Posts Tagged “truck shortage”
There were 16 percent fewer U.S. fresh apples remaining to be shipped as of December 1st compared to a year ago, according to a new report from the U.S. Apple Association.
Total fresh apples in storage totalled 103.3 million 42-pound cartons, down from 122.9 million cartons last year and 11 percent less than the five-year average holdings of 116.7 million cartons.
Apples in storage for processing were off even more sharply, with 25.5 million cartons down 44 percent from a year ago and off 42 percent from the five-year average.
Red River Valley Potatoes
By Ted Kreis, NPPGA Communications
As we near the halfway point of the Red River Valley fresh potato crop shipping season, marketers are pleased, especially when comparing this year to last year.
The good fortune started early in the season when a heavy snow cover protected about 4,000 acres of unharvested potatoes from the very cold temperatures that settled in for a few days after the snowstorm.
The color and quality of this year’s crop is excellent and supplies are much more manageable after a nearly 10 percent cut in fresh acres in the Red River Valley.
Demand is strong. Big potato crop losses in Wisconsin and Canada has pushed more business to the Red River Valley.
Last year’s biggest problem, without the doubt, was the truck shortage. It was responsible for lost sales, higher freight rates, backed-up inventory which in turned caused falling prices and higher shrink later in the season. This year trucks have been much more available and nobody knows exactly why, but we are all hoping it continues through the second half of the season.
The Star Group Tomatoes
The Star Group of Voorhees Township, is producing tomatoes in a new greenhouse facility in Culiacan, Mexico.
The Big Taste brand roma tomatoes are entering the market the U.S. market through McAllen, Texas, and Nogales, Ariz., according to a news release.
The company will be shipping the romas, beefsteaks, grape tomatoes and slicer cucumbers through the winter from the new Culiacan facility.
Other Big Taste branded products from The Star Group in Mexico are tomatoes on-the-vine, grape tomatoes and Big Taste berries.
By L&M
L&M is full swing into the Florida farming season with four times more organic shipments planned in 2018. Unlike many Florida companies that are consolidating organics, L&M is growing organics on two of their own, company-owned farms in Florida.
The company is growing organic bell peppers, zucchini, cucumbers, and butternut and spaghetti squash in Branford, FL. Over in Palatka, FL, L&M has already begun harvesting organic broccoli, green and red cabbage, and kale; and will be adding red and golden beets and cauliflower into the mix this year as well.
Over the years, L&M has worked hard on its organic program, taking the same pride in their certified organic farming and packing as they do on their other farming programs, including sustainability and food safety.
“We have made great progress on our organic program and are as proud of our attention to detail and exceptional quality on organics as we are on our conventional products. So far this year we have produced some very nice organic broccoli, cabbage, and kale; and we look forward to beginning harvest of beets, peppers, cucumbers, and squash in the coming weeks” noted Adam Lytch, Operations Manager for L&M Farms.
Greg Cardamone, General Manager of Vegetables, added, “Organics is an exciting space to move into with continued growth and popularity. Year after year, consumption of organic fruits and vegetables is increasing and we are excited to be able to meet our customers’ needs with East Coast production.
“With the recent truck shortage our customers have found it valuable to be able to load their organic and conventional items together – without giving up the valuable shelf life that large cross-dock programs often bring.”
Along with increased organic farming, L&M has also developed new purple organic packaging. Most recently, L&M added new organic broccoli and cauliflower bags and tags, butt tags for organic cabbage, 3lb mesh sweet potato bags, and hard squash labels.
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South Florida vegetables – grossing about $3500 to Boston.
The Red River Valley of North Dakota and Minnesota already has a serious truck shortage , and the season hasn’t even really got going. Here’s an update on potato shipments out the valley.
Red River Valley Potato Shipments
Not even one-third of the potato shippers in North Dakota and Minnesota are loading potatoes yet, but the few who are tell of difficulties finding trucks. For example, last Friday, Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks was 7 trucks short of what was needed to fill orders from customers. APG hasn’t really got into volume shipments yet and has opened up only one of it three plants. Other valley shippers are reporting similar problems.
Last season the Red River Valley shipped about 4 million hundredweight (cwt.) of mostly red potatoes and totals this season (2014-15) should be similar, if not a little more. Once the harvest is completed within the next week or two, a better idea of the exact numbers should become available.
The Red River Valley’s red potato acreage is expected to be up one or two percent this year. In 2013, the valley produced 23,000 acres of red potatoes. North Dakota produces a total of about 90,000 acres of potatoes. Beyond red potatoes, these are mostly russets that are virtually dedicated to the processing market. In addition to red potato shipments, there are yellow potatoes, which will represent about 8 percent of the fresh shipments.
Overall, it is expected there will be about 4.2 million and 4.5 million cwt shipped for the fresh market; over 90 percent would be reds, the remainder yellows.
Red River Valley potatoes – grossing about $2800 to Dallas.