Posts Tagged “Florida vegetable shipments”
By Joey Piedimonte, Pro*Act, Monterey, CA
I spent last week in Orlando for SEPC, and it was nice connecting with many of you out
there. While I was in Florida, I got a firsthand look at what the late January freeze did to
crops in the region and the impact is more significant than the reports suggested.
Bell peppers took a serious hit. Fields that should be loaded are thin, and what’s coming
out is inconsistent. Strawberry plants looked structurally sound, but the ratio of flowers to
fruit told the real story. There’s more bloom than berry right now, which means volume is
still weeks away.
That freeze is still echoing across the supply chain.
Bell peppers are tightening, particularly greens. Significant freeze losses in Florida have
resulted in lower yields and more off-grade fruit expected this spring. Western Mexico
volumes crossing through Nogales are rising and helping fill the gap, but prices are
climbing as demand grows. Red bells are relying heavily on Mexico, where Culiacán is
producing moderate volume with good quality and better yields ahead. Central Mexico
crossings remain steady but limited, and Florida supply is minimal. Markets will stay firm
short-term.
Tomatoes remain the headline. Southeast supplies are extremely limited after growers
invoked Force Majeure due to crop loss. Domestic production won’t recover until mid
April at the earliest. Mexico is helping cover the gap, but yields are lighter and quality at
pack-out has been mixed. Recent logistics disruptions have stressed the supply chain.
Rounds, romas, and grape tomatoes are all tight. Expect elevated pricing through the next
six weeks, and consider substituting rounds for romas where possible.
Corn took a beating. Bi-color, white, and yellow corn in the Southeast are all impacted. On
the West Coast, bi-color and white are limited, and yellow is extremely tight.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
The devastation of the freeze in Florida about a month ago is now being fully realized with the report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
From blueberries to strawberries and citrus, as well as sugar cane and vegetables, losses were heavy.
A preliminary estimate reveals $3.1 billion from winter’s freeze.
The strawberry and blueberry industries were the hardest hit, according to the report. The former suffered an estimated production loss of approximately 80 percent of the remaining harvest, which roughly translates into $306.9 million in losses.
As far as blueberries are concerned, the extreme cold killed floral buds, led to dropped fruit, and caused plant limbs to break under the weight of cold protection. Growers reported the freeze will not only affect this year’s harvest, but harvests for years to come, the FDACS notes.
Estimated production losses in the Florida blueberry industry preliminarily total 90 percent of the crop, translating to freeze damage valued at approximately $78.5 million.
Meanwhile, citrus, the Sunshine State’s most important crop, suffered the loss of 15 percent of its trees due to freeze damage, along with a huge financial blow estimated at $675 million.
The grand total encompasses tree and infrastructure damage, estimated at $327 million and $41.5 million, respectively, as well as total losses for damaged fruit totalling $85.2 million.
The FDACS report also includes a freeze-damage forecast, with losses calculated at $220.5 million.
The industry will face an average annual loss in productivity of 27 percent that will persist for several years before returning to pre-storm production, the state agency explains.
“It is estimated that 80 percent of the total acres of citrus in Florida were significantly affected by the freeze damage,” the report continued.
As a big vegetable producer, Florida also experienced great freeze losses in commodities such as snap beans, bell peppers, eggplants, artichokes, broccoli, and leafy greens, among others. The FDACS calculates that losses in this category amount to $554.6 million.
Tomato and bell pepper producers lost 80 percent of their crops right before the middle of the season, resulting in $164 million and $108 million in losses, respectively. Sweet corn losses, meanwhile, amount to $255 million and potatoes to $79.1 million.
Watermelons were also affected, with an estimated 33 percent production loss. With the entire growing season still ahead, the state agency estimated a financial blow of $65.4 million.
Florida is also a major sugarcane producer, with an industry worth $1.6 billion in 2025. The sector suffered a significant blow, as freeze damage will not only affect the current season crop, but those to come. Estimated production losses total 35 percent and are valued at $1.65 billion, with current-season losses of $576 million.
Southern Specialties, of Pompano Beach, FL is a grower, importer and distributor of specialty produce, and reports a strong year across the board as it heads into the final months of the year.
As the industry transitions into the fall season, the 35 year-old company once again turns attention to one of its key Florida-grown programs — its green bean operation.
