being included on Fortune’s Change the World list in 2020. (www.lineagelogistics.com)
By Patrick Prior, ALC Los Angeles
The unpredictable weather patterns in California this year have profoundly impacted many industries, particularly the produce industry. Prior to January 2023, 80% of California was listed as having severe drought conditions or worse. Now, the Salinas Valley, known as the “Salad Bowl of the World,” has experienced devastating floods and crop damage, resulting in shortages, increased market prices, and substantial financial losses for growers. The flooding has impacted the readiness of spring produce such as lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and strawberries. Some areas of the Salinas Valley have received 600% above historical rainfall amounts. Additionally, the rainfall has raised many concerns about California’s ability to properly store water. A significant amount of the rainwater gets washed into the ocean. To better enhance water storage capacity, California is investing in projects such as constructing underground reservoirs and replenishing aquifers. Many feel an underground storage system will be a much more effective way to capture water as opposed to existing reservoirs. California will also be looking to promote more effective water conservation policies. A resilient water storage system will provide a huge relief to California growers, not only to protect from flood damage but to have more water resources available during heavy drought periods.
The Salinas Valley holds roughly 450,000 plantable vegetable acres and supplies 80% of the country’s vegetable production from April to July. The total crop and infrastructure damage is estimated to exceed $500 million, per the Produce News. Many planted crops have been lost, and the fields need time to dry out before farmers can replant. This has added significant complexity to operations, and growers still have customer requirements to meet. Many growers have responded quickly to combat these challenges. Some have increased production in other growing regions, including Yuma, Florida, and Mexico. California growers have continued to collaborate and show adaptability to ever-changing conditions.
In the end, many expected that the supply chain would recover, and market prices would drop to normal and we are already seeing progress. While the floods and crop damage in the Salinas Valley have caused a noticeable ripple in the supply chain, the California produce community will adapt and adopt innovative technologies and water management strategies to continue to handle drastic weather issues in the future. This is not the first or the last disruption that California farmers have faced. Whether it’s a drought or a flood, California growers will continue to bounce back and move forward.
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Patrick Prior graduated with a BA from the University of Portland. After graduation, he commissioned as an active duty officer in the US Army. After serving as a Transportation Officer for 4 years, he joined the Allen Lund Company in the Fall of 2019 and currently works in the LA Sales office as a Transportation Broker.
patrick.prior@allenlund.com
New Jersey fruit and vegetable volume over 2022 due in large part to more favorable weather.
“Last year, New Jersey saw a late-spring freeze that affected the harvest of blueberries, peaches and some apple varieties that were in bloom when the cold hit,” said Joe Atchison III, assistant secretary and director of marketing for the New Jersey Department of Agriculture. “This year, we are seeing heavy blossoms and fruit set and expect full crops with good availability throughout the season.”
New Jersey grows more than 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables on about 70,000 acres, Atchison said.
Some of the primary spring vegetables are asparagus, spinach, leafy greens, herbs and lettuces. Jersey also is known for blueberries, peaches, peppers, eggplant, sweet corn, squashes and, especially, Jersey tomatoes in summer.
The state had a mild winter with little to no snowfall across much of the state. Mild temperatures continued into spring, and there were no damaging frosts.
Consalo Family Farms of Egg Harbor City, NJ was able to begin harvesting two to three weeks ahead of schedule because of the warmer weather. Full production of lettuce started in early May, and an early start on blueberries also is expected.
The company also ships Little Smoochies items, including grapefruit, clementines, lemons and limes.
Good quality is reported for radish, parsley, cilantro, spinach and kale.
The company’s volume should be up compared to 2022.
The operation offers a full line of New Jersey produce, which also includes herbs, cooking greens and wet vegetables.
Schiller Park, IL – Optimal temperatures and growing conditions are resulting in peak production of Sun Belle blackberries and Green Belle organic blackberries from central Mexico through late May. Premium proprietary varieties Aketzali and Amelali, as well as the new Erandy variety, provide consumers with large, shiny, flavorfully sweet blackberries.
“The sunlight and beautiful spring weather on our farms are producing abundant volumes of extra sweet berries, sure to delight consumers and move retail sales,” said Sun Belle President and Founder Janice Honigberg. “Packed on the farm, our blackberries then go to one of our five distribution centers where they are carefully inspected to ensure the highest quality product for our retail partners and their customers.”
Sun Belle markets and distributes blackberries year-round. The company imports the Aketzali, Amelali and Erandy varieties from Mexico from August through mid-June, and markets excellent University of Arkansas varieties from Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Arkansas throughout the summer.
SUN BELLE and GREEN BELLE are leading brands of premium quality conventional and organic blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, golden berries, cranberries, pomegranate arils and red currants. Sun Belle operates five distribution centers nationally, including Schiller Park, Illinois; Jessup, Maryland; Oxnard, California; Miami, Florida; and Laredo, Texas.
