Posts Tagged “Washington state”
While Washington state apple shippers are wringing their hands over the crop 
and profits that could have been, apple haulers probably won’t notice a lot of difference this 2012-13 season, since even after a hail reduced crop, shipments will be right in there with the average for the past five years.
One difference however, are the possibilities truckers may face with claims, unless you make sure the buyers know what is being delivered. There could be some hail damaged apples shipped to market this year; ones that look a little roughed up on the outside, but the quality is supposed to be good on the inside.
The apples with damage from hail will have “dimples” that turn brown and have a russetted look.
Some orchards totally escaped damage from the July 20 hail storm, while others were hit with varying amounts of damage. Much of the hits were taken by the Red Delicious variety.
The five-year average for Washington state apple shipments has been 100 to 110 million cartons. Before the hail storm, shippers were looking to move as much as 120 million cartons of apples this season. Loading opportunities are still expected to be good, despite the predictions of 10 to 25 percent of the crop being lost.
Updates on the amount of damage to apples from the hail storm are expected to come out within the next week.
Golf ball sized hail hit some Wenachee Valley apple orchards July 20 causing 
severe damage, while other orchards escaped, or received only minor damage. The bottom line for apple haulers is what was expected to be bumper apple shipments for the 2012-13 season will be reduced. It is a matter of how much. This really won’t be known for several weeks.
Also keep in mind when you are loading new season apples from this area, some fruit could have minor “dings” and other damage. Just make sure appropriate parties with whom you are working that are associated with the haul are aware of it.
Hail storms often are pretty localized, so hopefully the overall damage won’t severely affect shipments for the new season. Washingon state has a huge apple crop, and loadings are expected to be brisk because of significant weather damage to Michigan and Ontario apples, and to a lesser extent some orchards in New York state….Meanwhile apples from the old crop continue to be shipped.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6000 to New York City and Hunts Point.
Everything from peaches to apricots, cherries and blueberries will soon be in 
good volume out of the Pacific Northwest, ramping of loading opportunities for those with refrigerated equipment.
Washington state cherry shipments are underway and in peak volume, which should continue through July, with lighter loadings continuing into August. Record cherry shipments are being predicted. Apricots also are being shipped, continuing into the third week of July.
Shipments are expected to be significantly higher for Northwest peaches this season, compared to 2011. Peaches get underway the third week of July and should continue into October.
Oregon blueberry loads became available recently from the southern production areas of the state. Further north in the Williamette district, “blues” have just started.
The Yakima Valley of Washington state is still shipping some apples and pears from the 2011-2012 season.
Washington state fruit – grossing about $6400 to New York City.
We are quickly approaching time for shipments of produce for the Fourth of 
July holiday. Since Independence Day falls on a Wednesday, a lot of consumers will only have that one day off work, although many do tie extra days off around the holiday.
But to help you try and plan your schedule so you can be home for the holiday, here’s a look at some shipping areas that will be pretty active a week or so before the Fourth, hopefully increasing your chances for faster loadings, transits and getting to your destination.
In the West, the Watsonville district will be the only California area shipping strawberries, but it good volume. The nearby Salinas Valley should be rockin’ with plenty of vegetable loads. The same goes for the San Joaquin Valley shipping stone fruit and vegetables.
In Washington, the eastern part of the state has moderate volume with blueberries, but better volume will be coming from Yakima and Wenatchee with late season apples from storage, as well as with cherries, with loadings at a peak.
At Nogales, watermelons from Mexico crossing the border have more than doubled over the past decade. Yet, loading opportunities are being limited, depending upon with whom one talks, because of the escalating drug cartel violence south of the border.
In Michigan, decent blueberry shipments are expected for the Fourth of July, plus vegetable volume is increasing.
New Jersey blueberry shipments will be supplying most Eastern markets for Independence Day. The state also is shipping vegetables.
In the Southeast, Georgia continues with Vidalia onions, Ft. Valley area peaches and vegetables from the central and southern part of the state.
Overall Florida produce shipments are down subtantailly by this time of the year, but Belle Glade is shipping a lot of sweet corn.
As more information becomes available on the prospects for the nation’s apple shipments, which 
get underway in August for the 2012-13 shipping season, it’s becoming apparent there should be record setting loading opportunities for apple haulers out of Washington state.
