Posts Tagged “Mexican produce shipments”
From the South Texas-Mexican border to the Canadian border, here is a look at produce shipments originating out of the central United States.
Lower Rio Grand Valley Produce Shipments
There are steady Texas grapefruit shipments, amounting to around 200 truck loads weekly, with about one-fourth this volume in oranges. Just south of San Antonio, cabbage shipments are increasing…..However, the biggest volume comes with Mexican produce shipments. There is everything from such tropical as mangos, papayas, and pineapples to watermelon, peppers, roma tomatoes, broccoli and carrots.
A word of caution. Although volume is very light with Mexican tomatillos and chayote, some quality problems are being reported.
Lower Rio Grand Valley/Mexican produce – grossing about $4800 to New York City.
Sweet Potato Shipments
Both Louisiana and Mississippi are shipping sweet potatoes, but volume is light.
Michigan Produce Shipments
Heaviest produce volume in Michigan remains with apples, primarily out of the Western area of the state, averaging about 175 truck loads per week…There are about 125 truck loads of potato loadings a week….Finally, there are still some storage onions left, but it is in a seasonal decline.
Michigan apples – grossing about $2400 to Atlanta.
Wisconsin Potato Shipments
Central Wisconsin is shipping over 300 truck loads of primarily russet potatoes weekly.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $2200 to Houston.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Eastern North Dakota and Western Minnesota are shipping red potatoes in similar volume to that of Wisconsin.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1950 to Chicago.
Mexico produce shipments are crossing the U.S. border at Nogales, AZ in good volume – at least with several items.
The heaviest amount of product is with cucumbers, bell peppers, squash and tomatoes. Cucumbers are averaging around 675 truck loads per week. However, keep in mind most of these items are shipped as mixers, instead of straight loads of product. In fact, a lot of trucks arrive at Nogales to fill out a load, after multiple picks up California and other parts of Arizona.
Tomatoes are biggest volume right now, averaging nearly 1,000 truck loads per week. The biggest tonnage is with vine ripes and plum tomatoes, with much lesser amounts of grape and cherry tomatoes.
There also are decent crossings of Mexican bell peppers (600 truck loads weekly) and nearly as much volume with squash. Much lighter crossings exist with Mexican watermelons, beans, eggplant and other types of peppers than bell peppers.
With the completion of the Mariposa Land Port of Entry at Nogales last year, arrivals of Mexican vegetables has been more predictable. Because of the finish of the eight-year-long construction project, fewer delays are being experienced by produce haulers picking up product one of the dozens of warehouses in Nogales.
The upgraded port of entry was designed to increase traffic flow at the border because of better facilities, new Customs and Border Protection and inspection procedures. The port now is able to inspect about 4000 trucks per day through eight primary commercial booths and 56 secondary commercial inspection bays.
Nogales produce shipments – grossing about $1300 to L.A.; $5600 to New York City.
One of the most active produce shipping areas in the United States is the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas.
Numerous vegetables and tropical fruits from Mexico are crossing the border at McAllen, Tx and this area is only going to see increasing volume in the years to come. More warehouse space is being build to receive Mexican produce shipments and to act as consolidation and distribution centers.
Perhaps the largest volume item crossing the border – particularly this time of the year – are Mexican avocados, spurred in part by this Sunday’s Super Bowl. It has become a huge snack for people watching this event. This year over 285 million pounds of avocados will be imported to the United States; that’s over 7,125 truck loads!
Another leading item is actually coming out of South Texas. Grapefruit shipments are averaging about 400 truckloads a week, while Texas oranges amount to about half this volume. There are Texas cabbage loads coming out of the Winter Garden District near San Antonio.
Still, most of the produce volume is with Mexican produce shipments crossing the South Texas border. Items range from broccoli to carrots, roma tomatoes, strawberries, raspberries and watermelons, among others.
South Texas produce shipments – grossing about $3200 to Chicago; $2800 to Atlanta.
Here is a glimpse of produce loading opportunities on Mexican produce shipments crossing the border into Texas, as well as domestic citrus shipments from the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
In 2013, about 170,000 truckloads of fruits and vegetables from Mexico came into the United through the ports of entry in South Texas, making it the leading state in the country for imports of fresh produce.