The 2022-23 Peruvian table grape season is continuing to show signs of varietal change, with Sweet Globe taking the throne as the most exported cultivar this season, according to Agraria.
With over 16 million 18-pound boxes shipped to date and an almost 40% increase year-on-year from 11.5 million boxes exported in 2021-22, Sweet Globe surpassed the market staple Red Globe by over 2 million boxes.
The Autumn Crisp and Allison cultivars follow, with 6.8 and 5.9 million boxes exported respectively for the 2022-23 season.
Agro exporter company Safco Peru reports this is the first time in 20 years the Red Globe loses its crown, with market trends now pointing to a rise in white seedless varieties.
Additionally, weather, logistic and political issues in late 2022 and early 2023 caused some of the late deals to be lost.
Safco Peru estimates 700,000 boxes were lost due to the blockades in Ica during January and another significant amount -more difficult to estimate- of what was going to be the late harvest in Piura, due to the heavy rains that had been falling in the region for more than a month.
The company expects traditional varieties to continue a downward trend, while green licensed varieties are projected to continue to rise boosted by a major growth in the Autumn Crisp cultivar.
The Peruvian Association of Table Grape Producers and Exporters’ (Provid) second crop estimate for the 2022-2023 season projects exports at 73 million boxes, a 13% increase year-on-year.
Las Cruces, NM — National Onion, Inc. begins its 41st season marketing and selling onions for Agrocosa – a Gomez Farm company. This long-standing partnership brings high quality short-day and intermediate white, yellow, and red onions to the U.S. and Canadian summer markets.
“Our longevity is based on a combination of product quality and customers service. Agrocosa has the unique ability to grow and yield a consistent product year-after-year, which has allowed us to further the brand since 1982.” said Micah Smith, Vice President, National Onion Inc.
National Onion looks forward to selling its brands Rio Gold (yellow onions), Rio Pearl (white onions), Rio Ruby (red onions), and Rio Sweet (carton sweet yellow onions) nationwide and to the Canadian market. The company will sell Mexican onions until mid-July and then transition to other sales agreements with growers in the U.S.
Depending on the variety, this avocados can be round or pear-shaped, green or black, and small or large. Avocado skin is usually rough. The flesh, when ripe, is soft and buttery.
It is a climacteric fruit, which means it continues to ripen after harvest. Hass avocado is the most common and is available year-round.
If you are going to use it immediately after purchasing it, choose a ripe one with black skin that yields to a little bit of pressure when squeezed.
Avocados with green skin that are very firm are not ripe and should rest for a few days before eating.
If the skin is dark and wrinkled, or has dents or soft flesh spots, it may be overripe and unpalatable to eat.
Keep them fresh
Avocados are sometimes sold with hard, unripe flesh, which will often ripen in a few days. You can leave the fruit at room temperature or expose it to direct sunlight to accelerate ripening.
You can also place the sealed avocado in a paper bag with a banana; the ethylene gasses from the banana will accelerate ripening.
The flesh of avocados is notorious for turning brown quickly once exposed to air, which is called enzymatic browning.
Although unappetizing to the eye, the brown flesh is perfectly edible. Still, there are tips for slowing or reducing browning after cutting:
- Coat the flesh with lemon or lime juice.
- Wrap tightly with cling film or place in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator to reduce exposure to oxygen.
- Store an avocado half with some sliced onion in a sealed airtight container, as the sulfur compounds in the onion help preserve the avocado.
Unripe avocados should not be placed in the refrigerator, but once they are ripe it is okay to do so.
Did you know?
According to Harvard University, half of this fruit has more potassium than a medium banana, 487 mg of potassium versus 422 mg of potassium, respectively.
Ripe avocado puree is sometimes used as a face mask because of its high content of moisturizing oils and vitamin E.
Dinuba, CA — California cantaloupe farmers are overjoyed with the amount of rainfall received this winter and for the welcome relief to severe drought conditions that have impacted growing areas for the past several years.
Although rainfall was heavy throughout the winter, cantaloupe-producing districts have not experienced flooding that has impacted other parts of the state. Additionally, California cantaloupe fields had not yet been planted at the time of the state’s heaviest rainfall.
California cantaloupe growers are reporting that wet fields and rainy weather definitely delayed planting, particularly in the southern growing districts of the Imperial Valley. This means that promotable volume of cantaloupe from California will likely not be available until Memorial Day Weekend, with peak supplies expected throughout the month of June.
Cantaloupe plantings in the major San Joaquin Valley growing regions were also slightly impacted by wet fields. But this is not expected to significantly delay harvest of cantaloupe on the westside of California, which should peak in mid-July as it normally does.
“In short, we know the beginning of California cantaloupe season will be approximately two weeks later than normal this year,” said Garrett Patricio of Westside Produce in Firebaugh. “We’ll provide updates on the San Joaquin Valley harvest timing as harvest gets closer but, for now, we are not expecting major delays.