Posts Tagged “onion shipments”
Georgia peach shipments enter the final weeks of the season, while Vidalia onions continue providing consistent, steady loads. In the Northwest pears, potatoes and onions are in light, but increasing volume.
Following a shipping in late July, Ft. Valley, GA area shippers are expecting a final season surge of peaches before loadings wind down around August 16-17. The first half of the season was off to a slow start until the middle of June, but it has ramped up and should continue for a couple more weeks. Total Georgia peach shipments this year are expected to be up about 25 percent from a year ago. Some shippers have already finished their season, but a couple of larger ones remain in operation.
Meanwhile, sweet onions from the Vidalia district continue to be shipped from storages, averaging about 250 truck loads per week.
Vidalia onion shipments – grossing about $3000 to New York City.
Northwest Pear Shipments
Northwest pear shipments, primarily from Washington state and Oregon should be very similar to the 2015-16 shipping season, with a 2 percent increase in volume being forecast. Growers in Washington and Oregon should produce about 18.7 million boxes of pears this season, The initial estimate was made last spring and a revised shipping estimated is expected soon. Harvest of bartletts and Starkrimson pears was beginning in late July, with winter pears expected to begin in mid-August.
However, apple shipments continue to have the heaviest volume, even though it is late in the season, with a few early varieties already kicking off the start of the 2016-17 shipping season. Rates to the East Coast may vary by as much $500 to a $1000. For example, recent rates to Atlanta have ranged from $4800 to $5800, although the majority of the shipments seem to going for the higher end of this range.
Potato and Onion Shipments
Northwest potato shipments and onion shipments for the new season are increasing in volume. In the Columbia Basin of Washington and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon potato loadings are expected to have a sharp increase as the old crop has finished and the 2016-17 is now the primary focus. This same area also has very light onion volume, but it will increasing in the weeks to come.
Here’s a round up of North American blueberry shipments that are shifting areas in the coming weeks, plus we take a glimpse at upcoming Quebec apple shipments and western U.S. onions.
Blueberry shipments are making the seasonal shift to new areas and are hitting peak volume from British Columbia, New Jersey and Michigan.
While Georgia an California blueberries, as well as North Carolina blueberry shipments are nearly finished, Michigan got underway the week of June 27th and is now entering peak shipments.
British Columbia blueberry shipments started a little early this year and loadings are currently heavy.
Typically there’s a gap between Pacific Northwest and British Columbia blueberry shipments, but this year is an exception. However, Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia are all hitting good volumes at the same time, with peak shipments to hit in mid-July.
British Columbia was in full volume by about June 29 and New Jersey by the week of July 4th, while Michigan is expected to peak by the week of July 11.
New Jersey and Pacific Northwest blueberry shipments will likely start to taper off in the second half of July, when Michigan is expected to take over the lion’s share of blueberry loadings.
Washington state blueberries, and apples – grossing about $4000 to Chicago.
Southern New Jersey blueberries, – grossing about $1900 to Boston.
Quebec Apple Shipments
Quebec apple shipments are expected to get underway the week of September 12th. Apple loadings for the province’s 2015-16 crop are expected to wind down during the last half of July.
Onion Shipments
Onion shipments from the new crop are expected to get underway during the middle of August from Western Idaho and Mulheur County, OR. Volume should be up this season as a slight increase in acreage is reported. Onion shipments typically last through April. The area is known for its sweet Spanish onions, as well as whites, reds and yellows.
Here’s a shipping update that includes New Jersey vegetables to Georgia onions and avocados from California and Mexico.
Cool spring weather in New Jersey has led to a slow start with vegetables, but warmer weather is resulting in progress. For example, asparagus shipments have been about one-half of what there were this time a year ago – only about 6,000 cartons a week. Asparagus loadings should continue through June.
Over 100 different New Jersey fruits and vegetables are shipping from spring to fall. Among the leading items in the weeks and months ahead are lettuces, parsley, leafy and cilantro, in addition to asparagus. There’s also vegetables ranging from lettuces, to parsley, leafy greens and cilantro.
How availability of peaches will be is still up in the air due to some adverse growing conditions, but initial reports indicate volume will be down this year. Likewise, blueberry volume is still too early to predict, although it sounds as if Jersey “blues” may fare better than peaches.
Much of New Jersey’s produce shipments originate from Southern areas of the state such as Cedarville, Hammonton, and Buena.
Vidalia Onion Shipments
Many are calling the Vidalia sweet onion crop the best in decades. Fresh shipping have been completed and storages in Southeastern Georgia are reported full. Onion shipments from storage should continue through August.
Vidalia onion shipments – grossing about $2800 to New York City.
Avocado Shipments
In late May, those California growers were sending about 18 million pounds per week to the market. Mexico was around 30 million pounds and expected to drop to closer to 25 million pounds per week for much of June. He expects California production to peak at around 19 million to 20 million pounds and stay in that arena through maybe mid-June.
In July, Calavo has estimated that California’s production will drop into the 15 million-pounds-per-week level and August will see a further decline.
