Posts Tagged “New Mexico”
More consumers are realizing the healthy benefits of eating nuts.
A record crop of around 550 million pounds of pistachios is projected as the 2012 harvest nearing completion. Pistachio growers in California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada are expecting huge demand from consumers.
There are currently about 250,000 acres of pistachios planted in the four states (98 percent of that is in California), and currently only 145,000 acres are producing crops. Based on industry data, the current plantings are expected to boost the crop size to 800 million pounds by 2016, double what it was in 2009.
About 60 percent of the total USA pistachio volume is exported mostly to China and to the European Union.
In the USA there are sponsorships of the American men’s and women’s water polo teams. The women’s team won the gold medal at the recent London Olympics.
There also continues to be sponsorship of the Miss California Pageant, with the idea of tying in with Miss California on the beauty and fitness side of eating pistachios.
The pistachio industry also is involved in sponsoring various nutrition and health studies. Previous studies have focused on benefits to cardiovascular health and on lowering of cholesterol by eating pistachios.
Pistachios are not alone in the nut category in terms of experiencing growing global demand. All tree nuts, whether it be almonds or walnuts or pistachios, seem to be doing well.
Here’s a look at available fresh produce loads in the Western half of the USA where volume is primarily steady, or increasing.
In South Texas, avocados from Mexico are providing over 600 truckload equivalents per week and the volume will be increasing in the weeks ahead….South Texas grapefruit loadings are very light, but have started, and will hit good volume around mid- November….In West Texas in the Hereford area, as well as in nearby Eastern New Mexico, there is light volume with potatoes.
Looking at the San Luis Valley of south-central Colorado, about 500 truckloads of russett potatoes are being shipped weekly.
Idaho has another huge crop of russet potatoes. While the railroads move a significant amount of the state’s spuds, the majority of the volume still is shipped by truck. Nearly 1,700 truckload equivalents of potatoes are providing loads on a weekly basis.
California’s San Joaquin Valley is shipping everything from grapes to carrots and tomatoes, among other items. Over 2,000 truckloads of grapes are being shipped weekly from vineyards spread between the Bakersfield area to Merced. Decent volume with tomatoes also are available, but a seasonal decline will continue in coming weeks.
In Washington state, apples from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys may be providing the single largest amounts of fruit volume in the country. A huge apple crop is averaging about 2,500 truckload equipments on a weekly basis.
Record or near record shipments of peanuts, almonds, walnuts, and pistachios 
are predicted by the USDA in the coming months. In fact, most types of nuts are expected to be plentiful for the fall, holiday and winter season, coming off of the 2012 harvest.
For example, record shipments of peanuts are predicted for the top four producing states of Georgia, Florida, Alabama and number four Texas. Georgia has nearly 60 percent more planted acrerage than a year ago and expects to ship over 2.8 million pounds of peanuts. The state accounts for nearly 50 percent of the nation’s peanut shipments.
Total U.S. peanut shipments are projected to be 5.9 million pounds in 2012, up from 3.6 million in 2011.
Almond loadings are expected to be up three percent from last year, totalling 2.1 billion meat pounds for 2012 on some 780,000 acres. California ships about 80 percent of the world’s almonds, with the leaders being Georgia, Texas and New Mexico. Total USA loadings in 2011 amounted to about 270 million pounds, and this is seen as increasing this year.
California also accounts for about 99 percent of the walnut volume in the United States, up two percent from a year ago. It’s not a record, but is close.
Record pistachio shipments are forecast out of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada totalling 550 to 575 million pounds.
California rates to the East Coast topped $9000 this week, at least from the Salinas Valley, where vegetable volume is really cranking up, plus 
there is building volume with the nearby Watsonville district strawberries and other berries. Rates also have increased from other regions of California, ranging from the San Joaquin Valley, to Santa Maria and in the Southern part of the state. Truck supplies have definately tightened up, but so far, my sources are reporting you can get a truck, if you’re willing to pay for it.
In Arizona, rates remain strong as Mexican melons and table grapes are moving in good volume across the border into the USA.
If for some reason, you are stuck in New Mexico, the new crop of storage onions from the Southern part of the state are now being shipped. Rates are usually less on onions with a significant factor being you can haul them on flatbeds and other non-refrigerated equipment.
Texas remains active for produce loads, in large part thanks to Mexico. There are a variety of Mexican vegetables and tropical fruit crossing into South Texas. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is shipping watermelons, although weather troubles has reduced loading opportunities there. The Winter Garden District, just south of San Antonio is loading onions.
Salinas Valley vegetables, Watsonville berries – grossing about $9000 and more to Boston.
San Joaquin Valley stone fruit – about $4000 to Atlanta.
Nogales melons and grapes – about $5000 to Chicago.
New Mexico onions – $3000 to Chicago.
Texas produce – $3000 to Atlanta.
Supplies of refrigerated trucking equipment continue to tighten as spring 
produce volume continues to increase, and is being reflected in rates, which are rising.
The pressure to increased rates on produce loads, as usual, is being led by California. More specifically, the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys continue to build in volume. In the San Joqauin Valley, even though an April hail storm knocked out about 15 percent of the stone fruit crop, there will still be around 40 million boxes of peaches, plums and nectarines for hauling this season. The valley also has a lot of vegetables, which doesn’t even include grape shipments that won’t begin until July.
In New Mexico, one normally doesn’t think of produce loads. But if you are in the area, onion shipments are in light volume the Hatch (Las Cruces) area.
Peach shipments from the Ft. Valley, GA area are moving in decent volume, although loadings for the overall season are forecast to be down about one-third. Shipments are expected to finish in late July, a couple of weeks earlier than normal…..South Carolina peach shipments have started and should continue into August.
Georgia peaches – grossing about $2600 to Baltimore.
$8000-plus loads from Salinas to New York City are becoming more common.
We’re not talking huge volumes of loads involving fresh produce in the 
Midwest, or Central USA, but there are quite a few areas shipping this time of the year. Even a partial load may allow you to get to another destination to fill out the trailer, or deliver and get a full haul.
Texas – There are 350 to 400 truckloads of Mexican avocados crossing the border into the Lower Rio Grande Valley each week. There’s also a significant amount of Mexican watermelons moving into Texas as well. The valley itself continues to ship various vegetables.
New Mexico — It may not be big volume, but onions are being shipped from the Las Cruces area.
Michigan — Light to moderate volumes of apples are available from Western Michigan. In about a month vegetable shipments will get underway.
Wisconsin — Potato loadings continue from the Stevens Point (central Wisconsin) area in moderate volume.
Colorado — The San Luis Valley is averaging around 500 truckloads of potatoes a week.
Nebraska — The Cornhusker state is certainly no Idaho, or even a Colorado or Wisconsin, when it comes to potato shipments. However, there are spuds in limited amounts coming out the Southwestern (Imperial) and Northeastern (O’Neill) parts of the state.
Wisconsin potatoes – grossing about $2000 to Houston.
South Texas produce – about $4600 to New York City.