Posts Tagged “Florida vegetable shipments”
West coast produce shipments are early this year, while East Coast produce shipments are running late. Here’s a round up on loading opportunities ranging from California stone fruit, Southeastern produce shipments and watermelons.
Stone Fruit Shipments
California stone fruit shipments have started a few days earlier than normal. Last year shipments totaled about 35 million cartons. This year estimates are about 40 million cartons. Apricot shipments got underway a couple of weeks ago. Good volume is expected in the days leading up to the Memorial weekend May 28-30.
Yellow nectarine shipments get underway around May 5th and yellow peach shipments will start about May 7-10. Plum loadings kick off about June 1st.
Even at a total of 40 million cartons of the peach, plums and nectarines, California is still 20 percent below the volume it had a decade ago. A lot of fruit acreage was pulled out of the ground and replaced with nuts in first decade of this century.
Florida Produce Shipments
Unlike the early start for many California produce shipments, Florida is the opposite. In late April, growers were beginning to ship good volume. However, this was later than the typical mid-April start of larger shipments. Large volumes of sweet corn shipments are seen for the month of May. While some shippers had good volume the last week of April, other shippers will not move into good volume until the middle of May.
Florida vegetables shipments – grossing about $3400 to New York City.
Georgia Sweet Corn Shipments
Georgia sweet corn should start shipping in small amounts from May 20 until early June, before hitting good volume.
Watermelon Shipments
Texas watermelon shipments should get underway the second week of May, while light supplies of Mexican melons continue to cross the border at McAllen. Heavier Mexican melon volume is crossing the border at Nogales. About 750 truck loads of Mexican watermelons crossed the border into Nogales last week, while volume continues to increase. Florida watermelon shipments are miniscule to that at Nogales right now, but is increasing.
Mexican melons, tomatoes and vegetables at Nogales – grossing about $3200 to Chicago.
Florida sweet corn and watermelon shipments are showing an increase, although moderate, while we take a look at onions shipments out of the Northwest.Florida Vegetable Shipments
Sweet corn shipments and other vegetables from Florida continue to be light due to the lingering effects of seven days of heavy rains the second week of December. Sweet corn loadings are expected to return to normal the week of January 18th, barring other adverse weather events. Only Florida and Mexico have sweet corn shipments during the winter months….South Florida watermelon loadings are underway, although volume is light.
Central and South Florida vegetables, tomatoes, watermelons and strawberries – grossing about $2800 to New York City.
Northwest Onion Shipments
The National Onion Association is reporting estimated nationwide production levels dropped by nearly 7.6 million bags so far this season from a year ago, a 7.7 percent decrease. Much of that decrease is attributed to Eastern Oregon and Malhuer County, Idaho, as well as Washington state, where production cumulatively fell by approximately 5 million bags.
While many onions that were harvested and placed into storage looking great. The product began to show flaws three to five weeks later. This is resulting in quality problems being higher than normal. It also could result in a number of northwest onion shippers finishing up in March instead of late May.
Oregon/Idaho onion shipments – grossing about $4600 San Antonio.
Columbia Basin potatoes and onions – grossing about $4100 to Chicago.
Here’s an update on light to moderate Florida produce loading opportunities.
Florida strawberry shipments this season will come from product off of 11,000 acres in the Plant City area. Those plantings are expected to yield about 42 million flats of eight 1-pound clamshells, up from last season’s 38 million to 40 million flats.
Although a few farmers harvest through mid-April, most grower-shippers finish packing by mid- to late March.
More normal supplies and shipments of Florida strawberries are expected anytime now. In mid- and late December, shipments were only about two-thirds of normal due to warmer than normal weather.
Strawberry shipments are hitting about 200 truckloads per week now, but this number should increase significantly in the days ahead.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
Meanwhile, tomato shipments easily lead the pack when looking a vegetable loadings. About 400 truckloads of tomatoes are being shipped per week from central and southern Florida locations.
There are a number other vegetables in Florida being shipped in light volume ranging from bell peppers to radishes and eggplant, among others. However, Florida certainly isn’t a panacea for finding produce loads this time of the year. But loadings overall in the Eastern time zone of the U.S. this time of year, prompts us to give you as much information as possible. At best, Florida loadings most likely will involve multiple pick ups and drops.
Florida produce – grossing about $2600 to New York City.
Growing and shipping fruits and vegetables in winter is risky business and weather conditions too often play havoc. For example, cold weather in the California and Arizona deserts are disrupting vegetable shipments. In Florida, southern vegetables have been pounded by heavy rains, literally wiping out crops. Strawberry shipments further north in Florida are being hurt by heat.