Approximately 40 to 45 percent of the fresh produce consumed in the United States is imported.
It has been estimated annually an additional 500,000 truckloads of goods (not just produce) will travel through Texas into the United States because of the ease of driving across Mexico through the mountains and into the Lone Star State.
There’s probably more Mexican avocados crossing the border into the Lower Rio Grand Valley of Texas now than any other produce item – averaging about 800 truck loads per week. There is also much lighter volume with various tropical fruits.
In South Texas, shipments of domestic grapefruit is averaging about 200 truck loads weekly, with oranges amounting to about one-half this volume.
There also is light volume with Wintergarden District cabbage, which is located just south of San Antonio.
South Texas domestic citrus and Mexican tropical fruit – grossing about $2900 to Chicago and about $4500 to New York City.
So far West Mexican produce shipments, much of which will be destined for markets across the United States and Canada, has mostly avoided any serious problems from a couple of hurricanes. Volume is expected to be lighter than normal for early season shipments, but should improve significantly as the season progresses.
Some commodities, including squash, watermelon, cucumbers, bell peppers and even a few tomatoes, already are crossing the border into in Nogales. Volume should pick up significantly by mid-to late November. However, the biggest volume typically doesn’t hit until late December or early January. Anytime now, there should be substantial volume of colored and green bell peppers from Sonora and Sinaloa, with the biggest increases being with greenhouse colored bell peppers.
The earliest season cucumbers from Caborca are just now starting to arrive and will continue until early December. Cucumbers should start arriving from Culiacan the first or second week of November and continue until the end of May.
As we approach the winter months, Mexican watermelons are increasing. Over 350 truck loads of watermelons weekly are passing through Nogales and volume is on the rise.
Nogales produce crossing from Mexico – grossing about $5700 to New York City.
Mexican avocados joining other produce from south of the border being imported to the U.S. Peruvian onions are set for arrivals at U.S. Ports.
Mexican Produce Shipments
Avocado shipments should stay steady as California and Peru wind down in early September, although location of loading opportunities will shift. In September shipments out of Mexico ramp up. California avocado shipments were lighter than normal this season, and shipments will be 95 percent completed after Labor Day. Shipments also will be wrapping up earlier than usual.
While imports of Mexican avocados get started in September, it will be the middle of October before there is good volume.
Mexican avocados crossing the U.S. border into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas are averaging around about 500 truck loads a week – but as mentioned, are gradually increasing in volume.
Peruvian Onions
Exports of Peruvian sweet onions to the U.S. may grow by as much as 10 percent during the 2014-15 season. The United States buys 57 percent of the Peruvian exports of onions. The current export season starting ramping up in late July and should continue into late January. The Peruvian onions arrive a various U.S. ports, before being trucked to markets across the U.S. and Canada.
Mexican avocados, mangos, citrus, tomatoes, and vegetables crossing at McAllen, TX – grossing about $4200 to New York City.
Mexican watermelon imports are heavy, tomatoes moderate, with grape loadings about to start.
Mexican Grape Shipments
An early start to Mexican grape shipments through Nogales, AZ will take place as much as two weeks ahead of normal. That means the initial crossings will occur in late April. There should be good volume heading into Mother’s Day (May 11) as well as for the the long Memorial weekend (May 24-26). Peak shipments will occur during June and there still should be decent volume for deliveries prior the the Fourth of July weekend. No estimates have been provided on the size of the crop but it is not unsual for Mexico to ship 10 million, if not more cartons of grapes during the season.
Mexican Watermelon Shipments
Watermelon crossings into Nogales from Mexico continue to increase. About 1700 truckloads of melons are crossing weekly, with even heavier volume ahead. Mexican watermelons crossing into South Texas at Pharr are up to 500 truckloads weekly and are increasing as well.
Mexican Tomato Shipments
Mexican vine ripe and roma tomatoes are not crossing the border in the numbers watermelons are, but there is still moderate volume in both South Texas and at Nogales.
Both of these ports in Arizona and Texas are going to continue handling heavier volume of Mexican produce shipments in the years ahead. Each port has had significant upgrades to move traffic faster and more smoothly across the border. The new Mexican highway stretching from Western Mexico to nearly the Gulf of Coast will result in entries at South Texas growing faster than ever, especially for produce being shipped to the eastern half of the U.S. and Canada.
