Posts Tagged “feature”
The Scotlynn Group of Vittoria, Ontario has 5,000 acres of sweet corn, watermelon, asparagus, pumpkins and ginseng in Ontario. Volume is expected to be similar to last year.
The company launched its asparagus program the first week of May. Pumpkins will start the last week of August and continue until the end of October.
Welsh Bros.’ of Scotland, Ontario started its sweet corn loadings the week of July 10 with volume similar to a year ago. The company ships primarily independent supermarkets within Ontario, though the operation is looking to expand its distribution area.
Ontario Potato Distributors Inc. of Alliston, Ontario started its early white potato harvest in mid July as usual. Later potato crops will follow in mid-August, September and October. The company also has russet, red and yellow potatoes.
OPDI ships year-round, and volume should be up slightly on all varieties compared to last year. The firm packs its potatoes under the Champion brand and also distributes private-label tubers for chain stores throughout Canada.
August’s Harvest Inc. of Gads Hill, Ontario began harvesting seven varieties of garlic in July, but it already was shipping garlic scapes — the flower bud of the garlic plant — in June. The product is available in June, July and August. The company’s fresh garlic should be shipping until April.
Procyk Farms 1994 Ltd. of Wilsonville, Ontario began shipping numerous vegetables in mid July and has tomatoes, grape tomatoes, roma tomatoes, sauce tomatoes, red and savoy cabbage, sweet corn, zucchini and red, yellow and green bell peppers.
Quality is good this season, and volume is similar to last year.
The fourth-generation, family-owned company ships to customers on the Ontario Food Terminal as well as retail chains and foodservice operators.
Celebrating summer with a barbeque event will be costlier this year, a new economic analysis from Rabobank shows.
The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index reveals a 10-person barbecue will cost nearly $100 this year, according to a news release. In fact, food items listed on the barbecue menu have jumped 31% since 2018, according to Rabobank.
The Russia-Ukraine war, severe drought, higher wages and rising costs of farm inputs, transportation and energy have combined to fuel broad-based inflation throughout the supply chain.
COUNTING THE COST
The 2023 Rabobank BBQ Index, which measures the cost of staple ingredients for a 10-person barbecue, shows that it will cost $97 to host a cookout on Independence Day this year, up from $73 in 2018.
Food prices have shot up 31% in the last four years, the biggest four-year gain since the late 1970s oil crisis, according to Rabobank.
Here are price increases over the last four years, according to Rabobank:
- Soda: 53%.
- White bread: 51%.
- Potato chips: 46%.
- Chicken: 37%.
- Lettuce: 29%.
- Ground beef: 25%.
- Beer: 22%.
Despite the elevated food costs, Rabobank analysts said many consumers — particularly those under 40 — are now prioritizing experiences over goods and are willing to splurge for a special occasion.
“Consumers have taken some heavy punches but they’re still standing,” Tom Bailey, senior consumer foods analyst at Rabobank, said in the report. “They’re being shrewd in areas that don’t enrich experiences, while giving in to the urge to splurge where it matters most. With that mindset, look for spending to heat up this summer on quality meats and drinks — the recipe for a memorable barbecue.”
The trend to value “experience over things” was emerging before COVID-19, but Rabobank analysts said the shift has accelerated, especially for millennials and Generation Z. For baby boomers, spending on travel and food has increased, in part thanks to an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment to their Social Security benefits this year, according to Rabobank.
A healthy labor market is also keeping consumers willing to spend their money. The May jobs report showed that unemployment sits at 3.7%, down from its pandemic peak of 14.7% just three years ago, Rabobank economists said.
“Steady work makes it easier to justify increased spending when budgets are tight,” Bailey said in the report. “Rather than trading down to soften the blow of stubbornly high inflation, we may see consumers trading up to more premium products.”
The Rabobank BBQ Index, according to the report, assumes an average American barbecue event on the Fourth of July with 10 adults, with each consuming the same amount of food and beverages.
The index assumes each person will consume one cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, one chicken sandwich with lettuce, tomato and a slice of cheese, two handfuls of chips, a beer, a soda and a few scoops of ice cream.
Despite some extremely dry growing conditions this spring and early summer, Ohio vegetable growers say it helps grow the best quality vegetables.
