Posts Tagged “feature”
Brazil has been exporting mangoes since the first week of August and will continue through December. It is projected to export 10.7 million boxes, according to the National Mango Board.
The primary varieties in Brazil are Tommy Atkins (81 percent), Kent (7 percent), Keitt (6 percent) and others (6 percent).
The volume shipped in the week ending August 3 was 28,560 boxes (4kg). In the same period last year, the amount shipped was 39,984 boxes.
Brazil is currently harvesting and/or packing the fruit.
The board reports that in Mexico, approximately 3.4 million boxes were shipped in the same week this year. In the same week last year, the volume was 3.6 million boxes.
Currently, the Mexican regions of Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Southern Sinaloa, and Northern Sinaloa are harvesting and/or packing mangos. The top three varieties shipped were Kent (53 percent), Keitt (31 percent), and Ataúlfo (12 percent). There is also limited supply of Tommy Atkins, Manilla Rosa, Nam Doc Mai, and Manilla.
The NMB indicated that the volume of mangos shipped from week 32 (August 10) through week 37 (September 14) is expected to be 9 percent higher than last year, with arrivals expected between weeks 33 and 38.
Currently, the Mexican regions of Colima, Jalisco, Nayarit, Southern Sinaloa, and Northern Sinaloa are harvesting and/or packing mangos. The top three varieties shipped were Kent (53 percent), Keitt (31 percent), and Ataúlfo (12 percent). There is also limited supply of Tommy Atkins, Manilla Rosa, Nam Doc Mai, and Manilla.
The Allen Lund Company was recently named one of the Best Places to Work in Southern California by the Best Companies Group.
The selection process for applicants relied significantly on detailed employee surveys. Key factors such as corporate culture, training and development opportunities, salary and benefits, and overall employee satisfaction were crucial in identifying the top workplaces in Southern California.
Senior Director of Human Resources Matt Barnes stated, “We are excited to be recognized once again as one of the best places to work in Southern California. Our culture, growth opportunities, benefits, and especially our people, are all top flight. It is a well-earned acknowledgement that we will be proud to advertise.”
About Allen Lund Company:
Specializing as a national third-party transportation broker with offices across North America and over 700 employees, the Allen Lund Company works with shippers and carriers nationwide to arrange dry, refrigerated (specializing in produce), and flatbed freight. ALC manages over 550,000 loads a year and was designated by Transport Topics in 2024 as the 17th Top Freight Brokerage Firm. The Allen Lund Company has a logistics and software division, ALC Logistics, ranked 48th in the Transport Topics 2024 list of Top 100 Logistics Companies and an International Division licensed by the FMC as an OTI-NVOCC #019872NF. Please click here if you want to join the Allen Lund Company team.
Family business Bland Farms in Glennville, GA., has been exporting Peruvian sweet onions for 28 years — and this year is shaping up to be a good season with a good-sized crop and quality.
A difference this year is Vidalia onion shipments are lasting longer, which can affect imports of sweet onions from Peru.
The Vidalia sweet onion season is running a few weeks longer than normal. Because of this, Bland Farms has slowed imports of its Peru premium sweet onions.
The company prefers to ship the Vidalias as long as they are available and the quality is good. Fortunately, Bland has been able to move most of the sweets it has out of Peru to Spain and Chile.
It’s a similar situation for Shuman Farms of Reidsville, GA. The grower/shipper expects the operation to start shipping sweet onions from Peru in mid-September.
Shuman has had a robust Vidalia season this year, and is prepared for a smooth transition to its Peruvian season.
G&R Farms of Glennville, GA, had recently visited Peru, where it met with the farm’s production team. Harvest was underway south of the equator and the crop looked good.
G&R Farms, which has exported onions from Peru for 15 years, sources its onions from the Ica and Arequipa regions in Peru.
A new partnership with Tennessee’s largest insurer aims to address statewide food insecurity while improving health outcomes and preventative care participation, FarmboxRx.
Collaborating with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee members will receive deliveries of healthy food with condition-specific health education shipped directly to their doors after completing critical preventative health screenings, according to a news release.
One in seven people in the state faces hunger, and 40% of families with children say they are food insecure, the release said. FarmboxRx said the partnership will expand access to nutritious foods at a time when Tennesseans, particularly in urban areas, continue to struggle with the affordability and accessibility of healthy meals, facing higher risks of developing long-term health issues and complications as a result.
This announcement follows the release of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee’s health equity report, which shed light on contributors to health disparities across race, ethnicity, age and economic status. This initiative furthers the organization’s commitment to addressing the needs of vulnerable populations in collaboration with a company purpose-built to do so, according to the release.