The company’s green beans are marketed under its Southern Selects label, along with a number of private-label programs for major retailers and foodservice distributors. Southern Specialties sources and processes the beans through its Florida operations.
Besides Florida-grown green beans, Southern Specialties also uses its South Florida base as a critical gateway for imported counter-seasonal products.
This allows the company to complement Florida-grown crops with imported items such as asparagus, baby vegetables and berries from Guatemala, Mexico and Peru.
The company points out about 96 percent of the asparagus consumed in the U.S. comes from either Peru or Mexico and is one of the leading growers and importers of Peruvian asparagus, which enters the Port of Miami and is then distributed nationwide. Southern Specialties also grow and distribute asparagus from Mexico, as well as seasonally available Michigan asparagus.
Having the Port of Miami and Port Everglades nearby provides an important logistical advantage, especially during the busy fall and holiday months.
Both ports are strong receivers for product coming from throughout South and Central America, which can distributed along north-south and east–west corridors that allows the company to reach about 80 percent of the U.S. population within two days.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
A diverse crop of fall vegetables are now being shipped from Florida, although volume doesn’t match that of the state’s busiest period, springtime.
Items coming out of an area ranging from Homestead to Belle Glade range from sweet corn to green beans, Bell peppers, tomatoes and leafy greens. Favorable growing conditions have growers and shippers optimistic for good, quality crops.
The long, diverse list of Florida’s fall produce shipments include fruits and vegetables such as sweet corn, Bell peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, avocados, carrots, radishes, squash and green beans. Fall also is the start of the state’s citrus shipments, with early varieties of oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. It also includes leafy greens such as romaine, as well as the beginning of Florida strawberries from the Plant City area.
Florida ranks among the nation’s top producers of several key specialty crops, leading the U.S. in the production of oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, green beans, cucumbers and Bell peppers during the fall and winter months.
Southern Specialties of Pompano Beach, FL imports product from Central and South America as well as shipping Florida produce. The company relies heavily on the ports at Miami and the Everglades for its imported items.
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ALLEN LUND COMPANY, TRANSPORTATION BROKERS, LOOKING FOR REEFER CARRIERS: 1-800-404-5863.
IMMOKALEE, FL – Lipman Family Farms is proud to announce significant investments in vegetable production that will revolutionize their operations and bolster the quality and output of their products.
In a dynamic industry landscape where consumer preferences continually evolve, Lipman Family Farms remains steadfast in its commitment to meeting the ever-changing demands and increasing consumption of fresh vegetables.
“We recognize when it’s time to invest into more resources so that our team can meet the needs of our customers and consumers alike,” Elyse Lipman, CEO of Lipman Family Farms stated. “With these investments, we will be able to meet consumer demands, enhance our operations, and enforce our position as a reliable partner in the industry.”
The key investments made by Lipman Family Farms include:
Increased Vegetable Acreage in Florida: Lipman has significantly expanded its vegetable and watermelon acreage in Florida, ensuring a consistent supply of high-quality vegetables year-round. This expansion enhances their ability to meet consumer demands for fresh produce, no matter the season.
Acquisition of Chapman Fruit Co.: Lipman Family Farms has purchased Chapman Fruit Co., a reputable vegetable packer in Southwest Florida. This strategic move creates additional capacity to accommodate the growing volume of vegetables produced by Lipman in the region, ultimately increasing cooling and packing capabilities to ensure the freshest produce reaches consumers.
Located in Immokalee, Florida, this acquisition provides a 65,000 square-foot packing facility that is conveniently situated near Lipman’s farms in Southwest Florida, allowing for short and efficient local transit. The facility is equipped to handle and store the increased volume of watermelon and vegetables produced by Lipman.
12-Lane AWETA Pepper Packing Machine: Lipman Family Farms has invested in a cutting-edge 12-lane AWETA machine for packing peppers in Florida. This machine expands the vegetable packing capabilities at Lipman’s existing facilities and significantly improves automation efficiencies. It can sort and pack approximately 5,200 cases of peppers per hour and offers various packing capabilities, including DRCs, PLU labeling, and bagging.
“The acquisition of Chapman Produce and the implementation of cutting-edge equipment, such as the AWETA machine, allow us to continue to streamline our operations and improve efficiency,” said Toby Purse, Chief Operating Officer of Lipman Family Farms. “These investments allow us to continue to enhance our operations, become more efficient, and deliver the same quality to our retailers and consumers alike.”