Buurma Farms Inc. of Willard, OH has a selection of over two dozen vegetables, most of which became available in late June.
Two items introduced about three seasons ago were napa cabbage and bok choy. Both continue to experience an increase in volume.
During June Buurma Farms was introducing items ranging from radishes to dill, cilantro, lettuces, green onions, parsleys, zucchini, cabbage yellow squash and cucumbers.
The last volume item was sweet corn, which started the third week of July.
The 127-year-old family-owned company serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers primarily east of the Mississippi and has a priority to make fast, overnight deliveries.
Family owned Holthouse Farms of Ohio Inc., base in Willard has a full line of vegetables year-round.
The company’s lead items include dry vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers, squashes, eggplant and green beans, and a full line of chili peppers.
The company has been expanding its organic vegetables over the past five years including cucumbers, bell peppers, zucchini squash and yellow squash, which are available from May into fall.
In the late 1980s the company began offering vegetables year-round from Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey and Michigan, as well as Ohio.
Wiers Farm Inc. of Willard has a diverse lineup of products grown, packed and shipped in Ohio.
Dry vegetables include bell peppers, slicer cucumbers, pickles, summer squashes, eggplant, specialty and hot peppers, and sweet corn. Wet vegetables include lettuces, greens and herbs.
The operation harvests over 30 different vegetable commodities.
The firm’s Ohio location acts as a consolidation and cross-dock facility for its other growing locations in Georgia, Florida and Mexico.
It is now shipping a full lineup of dry vegetables and a limited lineup of wet vegetables 52 weeks a year, to customers across the Midwest and East Coast.
The fifth-generation family-owned company was established in 1896 and serves retail, foodservice and wholesale customers.
YAKIMA, WA — Growers in the Northwest are shipping sweet cherries now, stocking produce sections across the nation with this summertime superfruit. Loadings will continue into August.
Sweet cherries deliver a juicy burst of flavor, while boasting an abundance of nutritional benefits sure to help maintain a healthy glow all summer long.
From giving skin a boost of nourishment with rich antioxidant properties to helping reduce stress and improve sleep, sweet cherries provide a powerful punch of glow-friendly nutrition in a convenient, compact and naturally delicious package.
“This season, we are expecting a large crop of Northwest-grown sweet cherries from orchards across our five-state footprint.” said B.J. Thurlby, president of the Northwest Cherry Growers. “The larger crop will lend to more accessible pricing, with all the flavor and nutrients sweet Northwest cherries are known for. We expect sweet Northwest cherries to be available well into August.”
Sweet cherries boast an abundance of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, making them a true superfruit. Their vibrant red hue is a testament to their high antioxidant content, which helps combat harmful free radicals and promotes overall well-being. Loaded with vitamin C, sweet cherries help boost the immune system and assist in keeping skin glowing. These marvelous fruits also contain potassium, promoting heart health and contributing to maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.
“Sweet cherries are sure to give your skin a boost of nourishment,” said Kelly Pritchett, Ph.D., RDN, CSSD, assistant professor at Central Washington University. “Look for darker varieties like Bing cherries, as they are rich in antioxidants that provide anti-inflammatory benefits. These antioxidants can also help protect your skin from environmental factors, like dirt and pollution, and preserve a youthful appearance.”
Sweet cherries are a versatile fresh fruit — they can be enjoyed by the handful or incorporated into a variety of different recipes, including burgers, salsa, bruschetta, salads and even cocktails. They are also the perfect snack to pack for a cookout.
On a grocery run during the short cherry season, adding a bag of sweet Northwest cherries to the cart can fuel a summertime glow up. Fresh, sweet Northwest cherries are available now through August. Recipes, preservation tips — to maintain a glow year-round — and inspiration on incorporating sweet cherries into everyday diets can be found at: www.nwcherries.com.
About Northwest Cherry Growers
Founded in 1947, the Northwest Cherry Growers is a growers’ organization funded solely by self-imposed fruit assessments used to increase awareness and consumption of regionally grown stone fruits. The organization is dedicated to the promotion, education, market development and research of cherries from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Montana orchards.
USDA data shows strawberry consumption continues to surge.