“To narrow health disparities, we need to first tackle the social determinants of health affecting these communities,” said FarmboxRx founder and CEO Ashley Tyrner. “Food insecurity is a multidimensional issue — and it’s not always as simple as having access to food. Given the unique challenges each community faces, we must assess state-specific barriers to nutrition and subsequent health issues. Our health plan partners recognize this, and I’m grateful for their commitment to our shared mission.”
Beyond addressing nutritional needs, FarmboxRx says it can enhance health outcomes for individuals by providing condition-specific health literacy materials in each box. Its programs empower members with information about their health and covered benefits through their insurance provider, in this case, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, the release said. The health literacy materials encourage members to adopt a proactive and informed approach to their well-being and the well-being of their families in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner.
FarmboxRx says its approach to using healthy food delivery as an engagement tool to incentivize members has helped healthcare organizations nationally promote health equity and inspire self-efficacy.
To date, FarmboxRx has shipped millions of pounds of fresh produce, healthy grocery items and medically tailored meals to members of managed care organizations nationwide in all 50 states and penned partnerships with more than 90 health plans, the release said.
Stemilt Growers of Wenatchee, WA expects a big increase in organic Cosmic Crisp apple volume this fall.
The grower/shipper notes volume is finally to a point of making this a top apple variety organically.
Approximately 30% of Stemilt’s entire tree fruit volume is grown and certified organic.
Organic apples make up a large portion of the firm’s organics, and it is considered a leader in the hard-to-grow organic pears and cherries. The organization’s entire stone fruit program (peaches and nectarines) is organic.
While Stemilt is down on organic apples year over year, the 2023 crop was large and the marketer expects good volume on organics in the 2024-25 season.
Stemilt reports a 40% increase on organic pears, while the conventional pear crop is down.
Cosmic Crisp organic volume will be up significantly, and SweeTango is back on track after less volume last year. In contrast, Honeycrisp volume in 2024 is expected to be down nearly 17% compared with the 2023 crop.
Chicago — After record-breaking production last year, apple growers expect another high-performing year, according to a new report released by the U.S. Apple Association (USApple) at the organization’s 129th annual Outlook Conference in Chicago.
USApple’s Industry Outlook 2024* provides the most up-to-date data and analysis on U.S. and global apple production, utilization and trade. Authored by USApple Vice President of Insights and Analytics, Chris Gerlach, the report takes an in-depth look at the trends and forces – from political headwinds to weather events – that shape the U.S. apple industry.
*The Outlook Report is based on recently released United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates. After the presentation of those numbers, USApple members met in-person to discuss current growing conditions to formulate a more up-to-date production estimate. The final USApple 2024/25 crop year forecast is an adjustment of the USDA numbers based on those conversations.
U.S. Production
According to USApple’s analysis, total U.S. apple production for the 2024/25 crop year (CY) will be 259,517,252 bushels. This represents a 10.1% decrease compared to last year’s final production figure.
“Growers from across the U.S. are reporting the crop quality is excellent,” said Gerlach.
These figures are more comprehensive than USDA data, which only look at the top seven apple-producing states. USApple analyzes the production from states outside of the top seven and adds that back into USDA’s figure. It also incorporates feedback from growers based on what they’re seeing in the field every day.
At the varietal level, Gala is expected to retain the top spot with more than 48 million bushels produced, accounting for around 17% of the U.S. apple market. After Gala, rounding out the top five are Red Delicious (12.3%), Granny Smith (10%), Honeycrisp (9.8%) and Fuji (9.4%).
In general, the varieties on the rise include Honeycrisp, Pink Lady/Cripps Pink and Cosmic Crisp®. Fuji, Rome and “other” varieties have remained relatively consistent compared to 2019/20 production volumes. Varieties on the decline include Gala and Red Delicious.
According to USDA trade data, fresh apple exports totaled 46.4 million bushels in the 2023/24 CY (July to June). This is around 14 million bushels higher than 2022/23 export levels – an astonishing 44% year-over-year increase.
During the same period, fresh apple imports dropped by around one million bushels, a 15% decline. The joint effects of increasing exports and decreasing imports caused the already net positive fresh apple trade balance to grow to more than 42 million bushels.
The surge in fresh apple exports is largely attributed to the abundant domestic supply, competitive pricing abroad, and favorable positive trade policies.
Shipping company A.P. Moller-Maersk is investing heavily in fleet renewal and plans to acquire up to 50-60 vessels capable of operating on dual fuel types, including liquefied natural gas (LNG) and methanol.
LNG is natural gas that has been reduced to liquid state, through process of cooling. Since 2010, the number of vessels fueled by the natural gas has grown between 20% and 40% yearly, according to SEA-LNG.
According to Maerks, the new fleets will be a mix of owned and chartered, in order to ensure that the company maintains a “strong financial and operational flexibility while continuing to own a significant part of its strategic tonnage.”