“With the new investments in acreage, equipment and facilities, our team can continue to meet our standard for producing and delivering quality fruits and vegetables,” Purse added.
Lipman Family Farms is excited to embark on this new phase of growth and innovation, as they continue to meet the evolving needs of their consumers.
Similar to many areas of the country cooler weather has slowed production of Florida spring vegetables, but growers and shippers remain optimistic it will be a good shipping season as we head toward April and peak loadings.
While spring produce items got off to a slower start than usual, grower/shippers see volume increasing rapidly, with excellent quickly.
West Coast Tomato LLC of Palmetto, FL has round and roma tomatoes in the Manatee County area of central Florida.
New Limeco of Homestead, FL is shipping Florida carambola — or star fruit — which will continue until May. The company also ships dragon fruit, passion fruit, Florida mangoes, Florida red guava and Thai guava for other growers and carries limes imported from Mexico, Colombia or Honduras year-round.
Pioneer Growers Co-op of Belle Glade, FL, has spring corn as well as cabbage, radishes, beans and leaf items.
Branch: A Family of Farms in South Bay, FL sweet corn and green beans this spring. The company was harvesting corn in Homestead in February and started sourcing from Belle Glade again after mid-March. It expects to be back to normal spring volume by mid-April. Corn shipments should continue until Memorial Day.
The company’s big push on cabbage was for St. Patrick’s Day, but supplies will continue until mid-April.
Radishes will last through spring, and the company should have green beans through early May along with leaf items like escarole, red and green leaf lettuce, romaine, cilantro and parsley.
Dundee Citrus Growers Association, Dundee, FL, is shipping valencia oranges through May, peaches from late March through early May and blueberries from mid-March through early May.
An additional 1,400 acres of winter vegetables has been added by Lipman Family Farms of Immokalee, FL.
“This expansion of acreage compliments our spring, summer, and fall seasons by providing secure volumes of fresh veg year-round,” David Ackers, manager of procurement and sales, said in a press release. “This expansion allows us to leverage our supply network, distribution lanes and expanded packing capabilities in the east. Our goal is to be a one-stop-shop for our customers and provide a steady and controlled supply.”
The additional volume of winter vegetable production will complement Lipman’s existing relationships with local growers across the East coast, according to the release. The long-term partnerships include the largest bell pepper and cucumber growers in North Carolina, as well as one of the largest dry vegetable growers in New Jersey.
Lipman will focus on harvesting peppers, cucumbers, eggplants, and chili peppers, among other items, beginning in late October, the company said.
Additionally, Lipman continues to upgrade its packing facilities to fit growing volume and continued customization with quick turnaround and shortened shipping time.
Product is picked and packed on the same day, the company said. After harvest, the product is funneled through their state-of-the-art packing facilities in Florida, offering the ability to deliver both bulk and specialty packs in full truckloads and partial truckload volume to their customer base on the East Coast.
Florida ships a nation-leading one-third of the country’s fresh market tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, over 20 percent of the fresh market sweet corn and snaps beans, as well as more than 12 percent of the squash, and over 10 percent of the fresh market cabbage, according to USDA.
Springtime mean the heaviest volume for Florida with loadings of bell pepper, squash, cucumbers, chili peppers, watermelons, cantaloupes, cabbage, broccoli, greens, new crop fresh potatoes and a number of other items.
L & M Companies of Raleigh, N.C. has a strong presence in Palatka, FL, and the ships broccoli, cabbage, cucumbers, greens, squash, onions, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes.
Florida is also a primary supplier of Spring vegetables to the major centers of the Eastern Seaboard and Midwest and sometimes as far west as Texas and the Rockies.
Mack Farms of Lake Wales, FL ships the first new crop of potatoes available in early in February and points out other potato produce regions as still shipping storage spuds from last fall.
Mack Farms was among the pioneer growers of seedless watermelons more than 50 years ago, before turning his small acreage in Alabama into the 3,500-acre Lake Wales flagship fields for the growing operation.
The company currently concentrates on early-season potatoes and watermelons grown in four states.
“We grow yellow, red, white and fingerling potatoes,” says Leger. “The potato program has stayed the same since I came here in 2012, and the company has been here since 1967.”
Mack’s Florida vegetable shipments starting in March includes broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, eggplant, peppers, potatoes, radishes, greens, beans, spinach, squash, corn and tomatoes.
