Posts Tagged “Salinas Valley vegetable shipments”
The roller coaster ride of western winter desert vegetables has seen peaks and valleys in volume over the past three months and it is not over yet.
Light shipments of Western vegetables occurred in holidays ranging from Thanksgiving and Christmas through New Years and well into January. Then volume experienced a dramatic increase with lettuce and many vegetables heading into February. However, a potential shipping gap is looming as it appears winter vegetable shipments may come to a conclusion in mid- to late March. This would be ahead of the transition for many produce shippers to the Salinas and Santa Maria valleys.
The winter weather forecasts of hugh amounts of rains El Niño in Southern California have failed to materialize. Although a wet March is still being forecast. If that occurs and it drenches the desert, an even earlier end to vegetable shipments would most likely occur.
Some are saying that regardless of the El Niño situation, desert loadings are going to end early. While Salinas Valley vegetable shipments might get an early start, volume still will be light.
There will be some early Salinas fields harvested from mid-March to mid-April, but shipments will be variable at best.
Yuma, AZ vegetables shipments – grossing about $5700 to New York City.
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments will be transitioning this week to the Huron district in the San Joaquin Valley, while shipments from the desert will start in early November.
It’s been a roller coaster ride for Salinas veggies this season, with periods of heavy shipments, followed by shipping gaps, primarily due to hot weather affecting everything from Iceberg lettuce, to broccoli, cauliflower, celery and other crops. It’s unclear when, but shipping gaps are being predicted right into the Thanksgiving pull for product by receivers next month.
The Salinas Valley has had warmer than normal temperature since the first of August, resulting in early harvests, followed by shipping gaps.
The transition for Huron vegetable shipments in Central California is taking place this week, while the initial harvest from Yuma, AZ, in the desert begins next week. Yuma vegetable shipments will be increasing in the weeks to follow.
California’s Santa Maria Valley has experienced many of the same challenges found in Salinas.
With frost hitting eastern Canada and excessive rains on the east coast of the U.S., California is about the only place shipping vegetables now.
Central San Joaquin Valley produce items – grossing about $7000 to Boston.
Taking a look at Salinas Valley vegetable shipments this summer and you get a good hint at one reason why California produce have been less than stellar.
California’s coastal valleys near Santa Maria and Salinas have experienced unusually warm nights all summer long, which has resulted in some hollow hearts and other issues that basically reduced Iceberg and other varieties of lettuce volume and the weight of each head. Less tonnage per acre has resulted in a demand-exceeds-supply situation, with Iceberg lettuce prices topping $20 per carton.
The lack of lettuce quality is closer to what you normally find in late September or October. The lighter amount of lettuce shipments could continue until the end of the coastal valley deals in mid- to late October. In fact, improvements may not come until the transition to Huron in the San Joaquin Valley in the fall. However, many grower-shippers won’t be planting lettuce in Huron this fall because of the California drought.
The shortage appears to be mostly with various types of lettuce category, while supplies of broccoli, cauliflower and most of the other staple vegetable volumes are adequate.
Something else to consider is El Niño. Meteorologists studying the Pacific Ocean say the warm water patterns are surfacing from the equator to much farther north off the California coast which may mean very heavy fall and winter rains. If this weather pattern becomes a reality many low lying produce fields could become flooded, cutting into acreage and shipments.
Most are predicting that if the El Niño conditions that currently exist do bring huge amounts of rain, they will probably start in late September, with the brunt of the storms hitting from December through February. If that occurs, produce shipments could get cut short, and next season growers would have to delay planting in many fields. Enough speculation. We’ll have to wait and see.
Salinas Valley vegetables – grossing about $4600 to Chicago; $6700 to New York City.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
Supply gaps on leaf lettuce, cauliflower and other items in the Salinas Valley have cut shipments and made it more difficult for produce truckers to figure out when loads will be available. However, as we enter May loadings should improve and be more predictable.
Caution should also be used loading Salinas vegetables due to adverse effects from weather, which has experienced periods of very warm and cold temperatures. There also has been reports of wind burn and tip burn, that hurt quality, as well as yields. Just make sure your receiver is aware of any quality problems. Some product is being shipped three to four weeks earlier than normal due to above average temperatures.
Loadings of green and red leaf are particularly light due to the weather issues. The wild swings in volume have made it difficult for truckers and shippers a like.
California Strawberry Shipments
Watsonville strawberries shipments also have come on earlier this season. Strawberries, which started in February, have posted phenomenal early-season volume shipments in Salinas and Watsonville. Through April 11, the district shipped 4.1 million fresh trays, up from 1 million last year and 890,424 in 2013. Statewide in California the totals were 43.4 million, up about 4 million over 2014.
All spring holidays — Cinco de Mayo (May 5th), Mother’s Day (May 10th), Memorial Day (May 25th) — should have plenty of strawberry shipments leading up these events. Other berry shipments will experience great volume in May ranging from California raspberries, to blackberries and blueberries.
Salinas Valley vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $5000 to Chicago, $7100 to New York City.
Here’s a round up California produce loadings as Salinas Valley vegetable shipments are increasing.
Items such a broccoli, head lettuce and other lettuces are among many vegetables increasing in volume from the Salinas Valley as they head towards full stride in the next couple of weeks or so. Lettuce from the Huron district in the San Joaquin Valley is on the decline as volume is being replaced by product from Salinas. Overall Salinas shipments are only moderate at this time, although these shipments still exceed those from the Santa Maria district to the south.