Nogales produce loads – grossing about $4500 to Atlanta.
Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas – grossing about $5700 to New York City.
Here’s a look at produce loads that may be available for Mexician produce at border crossing locations in California, Arizona and Texas.
Mexican Produce Shipments
In large part because of yesterday’s Super Bowl, more avocados were shipped in the U.S. the week of Jan. 19 than in any other week on record. Nearly 48 million pounds of avocados — almost 44 million of them from Mexico — were shipped during the week. A big marketing campaign on avocados for a number of years now, geared toward the Super Bowl, has significantly increased shipments – and consumer consumption of guacumole at parties surrounding the big game.
Footnote: The Seahawks plummeted the Broncos 43 to 8.
California Produce Shipments
Mexico is sending a lot of produce across the border into the U.S. this time of the year, such as Baja California pennisula tomatoes crossing into the state of California.
Texas Produce Shipments
Most of the avocados mentioned in the opening paragraph are coming into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. South Texas also is receiving a lot of tropicals from Mexico, as well as vegetable items.
South Texas produce – grossing about $4600 to New York City.
Nogales Produce Shipments
Nogales, AZ continues to be a big importer. Currently about 900 truck loads of vine ripe and plum tomatoes are crossing the border weekly. There’s also melons, cucumbers, squash, eggplant and other veggies being imported.
Nogales mixed vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Chicago.
Normal volume of winter vegetables from West Mexico crossing the border at Nogales, AZ is expected this season.
While limited volume with winter veggies has been occuring for over a month, crossings are gradually increasing in December. Heaviest volume typically occurs after the first of the year and remains heavy through March. As vegetable volume declines, table grapes typically start crossing the border in April.
Among the larger Mexican produce shipments this time of the year are watermelons, squash, peppers, eggplant and cucumbers. However, it is tomatoes that really get shipments going. Tomatoes, along with green beans, are just getting started.
While overall volume this winter should be fairly normal, there apparently are a lot more Mexican watermelons crossing the border.
A trend produce truckers are likely to notice, especially in coming years, is that produce crossing the border at Nogales is on the decline, while increasing in South Texas.
One reason is that central Mexico grows fresh produce on a year around basis, and most of that product is distributed to the U.S. and Canada through South Texas. As the same time produce grown in the Sinaloa and Sonora ares of West Mexico is grown on a seasonal basis. This product has historically crossed the border through Nogales.
It was more than a decade ago that construction of the long awaited Mazatlan-Durango Highway started. Completion of the road is behind schedule, but expected to be ready in the first half of 2014. West Mexican produce being shipped to the eastern half of the U.S. is expected to be funneled to Texas instead of going through Nogales, using the new 143-mile highway that has 63 tunnels.
Mexican produce at Nogales – grossing about $3500 to Chicago; $5800 to New York City.
Harvest is virtually over for Red River Valley potatoes. With product in storage, shippers can now give full attention to marketing and shipping their crop.
There’s also a lot of avocados and other Mexican produce crossing the border into South Texas.
Significant moisture received the first two weeks of October resulted in wet and muddy field conditions in some RRV areas, which made for difficult harvest conditions (See photo of tractor and harvestor stuck in the mud).
Red potatoes account for 98 percent of the fresh potatoes grown in the Red River Valley. Overall shipments from the North Dakota and Minnesota area is expected to be down this season, perhaps 20 percent. More on this will soon be available as the harvest is completed.
Mexican Produce Shipments
Total exports of Hass avocados from Mexico into the United States in 2012-13 were a record 517,896 metric tons, up 40 percent from the prior crop year. This topped the previous year by 26 percent. Similar volume is expected this year.
As of the first week in October, the weekly volume was up to where it had been on that date a year ago. Volume increases are seen for November and December. In all, very good volume for avocados are seen out of Mexico for the 2013-14 season. The majority of the fruit crosses the border into the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
Mexican avocados (crossing the border), plus other Mexican items and Texas citrus – grossing about $4000 to New York City.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $1900 to Chicago.