Retail per capita availability of strawberries has grown from 5.3 pounds in 2016 to 6.7 pounds in 2021, according to the USDA.
Both domestic and import supplies of strawberries have increased in the past two decades, but the growth of imports has been much stronger.
The USDA estimates that domestic strawberry output increased from 1.77 billion pounds in 2016 to 2.17 billion pounds in 2021, a gain of 23% in that five-year period.
At the same time, imports of strawberries increased 43% from 2016 to 2021, rising from 365 million pounds in 2016 to 521 million pounds in 2021.
As a percent of the total strawberry supply in the U.S., the USDA reports that imports accounted for 19% of the total supply in 2021, up from 17% in 2016 and up from just 7% in 2000.
The peak month for domestic strawberry availability in 2022 was May, when shipments accounted for 15% of the total annual supply. Other top months for strawberry shipments include June (14%), April (11%), July (11%) and March (9%). The month with the smallest domestic shipments in 2022 was December, when just 3% of the domestic annual volume was shipped, according to USDA truck shipment data for conventional fruit.
Imported strawberry volume, dominated by Mexico, is active year-round. However, the top months for strawberry imports were February (18% of total annual volume), March (18%), January (16%) and April (14%). The smallest import volumes were recorded in August and September, which both accounted for less than 1% of the total imported annual volume.
New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches, ranking in the top five in production in the U.S. most years, according to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers annually harvest approximately 60 million pounds with a wholesale value of about $35 million on nearly 4,000 acres.
Larchmont Farms of Upper Pittsgrove, NJ is a 12th-generation farm owned by Tom Dunn and Charles and Keith Haines. Located on more than 800 acres, the farm grows high-quality peaches and other fruits, the release said. Larchmont Farms runs its entire operation on solar power and has all of its fruit packed in boxes that are made from 100% recycled paper, according to the release.
“The season is off to a great start, and we are anticipating an outstanding year,” Charles Haines of Lardchmont Farms in a New Jersey Department of Agriculture press release. “The weather we have had so far has been what we need. We take great pride in the steps we’ve taken in making our operation environmentally friendly and plan to continue a family business that started in colonial times.”
All of New Jersey’s peach crop is sold to the fresh market via supermarkets, farm markets, specialty produce stores, you-pick operations, and community farmers markets. Jersey peaches are shipped all over the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada.
According to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council, yellow flesh comprises 90% of Jersey peaches, white flesh makes up 4%, yellow and white flesh nectarines are 6% and the newer doughnut, or flat peaches, make up less than 1%.
The first peach variety of New Jersey’s season is Sentry, followed by Gala, Flavorcrest, Loring and Red Haven, the release said. Next is the John Boy season followed by the Crest Haven, Gloria, Jersey Queen and Fayette varieties. The Encore and Laurol varieties wrap up the state’s peach season in mid-to-late September. White peaches are expected to begin shipping around the end of July and continue through mid-September.
WALNUT CREEK, CA — Del Monte Foods, Inc. recently released survey data1 on snacking attitudes and behaviors for U.S. consumers. As adults continue to snack more than ever, the survey revealed that fueling up with fruit is one of the top ways to feel better while snacking, with more than two-thirds of adults reaching for fruit when they want to feel their best. Adults are also seeking to relive the joy of their childhood snacks, with fruit cups and fruit snacks topping the list of snacks they wish were more geared toward adults. The survey is timed with the release of two new flavors of Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers®, adult fruit snack cups which meet the need for nutritious, delicious and convenient snacks, and give consumers a grown-up version of the fruit cups they’ve been missing.
The survey revealed that a majority of general consumers regularly replace meals with snacks, with parents especially likely to “snackstitute.” And while taste, nutritional content and convenience top the list of what people are looking for in snacks, fruit, in particular, is a key component of what snackers are missing.
Survey highlights include:
- As the act of “joy snacking” has gained popularity in recent months, fueling up with fruit is one of the best pick-me-ups: More than two-thirds of adults reach for fruit-based snacks when they want to feel their best – significantly higher than any other snack options.
- Adults are missing their favorite childhood snacks like fruit cups, and parents intentionally seek out snacks that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults: More than a quarter of adults – and almost half of parents – wish fruit cups were more geared toward adults.