All of those except broccoli are available in April, when carrots are added to the mix.
During the Spring months, Duda Farms Fresh Foods of Belle Glade, FL is shipping corn, celery, organic celery, cello radishes, value-added radishes, Romaine, Romaine hearts, cello lettuce, green leaf, red leaf, endive, and escarole. All product is grown, packed and shipped out of the Belle Glade Farm.
Strong Florida produce shipments this spring are expected due to favorable growing conditions.
Tomatoes, strawberries and cabbage were the Florida commodities with the highest volume during the week of Feb. 16, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Increases in vegetable shipments started in mid February for items such as
avocados, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, iceberg lettuce, romaine lettuce, bell peppers, other peppers, radishes, squash, strawberries and round tomatoes.
These products were joining others that already had good volume. At that time Florida accounted for 37 percent of U.S. tomatoes shipments with 49 percent for strawberries and 39 percent of cabbage.
West Coast Tomato Shippers LLC of Palmetto, FL was having an excellent season in recent months due to fewer plants by other Florida growers, plus Mexican tomato volume also was down. The company will be shipping tomatoes into early June.
Astin Strawberry Exchange LLC of Plant City, FL is just finishing its strawberry season and now has blueberries, which will be shipped through May.
Utopia Packing LLC, a division of Utopia Farms, Myakka City, Fla., will get into its main volume with cucumbers and bell peppers in April.
Seald Sweet International of Vero Beach, FL is shipping fresh valencia oranges through May and then ship out of storage through June.
Brooks Tropicals Inc. of Homestead, FL is in a seasonal lull as the
company’s Florida-grown Slimcado tropical avocados were winding down, with summer shipments set to start in June. Dragon fruit also will be available in June and passion fruit in July.
April and May tend to be the peak shipping months for Florida spring vegetables and favorable growing conditions are expected to provide a good shipping season.
For example, West Coast Tomato LLC of Palmetto is expressing optimism as its volume has been ahead of last year. It has about 3,000 acres in the Immokalee and Palmetto areas and has been shipping tomatoes since October and will complete shipments in early June.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
Duda Fresh Foods Inc. of Oviedo, which grows vegetables on 6,000 acres in the Belle Glade area, reports good weather and plenty of water supplies and has been shipping celery since December and will continue through April.
Scotlynn Sweet Pac Growers LLC of Belle Glade grows and ships corn and other vegetables reports similar good growing conditions. It began shipping in early March and reached good volume in early April that should continue through May. The company ships primarily sweet corn to start, but later in the season has radishes, beans and cabbage, among other items.
At Weis-Buy Farms Inc. of Fort Myers, ships tomatoes and peppers, with a season starting in early October and continuing until June 1st.
Overall Florida vegetable volume is ahead of last year, in part because of favorable weather without hurricanes, unlike a year ago.
L&M Cos is based in Raleigh, NC, but has offices in Palatka, FL. The company reports Northern Florida has had some weather issues causing some vegetable crop to be running late, particularly with cabbage, broccoli and greens.
Mack Farms Inc. of Lake Wales began digging potatoes in early February from about 1,600 acres and has had good volume.
Jones Potato Farm of Parrish reports good shipments of potatoes, and green beans after starting in late March.
Utopia Packing LLC of Myakka City has good volume with bell peppers and cucumbers.
Florida Specialties Inc. of Immokalee shipping
green beans, eggplant, bell peppers, squash and specialty peppers through May.
Florida Fruit Shipments
Wish Farms of Plant City plans to be shipping blueberries until Memorial Day, with Florida growers expecting to pack nearly 4 million pounds of “blues” this season. This would be an increase from 3.4 million pounds a year ago.
Florida Classic Growers, which markets product for the Dundee (FL) Citrus Growers Association is planning to ship valences through May.
Florida Watermelon Shipments
Southern Corporate Packers Inc. of Immokalee is shipping watermelons from Southern Florida through May, with loadings coming out of Northern Florida from late May though June.
The company also grows watermelon in Georgia, Missouri, Indiana and Delaware, which enables the company to have melons available through December.
McMelon Inc., a subsidiary of Mack Farms Inc., both of Lake Wales will start shipping watermelons in early May.
Florida vegetables, watermelons and potatoes – grossing about $2700 to New York City.
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