By around May 20, California had shipped close to 40 percent of its estimated 2016 volume of 390 million pounds. Another 100 million pounds should be shipped by the end of June, leaving a very manageable volume for the final few months of the season.
Southern California avocados – grossing about $6700 to New York City.
Here’s shipping updates for California relating to Coachella Valley grapes, Imperial Valley onions and prunes from the San Joaquin Valley.
Grape Shipments
In the desert of the Coachella Valley, table grape shipments are a big deal for about six weeks every year. The late timing of Memorial Day (May 30) will mean added loading opportunities for produce haulers due to demand leading up to this holiday. Though Coachella grapes are a bit earlier this year, it still will be around May 10th before good volume occurs. That means the weeks of May 16th and 23rd there will be heavy shipments.
For the Coachella Valley, the months of July, August and September, daytime temperatures can easily top 110 degrees and approach 120, making this region inhospitable to field-grown crops. But other times of the year grapes, watermelon, sweet corn, Bell peppers and grapefruit are just a few of the crops that are shipped, especially in the spring and fall. The Coachella Valley is located about 130 miles southeast of Los Angeles and only a few miles from Palm Springs.
Changing weather patterns for the last few years have meant an April start for grapes, which some are calling the effects of global warming and others are saying is merely a few-year anomaly from normal patterns. For whatever reasons, this year saw grapes being harvested in April once again, as they were in 2014 and 2015.
Imperial Valley Onion Shipments
Onion shipments are now in full swing in the Imperial Valley of southern California. These shipments from the desert occur during April and May, after which the season is continued in Fresno from June until September.
Prune Shipments
Storms hit Northern California in March damaging this year’s prune crop. The result of potential damages may result in prune shipments being reduced this season by 75 percent.
Prune loadings have declined in recent years while struggling to compete with the high prices commanded by walnut and almond crops. Growers have ripped out prune orchards to plant nut crops, causing the amount of prune acreage in California to shrink from 67,000 acres in 2005 to 44,000 acres in 2015.
Southern California fruits and vegetables – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
Here’s an update of imported produce items ranging from onions to asparagus, plus what’s coming up with domestic onion shipments.
Onion shipments are steadily declining from the Vidalia region in Southeastern Georgia. The next sweet onions from a new crop will be arriving by boat from Peru in the middle of August. Meanwhile, New Mexico onions continue to be shipped and will be ending around the second week of August….Yellow, white and red onions loadings will start from the Delta and Montrose area of Colorado about August 20th….These same colored onions are starting out of Utah about the third week of September….Idaho and Oregon onion shipments are expected to start early this year, around August 1st.
Peruvian Asparagus
Imports of asparagus from Peru, primarily to Florida and other eastern ports is expected to be similar to a year ago. Supplies in the first eight months of 2014 ranged from 2.6 million pounds in February to 18.3 million pounds in August. However, arrivals are expected to peak the last four months of this year. Last year, there was about 26 million pounds shipped to the U.S. in September 2014, 28 million pounds in October, 24 million pounds in November and 26 million pounds in December.
Southern New Mexico onions – grossing about $3200 to Atlanta.
Most late summer and fall New York vegetable shipments are going to have substantially less volume, and loading opportunities are going to be a mess, because of unpredictable shipping gapes. Blame it all on Mother Nature and torrential rains in recent weeks.
The heavy rains resulted in flooded fields, disrupted plantings and are expected to produce supply gaps for many vegetables, including sweet corn, green beans, cabbage, squash, cucumbers, onions and potatoes.
For example the down pours delayed the planting of cabbage for 21 days at Hansen Farms LLC, Stanley, N.Y.. which will result in shipping gaps through out the season. Yields will be down, which means volume for shipping will be lower – probably significantly.
While there is little talk of quality issues at this point, and most talk is playing up less volume without quality being affected – don’t necessarily count on it. This should be a concern if you are hauling New York product and just be extra observant what is being put in the truck.
While no percentage losses for volume are available yet on most items, one number being thrown around is both New York potato and onion shipments are expected to be off by 30 percent.
Western New York vegetable shipments – grossing about $1200 to Boston.
While the agriculturally rich Rio Grande Valley has been spared the brunt of the most recent storms and flooding in Texas, nine months of above-average rain has taken its toll in the fresh produce growing areas, with many acres having already been lost.
There has been 60 inches of rain from the fall through the spring.
Many cities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley have tallied impressive rain totals for May, but they are still in single digits. In comparison, Houston received 10 inches of rain during one 24-hour period over the Memorial Day weekend.
The Texas spring onion crop was probably the hardest hit, losing about 30 percent of its acreage. Onion shipments have since ended.
Other crops, including melons and vegetables, have been hit hard and the late spring and early summer harvests should be curtailed a bit because of it. Some growers have seen their entire summer squash program washed out.
The silver lining in the big picture is that the moisture was really need in the drought plagued state. Texas had been in the midst of a pretty severe drought until it started raining late last summer.