The reasons are two-fold. First, Washington is on course to pick, pack and ship 120 million boxes of apples in the upcoming season, which would be nearly 7 million more boxes than the season which will close in the coming weeks. Secondly, an April freeze clobbered upcoming crops in Michigan, parts of New York state and in Ontario. This means apple buyers who normally source the fruit from these areas will be relying on Washington state more than ever. In a normal year, Washington state accounts for about 60 percent of the USA’s apple shipments.
Apple volume is expected to remain more normal for the upcoming season from the Mid Atlantic states, including Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virgina, as well as from the New England states. This holds true as well for New York’s Hudson and Champlian valleys. However, central and western New York apple shippers were not near as lucky during the April freeze.
Washington state apples – grossing about $6200 to Orlando.
With four percent more apples remaining in U.S. storages nationally, the fruit should remain a good retail buy well into the summer months. Washington state provides more apples than all other states combined, so naturally your choices will be more plentiful from the Northwest, especially if you live in the Western half of the country. No surprise, the most common varieties of apples will be in greatest supply in your supermarket: red delicious, gala and granny smith. There should also be decent supplies of fuji and golden delilcious apples.
It’s almost time for domestic sweet onions. Texas will be providing the first sweet onions in many retail stores, with arrivals by late March. Expect sweet onions from Vidalia, GA to be availble in limited qualities in some stores by Easter (April 8), with plentiful supplies by mid-April.
Chilean red seedless grapes are reasonably priced now, and have a great sweet taste. Berry size has improved from a few weeks ago.
There are four percent more apples remaining in storages around 
the United States to be shipped, compared to this time a year ago. The vast majority of those apples will be shipped out of Washington state, although significant amounts will be loaded between now and late summer from Michigan and upstate New York.
The Yakima and Wenatchee Valleys in Washington are shipping about 2,500 truckload equivalents of apples weekly. By comparison, the Western region of Michigan is moving around 175 truckloads per week. New York state is averaging over 200 truckloads of apple shipments weekly, but keep in mind those numbers include loadings spread out from Eastern New York’s Hudson Valley to areas in the Central and Western portions of the state.
Light shipments are available from New England and the Applachian states.
Michigan apples are grossing – about $1000 to Chicago.
New York Hudson Valley – about $2400 to Atlanta.
Washington state – about $5800 to New York City.
Some of the best loading opportunties this time of year are out of the Northwestern United States – namely with Washington state (apples, pears, potatoes and onions) and Idaho and Oregon (onions and potatoes). While the onions and spuds may pay a lower freight rate than fruit, this region at least has good volume in late winter.
Washington’s Yakima and Wentachee valleys continue shipping a lot of apples and lesser amounts of pears. Apple loadings are averaging about 2,500 truckload equivalents per week, with pears loading around 400 truckload equivalents weekly. I use the term “equivalents” in the Northwest since a heavier percentage of produce is shipped by rail than most regions.
There also are onions being shipped from Washington’s Columbia Basin, as well as the nearby Umatilla Basin in Oregon. The two areas combined are averaging around 670 truckload equivalents per week being shipped….The Western area of Idaho and adjacent Malheur County of eastern Oregon is loading about 750 truckload equivalents of onions weekly.
Idaho easily remains the largest shipper of russet potatoes, but has been increasing shipments of red potatoes in recent years. Most produce is originating out of the Upper Valley and the Twin Falls-Burley District. The state is shipping over 1,550 truckload equivalents per week.
Washington apples/pears are grossing about – $6000 to Miami.
Washington’s Columbia Basin potatoes/onions – $3800 to Chicago.
Idaho/Oregon onions – $1600 to Los Angeles.
Idaho potatoes – $5300 to New York City.
Looking to try something new to help fight the winter doldrums? Come mid-
February the Kanzi apple variety will be introduced to the United States. It is being grown in Washington state, but is established in Europe. In fact the Kanzi is the second largest produced apple across the big pond, after the Pink Lady variety.
It is a cross between the gala and braeburn varieties and has a sweet/tart taste.
I haven’t had the opportunity to try it, but I’ve read some consumer rave reviews on the Junami apple, a new variety out of Washington state. There’s apparently enough volume with the new fruit that some retailers will be promoting it.
The Junami is described as fruity, tangy, crispy and incredibly juicy. Retailers should be pricing the Junami around $1.99 per pound.
There’s another apple variety, the Lady Alice, which was introduced to consumers about five years ago. It is described as having a subtle sweet-tart flavor. A plus for the Lady Alice, it is slow to brown, making it a neat apple for salads, cheese platters and for use by slicers.
Both the Lady Alice and the Junami are said to be great storage apples and build favor while in storage before they are shipped to your favorite supermarket.