- Summer calls for light, refreshing snack choices: Nearly all adults crave more refreshing snacks in the summer.
- Parents are especially in need of snacks on-the-go, both for their kids and themselves: More than three-quarters of adults (85% parents vs. 70% non-parents) say convenience and portability are qualities they consider when purchasing snacks.
- Snacks remain a universally enjoyed, consistent activity for all, but parents are more likely to replace meals with snacks: A majority of adults regularly replace meals with snacks, with parents much more likely to do so (eight in 10 parents vs. two-thirds of non-parents).
- Fruit is a key component of what is currently missing from snacks: Taste and nutritional content top the list of what people are looking for in snacks, with more than a quarter of adults saying snacks are lacking in fruits.
“We’re thrilled to learn a bit more about the snacking attitudes of our consumer base and to be able to meet their desires with our Fruit Refreshers® product line,” says Brand Manager Chris Kocur. “The new flavors, Pineapple & Mango in Prickly Pear Flavored Fruit Water and Peaches in Honeysuckle Flavored Fruit Water, provide a delicious, convenient and refreshing snack for busy parents and adults in need of a mid-afternoon pick me up, or those who are looking for a grown-up version of the fruit cups they loved as children.”
Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers® are a portable, refreshing snacking option made with real fruit that help quench thirst while satisfying taste buds. They offer a one-two punch of exotic flavor while being an excellent source of Vitamin C, with each serving providing 70% of the daily value. Del Monte’s® Fruit Refreshers® are available at major retailers nationwide such as Walmart, Target, Publix and more, have no artificial sweeteners and are non-GMO2 and non-BPA lining3.
In addition to the two newly released flavors, existing products include Grapefruit & Oranges in Pomegranate Flavored Fruit Water, Peaches & Chia in Strawberry Dragon Fruit Flavored Fruit Water, Red Grapefruit in Guava Flavored Fruit Water and Pears & Chia in Blackberry Flavored Limeade. They are sold in 2 7-oz cups with an MSRP of $3.99.
About Del Monte Foods
Del Monte Foods, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of Del Monte Pacific Limited (Bloomberg: DELM SP, DELM PM) and is not affiliated with certain other Del Monte companies around the world, including Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Del Monte Canada, or Del Monte Asia Pte. Ltd.
U.S. imports of Peruvian asparagus this season have suffered from unfavorable weather in growing regions, industry leaders say.
“The asparagus import industry has seen a month-over-month 40% decline in production,” the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association said in a news release.
The forecast and anticipated arrivals into the U.S. will continue to be lower than expected through August and possibly September , according to the group, which discussed the asparagus industry’s 2023 production difficulties at the its June 22 board meeting in Miami, the release said.
Peru went over 40 years without a cyclone, but in early March 2023 Cyclone Yaku reached northern Peru and dumped a year’s worth of rainfall on some growing regions, the release said.
In addition, El Niño’s heavy rains have negatively affected asparagus production, harvest and logistics in the north, according to the release. Extreme precipitation has rendered about 40% or more of the fields to “regrowth” and delayed the harvest, according to the release. This weather phenomenon of heavy rains has destroyed roads and created mudslides and floods making transportation impossible, the release said.
El Niño weather conditions have increased growing temperatures to 80-95 F in some areas, well above historical average temperatures ranging from 65-70 F, the release said. High temperatures stress production and trigger lower-than-expected harvests.
The release said the Peruvian Asparagus Importers Association believes it will have a promising fourth quarter as production moves to the south, which has not been affected.
USDA statistics from 2022 show that Peru shipped asparagus to the U.S. in every month, with total shipments of 217 million pounds, second only to Mexico’s 361 million pounds among global asparagus suppliers to the U.S.
The USDA reports that through late June, U.S. imports of Peruvian asparagus were off nearly 40% compared with the same time a year ago.
Peruvian mandarin/tangerine production is forecast down slightly at 550,000 metric tons in the marketing year 2023-24 (March 2023 to February 2024), with exports expected to increase by 1% to reach 222,000 metric tons in the marketing year, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service said in its semi-annual report on Peruvian citrus. This volume would be similar to the previous season.