Meanwhile, the Lower Rio Grande Valley remains a key distribution hub, particularly for the eastern half of the U.S., because Mexican grown produce continues to be imported.
South Texas/Mexican produce -grossing about $3200 to Chicago; $5500 to Boston.
As we get back in the groove following the long Memorial weekend, here are some of the better produce loading opportunities at various shipping points across America.
Western Produce Shipping Areas
Washington state easily provides the most loading opportunities in the Northwest with apples averaging over 3200 truck loads per week. The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys also have pears in much smaller volume.
Washington apples – grossing about $5000 to Dallas.
Idaho potato shipments continue as we approach the last few months of the 2014-15 shipping season. About 1300 truck load equivalents are being handled weekly, although rails account for a larger percentage than with most produce items. However, trucks still rule!
Idaho potatoes – grossing about $4700 to New York City.
In California, strawberry shipments remain in heavy volume, with about equal movement coming out of the Watsonville area and the Santa Maria District. Nearly 1200 truck loads per week are being shipped from these two areas…Also, big volume with mixed vegetables continue from the Salinas Valley.
Salinas/Watsonville vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $6300 to Orlando.
At Nogales, AZ, about 2500 truck loads of watermelons are crossing the border from Mexico each week. Mexican grape shipments also are increasing.
Nogales produce – grossing about $2600 to Dallas.
Central Produce Shipping Areas
San Luis Valley potato shipments from Southern Colorado continue on a steady pace averaging about 600 truck loads per week…..Central Wisconsin potato loadings are much lighter heading towards the end of its season.
Colorado potatoes – grossing about $2200 to Chicago.
In South Texas, about 1000 truck loads of Mexican avocados are crossing the border each week at McAllen. There also are a number of tropical fruits and limes crossing in moderate volumes. Texas sweet onion shipments are just about finished for the season.
South Texas produce – grossing about $2600 to Atlanta.
Eastern Produce Shipments
While Florida is headed towards a seasonal end to its spring produce shipping season, more of the focus moves to Georgia. As Florida blueberry shipments rapidly decline, “blues” are gaining in volume from Southern Georgia. The state also has moderate volume with vegetables ranging from cabbage to beans and Vidalia onions.
North Carolina sweet potatoes continue to be shipped in moderate volume, mostly from eastern areas of the state.
In the Northwest, sweet onion shipments get underway within a few weeks. Meanwhile, plenty of Washington apples remain in storage for shipping.
Walla Walla Sweet onions from Washington state will begin shipments in mid-June and running into August. Growing conditions have been good this spring and the onions are sizing up well. The crop is trending heavily to jumbos and colossal.
Apple Shipments
However, the big mover remains with Washington state apple shipments, even though we are entering the last leg of the season before new crops start coming on in August. About 45 million bushels of U.S.-grown fresh market apples had yet to be shipped as of May 1, 28% more than last year at the same time.
The May total also was 38% higher than the five-year average, according to the May Market News report from the Vienna, Va.-based U.S. Apple Association.
Washington accounted for 40.9 million bushels of apples still in storage on May 1. New York had 1.45 million bushels, Michigan 1.24 million bushels and Pennsylvania 555,000 bushels.
Holdings of almost all major varieties were up from last year. Red delicious holdings increased from 13.6 million to 18 million bushels; galas from 4.2 million to 6.9 million bushels; golden delicious from 4.2 million to 5 million bushels; fuji from 3.3 million to 4.3 million bushels; Pink Lady from 913,000 to 1.4 million bushels; and Honeycrisp from 71,000 to 306,000 bushels.
Granny smith holdings fell slightly, from 5.41 million to 5.4 million bushels.
Yakima Valley apples and pears – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
Here’s a glimpse of produce shipments from Mexico crossing the border at McAllen, Tx, plus some domestic items coming out of the Lower Rio Grande Valley.
Sweet onion shipments from Mexico and Texas are expected to start later than normal this year. By contrast, in the Northwest storage onion shipments could last longer than normal simply because there is such a big volume.
Mexican sweet onions shipments are expected to start crossing the border into South Texas in good volume by the middle of March, which would be three to four weeks later than normal. South Texas sweet onions also are behind schedule and should get underway around mid to late March…..Meanwhile, imports of sweet onions from Peru are expected to wrap up by the end of February.
Meanwhile, there’s dozens of other items crossing the border from Mexico into the Lower Rio Grand Valley. Mexican avocado shipments are averaging over 500 truck loads per week. There also are lesser amounts of produce shipments ranging from Mexican strawberries and limes to tropical fruits and vegetables.
While much of the Texas produce growing over the past couple of decades has shifted to south of the border, South Texas growing operations are still in business.
Texas grapefruit shipments are averaging around 200 trucks loads weekly, with Texas oranges amounting to roughly one-half this amount…..The Lower Rio Grande Valley, as well as the Winter Garden District, which is closer to San Antonio, are shipping cabbage in light, but increasing volume.
South Texas produce shipments – grossing about $2800 to Chicago and $4700 to New York City.