Posts Tagged “Florida strawberry shipments”
There’s been plenty of cold weather in Florida this winter, but the bottom line is it has mostly dodged the wrap of Mother Nature and any wide spread deadly freezes (knock on wood). But the cold has often meant Florida produce shipments being lighter than normal and later than normal for this time of the year.
Heaviest volume out of Florida is from the central and southern regions with tomatoes, which are averaging around 750 truck loads per week. There’s also a number of mixed vegetable items being shipped in light volume, but are behind normal shipping schedules.
An example is cabbage, which is available in areas from northern to southern Florida. The further north in the state cabbage is grown and shipped, the further behind it is in maturing and being harvested. One example is at Bunnell in nothern Florida where loadings are running a full month behind schedule. About four hours to the south in Central Florida the product is only a couple of weeks late. Cabbage is a big item for St. Patrick’s Day, which is March 17th.
Florida grapefruit shipments are down siginificantly this year, but more so from a disease called citrus greening than due to the weather. One major shipper is reporting pack out at only 50 to 60 percent of normal, when it would normally pack out at about 90 pecent.
Another item trailing is Florida strawberry shipments from the Plant City area.
Central Florida produce items – grossing about $2300 to Chicago.
Florida strawberry shipments have started a little earlier than usual, and good volume shipments for the pre-Christmas deliveries are expected.
The season typically builds through December, with the decent volume hitting right after Christmas.
In early December, at least one Florida strawberry shipper had truckload quantities.
The quality of berries truckers were loading early in the season left something to be desire, but with the last two cold snaps received the strawberries were sweetening.
Florida strawberries – grossing about $2700 to New York City.
Peruvian Grapes
The Port of Miami received its first ever shipment of Peruvian grapes last month, it is believed to the first of the product to arrive at a Florida port for distribution directly to Southeastern states.
Prior to this shipment, Peruvian grapes could only be imported to the U.S. through ports in Los Angeles and New York. Each shipment must go through cold treatment before entering U.S. borders.
By importing directly to Miami it saves the shipper the cost of freight in having to bring the grapes from New York to Miami. This should translate into providing e consumers with fresher product at a lower cost.
We’re entering that time of the year when overall produce volume is declining and it will only get worse during the first few months or so in the New Year. For example, Florida is nothing to get excited about for produce haulers, and will remain that way until spring vegetable shipments take off in April.
Still there are some loading opportunities in the Sunshine state, with vegetables, strawberries and citrus.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
Grape tomatoes and cherry tomato shipments started in mid October from the Palmetto-Ruskin area.
Mature green tomatos should get underway from Central Florida in early November.
Bell peppers, grean beans and cucumbers should begin in light volume in early November from Homestead and Belle Glade.
Sweet corn is running late and is not expected to kick off until about a week before Thanksgiving, which is November 28th.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
Southern Georgia has light supplies of sweet corn, and bell peppers. Loading should continue until about a week before Thanksgiving. It is around this time, the items will get started in Florida.
Florida Strawberry Shipments
Looking ahead, we’re only about five weeks or so away from the intial Florida strawberries coming on in late November, primarily around the Plant City area. Loadings will gradually build in December and January befor peak shipments hit in February.