“Despite a late start to the harvest season due to unusually warm weather, producers expect a solid crop later in the year,” the report said.
Citrus exports to the U.S. are expected to fall slightly to 122,000 metric tons but will likely remain Peru’s top market, the report said.
USDA shipment data indicated the top volume month for U.S. imports of Peruvian tangerines/mandarins was August, when 40% of Peru’s 2022 volume arrived in the U.S. Other top volume months were July (14%), September (20%), June (11%) and October (6%).
Last season, Peru exported 63% of its mandarins/tangerines to the U.S., with 8% shipped to the United Kingdom and 8% to Holland. Peru’s mandarin/tangerine planted area is estimated at 54,360 acres, the report said.
The major mandarin/tangerine production areas in Peru are in the central, semi-tropical coastal regions with good availability of water, of which the regions of Lima, Junín and Ica represent 85% of the country’s production of mandarins and tangerines, the report said.
Approximately 50% of Peru’s overall production achieves the size, color and flavor profile (acidity and sweetness) demanded by the international market, the report said.
Currently, government data indicates there are 379 mandarin/tangerine orchards in Peru, with 30 packing and treatment facilities, according to the report.
Mexican fresh tomato shipments for 2023 are predicted to hit 3.87 million metric tons, a 2% increase over the Mexican government’s official 2022 production estimate of 3.8 million metric tons, according to the USDA.
“Stable U.S. demand and increasing adoption of greenhouse technologies account for the uptick in year-on-year production growth,” the report said.
The USDA also forecasts Mexico’s 2023 fresh tomato exports at 2.06 million metric tons, a 5% increase over 2022, due to expected higher production, stagnant domestic consumption and robust U.S. demand.
Although exports to the U.S. occur year-round and are consistently above 100,000 metric tons per month, the largest volume of exports generally occurs from January to March and from October to December.
In 2022, the report said Mexico exported over 1.81 million metric tons of tomatoes to the U.S. and accounted for about 91% market of tomatoes imported into the U.S.
Sinaloa remains Mexico’s largest tomato-producing state and accounts for 22% of total production, followed by San Luis Potosi, Michoacán, Zacatecas and Jalisco.
Mexico’s tomato exports to the U.S. will remain strong due to robust supplies and flat Mexican consumption.
Mexican tomato production occurs throughout the year with two overlapping production and harvest peaks, the report said. From December to April, the state of Sinaloa — Mexico’s largest open-field and shade house tomato producer — dominates the domestic market and exports over 80% of its crop to the U.S., according to the report.
During the period from May to November, the states of San Luis Potosi followed by Michoacán, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Baja California Sur, Sonora, Morelos, and Puebla become major suppliers, the report said.
According to the Mexican government’s Agrifood and Fisheries Information Service, the official 2022 production estimate reached 3.8 million metric tons.
Sinaloa’s production in 2022 totaled 821,000 metric tons, followed by San Luis Potosi with 475,149 metric tons, Michoacán with 322,153 metric tons, Zacatecas with 244,706 metric tons, Jalisco with 197,946 metric tons and Baja California Sur with 189,659 metric tons.
San Luis Potosi, Michoacán, Zacatecas and Jalisco account for over 55% of national production, but tomatoes are grown throughout the country, the report said.
“While Sinaloa currently remains Mexico’s largest state-level producer, most of the overall production growth is dispersed across San Luis Potosi, Michoacan, Jalisco, as well as other smaller producing states,” the report said.
Mexico exports over half of its annual tomato production, and growers throughout the country use greenhouses, shade houses, high-tunnel systems and other climate-control technologies to supply the U.S. market year-round, the report said. In fact, Mexican government sources reveal that 67% of tomato production is grown under controlled conditions, the report said.
The greatest volume of Mexican tomatoes imported into the U.S. enters through the Laredo (Texas) Customs District, followed by the Nogales (Ariz.) and San Diego Customs Districts, the report said.
The Laredo District has four important ports of entry for fresh tomato shipments, chiefly Pharr, Laredo, Brownsville and Progreso. In comparison, the Nogales and San Diego Customs Districts each have just one port of entry for tomatoes, the report said.