In line with Maersk’s commitment to decarbonization, all vessels will be dual-fuel with the intent to operate on low emission fuel.
The exact split of propulsion technologies will be determined considering the future regulatory framework and green fuels supply and approximately 300,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) will be owned capacity and the remaining 500,000 TEU is planned through time-charter agreements.
Both owned and chartered dual-fuel vessels will equal to 800,000 TEU.
According to Rabab Boulos, Chief Operating Officer at Maersk, the choice to expand can be attributed to shipyard orderbooks filling up quickly and lead time for vessel deliveries increasing significantly.
Morris, MN– Fresha, a premier supplier of top-quality carrots has announced the beginning of the Minnesota carrot season. With an early start to planting, favorable weather conditions have set the stage for an exceptional shipments this year.
“We are thrilled with how this season is unfolding,” says Matthew Wulf, VP of Sales and Marketing at Fresha. “Our early planting has given the carrots a head start, and the combination of good moisture and recent heat has been perfect for sizing up the crops. The quality of the carrots looks outstanding.”
The favorable weather conditions have contributed to an expected yield that is slightly above average. In addition to a promising start to the season, Fresha has expanded its acreage for both conventional and organic carrots from 2023 to 2024. By increasing carrot cultivation, Fresha aims to provide consumers with more options and ensure a consistent supply of fresh, locally grown carrots throughout the season.
“We are also working closely with retailers to promote Minnesota Grown carrots,” Wulf adds. “Our goal is to highlight the exceptional quality and freshness of our local produce, and we’re looking forward to the opportunities to showcase the best of what Minnesota has to offer.”
For more information about Minnesota grown carrots or to contact a sales representative, please check out www.freshaproduce.com.
About Fresha
Fresha, a leading producer of premium carrots, takes pride in delivering farm-fresh, quality produce to households nationwide. Established in 2019, Fresha operates as an employee and grower-owned company, vertically integrated for seamless quality control.
By Nick Mihalopoulos Controller ALC Finance
It was 1984, and Tina Turner had just released her smash hit, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” At this time, the U.S. was also exiting a period now known as The Great Inflation. During this period from the mid-60s to the early 80s, inflation peaked at more than 14% in 1980. The Vietnam War, increased government spending on social programs, and energy shortages all contributed to the Great Inflation. Now, fast forward 40 years to 2024, and we are exiting another period of high inflation, which peaked at 9.1% in June 2022 and is now down to 2.9% as of July 2024.
Equity markets are celebrating inflation being back down below 3%, but consumers still haven’t been able to find relief. This is in large part due to the fact that prices of essential items, such as those found in grocery stores, have increased by 20% over the last four years. So, what’s transportation got to do with this 20% increase? According to the Cass Truckload Linehaul Index, truckload transportation rates have increased by 5.9% over the last four years and have decreased by 23% from their peak in May 2022. Since transportation doesn’t queue up Tina Turner’s hit song, we’ll need to look at other costs. For example, the average grocery store hourly wages over the last four years have increased by 26.5% from $16.98/hr to $21.48/hr. This outpaces the 19.4% wage increase of all employees during this time period.
Given this data, the current prices of grocery store items and other goods are here to stay. The positive in this data is that wage growth has kept up with these price increases, but like in any economy, workers in some sectors have seen higher increases than others. Inflation and grocery store prices have become major headlines as we near the November election. Both parties are making their case to the American people as to how their platform will better benefit the economy and stave off future inflationary periods. And if 1984 happens to be on the minds of party leaders, let’s hope they’re listening to Tina Turner and not reading George Orwell.
*****
Nick Mihalopoulos began his career with the Allen Lund Company in 2011 after previously working at PepsiCo. Mihalopoulos is a graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where he earned a dual degree in Finance and Accountancy.
nick.mihalopoulos@allenlund.com
Folsom, CA — Food plays a big role in everyone’s identity, and those born between 1997-2012, commonly known as Gen Z, have been deemed the “foodie generation.”
Gen Z is driven to a particular food by varied factors, but data suggests foods that support health and well-being by providing energy, managing weight, and fostering mental health are priorities.1,2 Yet when it comes to choosing foods that support these needs, Gen Z, along with millennials and beyond, often overlook a convenient and important food group – tree nuts, including walnuts.
Nuts, including walnuts, are nutrient dense and considered a key component of many recommended dietary patterns, including the Mediterranean and vegetarian diets. They are also recommended for daily consumption in the latest U.S. Dietary Guidelines.3
Despite the recommendations, nuts remain under-consumed by the U.S. population,3 perhaps due to nuts being calorie dense, leading to potential concerns that including nuts in the diet could promote weight gain. But new research suggests people, especially Gen Z and millennials, should reconsider nuts, like walnuts.
