Posts Tagged “pear shipments”
It’s looking like excellent loading opportunities for fruit out of the Northwest, as well as apples from Michigan from now right into next summer.
While loadings of pears certainly are not one of biggest volume produce items available for hauling, it is substantial. The nice thing about the fruit from the Northwest, is being loaded with apples. The Northwest typically ships as many apples each year as the rest of the nation combined. If the estimate holds, this would be the third largest amount of Northwest pear loadings on record – plus one of the larger apple crops.
Northwest pear shipments this season are estimated to be 19.8 million cartons, about two percent more than a year ago and about four percent more than five year average.
Washington state apples and pears – grossing about $4800 to Cleveland.
Michigan Apple Shipments
About 70 percent of Michigan apple shipments originate from the Fruit Ridge region. While the official estimate for loads this season is 26 million bushels, some observers are predicting as much as 30 million bushels. Michigan apple loadings have been underway since the third week of August. Whatever the final total for shipments this season, it should end up next summer as one the biggest on record.
Michigan also continues to ship a variety of vegetables, blueberries and melons.
Michigan produce grossing – about $2100 to Atlanta.
South African Citrus Imports
Imports of South African summer citrus are at about the half way point through the season. Over 30,000 tons of citrus have arrived, mostly at Eastern seaboard ports.
The final boat is scheduled to arrive during the third week of October, with the season expected to be competed before USA domestic shipments get started. This is the 14th season of citrus imports from South Africa to the USA and average annually approximately 40,000 tons.
Harvesting of pears in Washington state and Oregon got underway last week and there are light shipments taking place. Volume is increasing on a weekly basis.
California grapes are now in heavy volume.
The region is expected to ship about 19.4 million, 44-pound boxes of pears this season, which would be up about two percent from the 2012-13 crop.
If estimated pear shipments hold true for the season this would be 4 percent higher than the five-year average for loadings.
Pear volume for summer/fall pears from the Pacific Northwest is expected to be 4.7 million boxes, which would be about 5 percent less than 2012 season. Volume for Northwest winter pears is expected to come in at 15 million boxes. The total Northwest winter pear volume is anticipated to be approximately 15 million boxes, up 4 percent from 2012.
California Grape Shipments
After an early and fast start to the California table grape season, the rapid paces is expected to continue well past Labor Day. Shipping volume is running about two weeks earlier than normal.
During the 2012 season, California harvested 100.1 million 19-pound box equivalents of table grapes. Last April the preliminary estimate for this season was 106.9 million boxes.
San Joaquin Valley grapes – grossing about $7500 to New York City.
Washington pears and apples – grossing about $6500 to New York City.
Here’s a look at some produce loading opportunities around the country, as well as what to expect in the next few months.
Vine ripe tomato shipments are crossing the border into the USA from Baja Mexico, plus California mature green tomato loadings are ramping up from Tracy and Newman, CA and other operations in the area. Tomato loads also are available from Arkansas, South Carolina and Georgia.
California pear shipments got underway last week and are now increasing in volume. Growers are expected to ship about 4.5 million boxes of fresh-market pears this season. About 2.8 million of those will come from the Sacramento river district, with the lake district accounting for another 1.2 million boxes and Mendocino about 418,000 boxes.
Regarding the extreme heat we’ve been hearing so much about in the West, last weekend the Coachella Valley was apparoaching 120-degrees. This is bound to adversely affect the tail end of the Coachella grape shipments and very well could end the season a little earlier than planned. It also means you should be more watchful than usual for quality problems if loading Coachella grapes.
The heat also may adversely affect California vegetables shipments such as eggplant and other items.
In Georgia, steady, shipments of Vidalia onions will be coming out storages through Labor Day.
The USDA is reporting potato loads could be down for the upcoming fall season as planted acres across the USA are at 1.2 million acres, a drop of 70,700 acres or 6.1 percent. Idaho has planted 28,000 fewer acres than 2012 and will also harvest 28,000 less acres or a drop of 8.1 percent. Wisconsin acres planted and harvest projections are unchanged from last year at 64,500 and 63,500 respectively. Washington has planted 160,000 acres or 5,000 less than last year.