Light to moderate spring shipments of broccoli, cauliflower and other vegetables are off to an early start from California’s Santa Maria district. Items ranging from anise, to cauliflower and broccoli are shipped year-round from Santa Maria. Mixed leaf kicked off in early March, iceberg started in late March, cilantro and spinach should start harvesting anytime and celery in May.
There also is a wide range of Santa Maria vegetable shipments, including mixed leaf, red, green, and romaine lettuce, romaine hearts, and celery, as well as mixed baby carrots, mixed beets and mixed radishes.
Concerning Ventura County produce shipments, there are loadings of strawberries, raspberries, celery, romaine and leaf lettuce, as well as cabbage.
Ventura County produce – grossing about $6800 to New York City.
Santa Maria vegetable shipments – grossing about $4400 to Chicago.
California grape shipments get underway later in April, plus we’ll take a look at Washington cherry shipments, starting in May.
The 2015 season for California grapes is expected to mirror 2014 in timing, beginning with late April in the Coachella Valley and running through January in the San Joaquin Valley.
California’s table grape growers shipped their second-largest crop ever last season, sending 110 million 19-pound boxes of grapes to consumers worldwide.
The top volume export markets included Canada at 11.4 million 19-pound boxes, followed by Mexico at 5.7 million and China/Hong Kong at 5.5 million. Just over 40 percent of the total crop volume was exported.
Salinas Valley vegetable shipments are increasing – grossing about $5300 to Cleveland.
Washington Cherry Shipments
Cherry pickings should begin picking around May 20th, with the first bing peak shipping period to start about June 8-10, while the rainier peak is seen around June 15-30.
At this point the season appears it will start about five to 10 days ahead of normal, making it the earliest Washington cherry crop in six years.
Assuming the early cherry crop makes it through frost season unscathed, it could mean even greater loading opportunities leading up to the Fourth of July.
Peak Washington cherry shipments should occur between the first week of June and to the first week of July. However, keep in mind there is still a lot of weather to get through in the next month or so.
Washington apple shipments, Yakima Valley – grossing about $6600 to New York City.
This is an update on produce shipments from Washington, Oregon and California.
Northwest Onion Shipments
Potato shipments for the new season have recently got underway from the Columbia Basin in Oregon and Washington state. They are now moving into good volume.
In Walla Walla, WA, shipping of Walla Walla sweet onions have been ongoing for serval weeks and will continue until around Labor Day.
Northwest potato shipments from the old crop are still happening, but declining in volume as the season concludes.
California Produce Shipments
Strawberry shipments have been on a steady keel for a while now out of the Watsonville area averaging about 900 truck loads per week. Volume also is steady from the Santa Maria district, although volume is only about 25 percent of that from Watsonville.
Meanwhile moderate loadings of broccoli, cauliflower and celery continues. Lettuce, not surprisingly, leads Salinas Valley vegetable shipments. Head lettuce and romaine alone, are averaging over 1800 truckloads per week. There also are other types of lettuce and a few dozen different other veggie items being shipped.
Tomato loadings are available from the Central San Joaquin Valley, as well as the Oceanside area, and from Baja crossing the Mexican/US border at Otay Mesa.
Pear shipments are now ongoing from the Sacramento area and the northern San Joaquin Valley.
California pears – grossing about $4900 to Dallas.
Salinas Valley produce – grossing about $5600 to Cleveland.
Most California strawberry shipments are originating out of Southern California, primarily Ventura County and Orange County. Very light volume is coming out of Santa Maria, while initial shipments from the Salinas/Watsonville District could get underway in late April.
Look for the first domestic table grape shipments in the United States to get underway out of the Coachella Valley in early May. However, it will probably be the third week of May before there is good volume.
Stone fruit shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley are on track to start in very light volume in early to mid May.
Meanwhile, Salinas Valley vegetable shipments continue to build in volume led by lettuce, broccoli and cauliflower, with dozens of other items in the mix as well.
Salinas Valley produce – grossing about $7000 to New York City.
Southern California strawberries and citrus – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
South African Imports
South Africa began exports of citrus to the U.S. 15 years. ago. Imports will once again soon be arriving at American ports.
Exports of oranges from South Africa to the United States hit a new record in 2013, with over 39,000 metric tons. This is a 25 percent increase in quantity compared to 2009 and nearly an 800 percent increase since the program started in 1999.
Tropical storm Manuel hit Western Mexico the week of September 15th, killing dozens and bringing extensive damage to growing areas around Culiacan, a major growing area for tomatoes, squash and many other produce commodities shipped to the USA during the late fall, winter and early spring seasons.
More than 350,000 acres of crops were damaged by the storm, mostly due to heavy rains ranging from around eight inches to 15 inches.
This is expected to hurt loading opportunities for Thanksgiving green beans and other products in the Los Mochis area of northern Sonora. Some loadings that would have started in early November will not be ready until late November. Squash, cucumbers and eggplant were among the crops most heavily affected.
A majority of these Mexician produce items cross the border at Nogales, AZ.
Salinas Valley Vegetable Shipments
Moderate amounts of vegetables continue to be shipped from California’s Salinas Valley, led by head lettuce, romaine lettuce, then celery, broccoli and cauliflower. These items also are being shipped in smaller volumes from the Santa Maria district to the south of Salinas.
Moderate shipments of strawberries also continue from the Watsonsville district, as well as from Santa Maria.
Salinas Valley vegetables and berries – grossing about $7400 to New York City.