Desert Vegetable Shipments
Cold weather in the early season and variable weather since then has slowed vegetable growth – and shipments of cauliflower, broccoli, Iceberg lettuce, leaf items or Brussels sprouts. With temperature highs varying as much as 20 degrees from day to day, problems happen. Then there are nightly lows around freezing, that curtail early morning harvests. The result is volume running 25 to 50 percent below normal, which will continue through the end of the year. Farming operations are having to remove the outer leaves of lettuce with ice damage.
California, Arizona desert vegetables grossing about $3800 to Dallas.
Florida Vegetable Shipments
South Florida’s Redlands growing region was hit with torrential rains in early December, resulting in severe damage to winter yellow squash, zucchini and green beans.
The 15 inches of rain that pounded Florida City and Homestead, Fla., also hurt tomatoes and sweet corn, but the squash and beans sustained the most severe damage with losses in the 60 to 70 percent range. The excessive water killed many plants and caused serious quality issues that prevented vegetables from being shipped for the Christmas holidays.
The region grows product primarily mid-November through mid-April, similar to Belle Glade, Fla., and Immokalee.
Belle Glade ships corn and beans while Immokalee ships beans, tomatoes and squash.
Florida Strawberry Shipments
Higher than normal temperatures in the Plant City, FL area has resulted in strawberry shipments facing shipping gaps. Volume is less than normal due to the heat. Although volume is starting to increase, it will probably be the second full week of January before loadings are up to where they should be.
Florida vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $2000 to Chicago.
N
orth Carolina sweet potato shipments all of a sudden are not looking nearly as good this season, while fall vegetables soon will transition from Georgia to Florida.
While North Carolina may have dodged the proverbial weather bullet that clobbered South Carolina, the Tar Heel state still got hit pretty good. From a produce trucking standpoint, the biggest change will be with opportunities for hauling North Carolina sweet potatoes. The state’s leading produce item had fields hit with rains for two weeks. Then they have to wait for fields to dry to continue harvesting. Meanwhile, farmers are fighting the clock when the first hard freeze will end diggings. Bottom line – No specifics yet, but undoubtedly there’s going to be substantial losses in North Carolina sweet potato shipments for the 2015-16 season. This means reduced yields and quality problems….There’s currently a mixture of the old and new crop being shipped, averaging only about 200 truck loads per week. We’ll provide more info as it becomes available.
Eastern North Carolina sweet potato shipments – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
Blessed with sandy soil in much of Georgia, it helps absorb excessive rains that occurred recently with Hurricane Joaquin. Items such as cucumbers and squash are being shipped in light volume, but will be declining as we approach November. There are a number of Florida vegetable shipments that will start increasing with Georgia’s decline. Still, we’re talking pick ups in terms of pallets, not truck loads.
Here’s a glimpse nationally at shipping areas such as Florida spring vegetables, potatoes from Arizona and looking ahead a few weeks to peaches from New Jersey, as well as with Mexican grapes.
Florida vegetable shipments are still moving in good volume and nothing is probably providing more loading opportunities than sweet corn. Big volumes are expected through the Memorial Day weekend, May 23-25. In recent weeks Florida sweet corn shipments have exceeded 1 million crates per week!…..After the holiday, Florida corn will be declining, but South Georgia will start shipping corn in late May with much bigger volumes in early June.
South Florida watermelons have been commanding the best trucks – grossing about $4000 to New York City. That’s about 25% more than rates for Florida red potatoes and nearly 20% more than Florida veggies.
Arizona Potato Shipments
Arizona red potato shipments kicked off about a week ago and now the yellow and mini potato varieties will get going any day now. Most of the potatoes are grown and shipped from an area South of Phoenix in the Casa Grande area.
Mexican Grape Shipments
Since there is still a lot of imported Chilean grapes in the distribution pipeline, some Mexican shippers have delayed shipments for a relatively short period of time. Grapes imported from Mexico are expected to be similar in volume to a year ago with a little over 16 million boxes. The 2014 crop finished at 16.2 million boxes.
New Jersey Peach Shipments
Looking ahead several weeks, New Jersey peach shipments will get underway in July and continue into September.
New Jersey is the fourth largest peach shipping state in the country, with approximately 80 orchards on 5,500 acres.
Florida spring produce shipments continue to roll along, while Georgia is starting to show signs of life.
Over a 1,000 truck loads of mature green, plum and roma tomatoes are being shipped weekly from central and southern portions of Florida. Over 700 trucks loads of sweet corn also are be loaded each week, while good volume also is found with potatoes, bell peppers, cabbage and cucumbers. Dozens of other spring veggies also are being shipped in smaller quantities.