In a recent observational study from Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington and funded by the California Walnut Commission, researchers observed that adolescents and young adults who consumed walnuts and other nuts had a lower prevalence for obesity when compared with those who consumed no nuts.4
Researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) which included more than 19,000 adolescents (12 – 19 years old) and young adults (20 – 39 years old) to understand the associations between consumption of walnuts and other nuts with measures of obesity including relative fat mass (RFM), a validated tool for estimating body fat percent and regional fat composition.
In particular, young women consuming only walnuts had a significantly lower prevalence of obesity when compared to non-nut consumers. However, this association was not found among young men, adolescent boys, or adolescent girls who consumed walnuts only.
Researchers also observed that adolescent girls and young women who consumed walnuts only, or other nuts, had a significantly lower RFM compared to non-nuts consumers. Only young males in the walnut and other nut groups showed an inverse association with RFM compared to no nuts group, this was not found in adolescent boys.4
These results are promising suggesting that there may be an association between the consumption of nuts, especially walnuts with a lower prevalence of obesity and lower RFM within certain populations. However, cause and effect could not be determined, and additional research is needed to support these results.
Additionally, the average nut consumption in this population group was low with 76% of adolescents and 69% of young adults reporting no daily nut consumption. Furthermore, when walnuts were consumed, adolescents only ate ~ 2g/day while young adults had ~ 4g/day, which is far below the recommended intake for nuts of 2 – 3 ounces (56 – 85g) per week or 1 to 1.5 ounces (30g) per day, respectively.3
“While additional research is needed, these results showed that food should not be judged based on calories alone. The addition of nuts, like walnuts, as a part of a healthy eating pattern may help lower the risk of obesity,” explains Dr. Carla Miller, PhD, RD, Professor of Nutrition at Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington. “Whether it is a handful as a snack or part of a meal, even in small amounts, nuts, including walnuts, can and should be a part of a nutritious diet to support well-being.”
Beyond Weight Management: Walnuts May Support Overall Physical and Mental Well-Being in Gen Z & Millennials
Teens and young adults crave food that supports both their physical health and mental health, with over 30% seeking emotional and mental health benefits.1 Research suggests that daily walnut consumption could potentially support cognitive health and mental well-being in this unique population.
- Daily Walnut Consumption May Support Teens’ Focus and Attention – In a multi-school randomized controlled trial of 771 healthy teenagers ages 11 to 16, participants who consumed 30 grams of walnuts per day (1 ounce or 1 handful) for six months had improved neuropsychological scores for attention, fluid intelligence (i.e. problem solving, quick reasoning skills) and ADHD symptoms, when compared to the group not eating walnuts.6,* The positive results in this study were only seen in those teenagers who could better comply with eating more than 3 servings of walnuts per week. Only less than half of participants in the intervention group adhered to eating walnuts daily for 6 months, which might have impacted the data accuracy. No significant results were found for the primary outcomes of this study regarding neuropsychological function, indicating that the intervention did not work overall. However, this study does provide valuable insights and a basis for further clinical and epidemiological research on the effect of walnuts on brain development in adolescents.
- Walnuts May Improve Mental Health and General Well-Being in University Students — A novel study of 80 healthy university students ages 18 to 35, who ate 2 ounces of walnuts a day for 16 weeks, compared to those who did not eat walnuts, prevented negative changes in self-reported mental health scores and scores of stress and depression during a stressful academic period. The group that ate walnuts experienced an increase in metabolic markers that protect against stress and a decrease in those that are linked with stress. While inconclusive, researchers found that the group who consumed walnuts also saw an improvement in sleep scores related to getting to sleep, sleep quality, awakening from sleep, and behavior following wakefulness by the end of the study period. 7,*
- Snacking on Walnuts May Improve Metabolic Health in Young Adults — In a recent study of 84 young adults, ages 22 to 36, with at least one metabolic syndrome risk factor, researchers found that snacking on 1 ounce of mixed unsalted tree nuts, including walnuts, twice daily, may improve metabolic health, when compared to carbohydrate-rich snacks. Researchers observed a reduction in waist circumference and lipid biomarkers in female participants who consumed tree nut snacks, when compared to those who consumed carbohydrate-rich snacks. Males who consumed tree nut snacks had decreased blood insulin levels, compared to those who consumed carbohydrate-rich snacks. Both males and females consuming tree nut snacks saw an effect on triglycerides and TG/HDL ratios with TG/HDL ratios reduced ~11% compared to those consuming carbohydrate-rich snacks.8,*
These studies are not without limitations. While the findings cannot prove causality, they do shed light on how nuts, including walnuts, can be a part of a healthy diet that supports metabolic health and well-being. Additional research is needed to determine how these results apply to other populations.