April has seen a big increase in volumes of Florida blueberry shipments. In late March there was virtually no movement, but volume exploded the week of April 6th as shipments took off. However, peak volumes in Florida should start tapering off this week. Total Florida blueberry shipments could be 5 to 7 million pounds above last season.
Florida vegetable shipments – grossing about $3200 to New York City, $2700 to Chicago.
Georgia Produce Shipments
Georgia now is shipping blueberries in light, but increasing volume. Other Georgia produce shipments are mostly light with items ranging from carrots to greens (collards, kale, mustard, turnips, etc.) . There is light, but increasing volume with squash. Cabbage remains light, but should be in good volume by the week of May 4th.
Vidalia onion shipments are increasing, hitting good volume by early May. Peaches from the Fort Valley area should start the third week of May.
Relating to produce shipments originating on the East Coast this time of year, Florida deservedly is receiving the most attention as vegetable volume is rapidly increasing. However, this is more of a report on other Eastern areas that are shipping.
If you want more info on Florida vegetable shipments, there have been a few recent posts that go into more detail, plus an update is coming this Wednesday, April 1st – and this is not an April fool’s joke!
New York Produce Shipments
The state’s biggest volume is with storage onions, most of it coming out of Orange County. averaging about 125 truck loads per week…..The next biggest mover is with apples coming out of the Hudson and Champlain Valleys, as well Central and Western areas of the state. New York is a leading cabbage shipper, but volume is now in a seasonal decline.
Hudson Valley apples – grossing about $3100 to Orlando.
Maine Potato Shipments
Aroostrook County in northern Maine is shipping about 150 truck loads of potatoes weekly.
Maine potatoes – grossing about $1400 to Boston.
Appalachian Apple Shipments
Volume is light, but apples are being loaded in the district comprised of portions of Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
North Carolina Sweet Potato Shipments
With Easter closing in on April 5th, sweet potato shipments from the Eastern areas of the state are increasing, now surpassing 300 truck loads per week.
NC sweet potatoes – grossing about $2500 to New York City.
South Carolina Vegetable Shipments
There certainly are not any truck loads here, but the Lexington area has very light volume with greens and green onions.
Georgia Vegetable Shipments
From Southern Georgia there are light shipments of broccoli, carrots and greens.
Florida vegetable shipments should experince significant increases entering April, with peak spring shipments occurring from about April 15th to the second week of May. Good growing conditions should mean heavier volume loadings earlier this year than last year with items ranging from sweet corn to bell peppers and cumbers, along with tomatoes, watermelons and other items.
20 years ago, there were virtually no Florida blueberry shipments. It was mostly U-pick farms and berries grown for local markets. This year, up to 25 million pounds of Florida blueberries could be shipped, putting the state in the ranks of other leading shippers such as North Carolina, Georgia, California and Oregon.
Michigan and New Jersey still lead in domestic blueberry volume with more than 50 million pounds each,
Florida shipped 21.5 million pounds of blueberries in 2013, up 14 percent over 2012.
Blueberry loadings in Florida have started with the past couple of weeks in Southern and Central Florida growing areas. You can expect North Florida blueberry shipments to start in mid-April. The crop is in good condition and Braswell expects volumes to peak during the second and third weeks of April, just ahead of the Georgia deal coming on at the end of that month.
South Florida produce shipments – grossing about $3300 to New York City.
Florida produce shipments have been even slower than normal for winter, primarily due to a prolonged cold weather period that also included some freeze damage.
South Florida growers are recovering from late January freezes that have cut shipments of sweet corn and green beans. In freezes that struck Jan. 19-24, temperatures dropped to the mid-20s in Palm Beach County, the major growing region for beans and corn and hit 31 degrees in Immokalee.
Freezing temperatures also hit central Florida’s strawberry growing region located just West of Tampa. South Bay, Fla.-based Hugh H. Branch Inc., reportedly lost up to 700 acres of winter corn.
The freeze struck the Pahokee, Fla.-area next to Lake Okeechobee. Florida corn loads in other growing regions were not hurt by the cold, including Indiantown and Homestead Homestead ships most of Florida’s winter production.
Florida vegetable shipments are anything bu heavy this time of the year, but what production there is has faced tremendous reductions in yield — well below 50 to 60 percent.
Beans in the south Florida are of Immokalee were hit by the freeze,but are not showing significant damage, with a few exceptions. However, iIt will just lessen the yields and shipments, which are down 30 percent.
It’s recommended you take a closer look than normal at what is being loading into your truck.
Central and South Florida vegetables – grossing about $2500 to New York City.