Posts Tagged “Western produce shipments”
Looking at late summer produce shipments in the western half of the country, volume is lighter, especially with potatoes as the shift is gradually underway from the old crop to the new. California continues to be your best bet for produce loads in general, although we’ll touch on several other states.
California
The best loading opportunities are in the Salinas Valley. Heaviest volume is with Iceberg and romaine lettuce combing for about 1,875 truckloads weekly. Strawberries account for about 785 truckloads per week.
Next best bet is in the San Joaquin Valley. Westside district is shipping about 750 truckloads of cantaloupe.
Grapes also are being loaded in the Valley, with most of the volume in the southern part from the Kern District, averaging over 1,900 truckloads weekly.
Christopher Ranch of Gilroy, CA is among the nation’s largest garlic growers, and ships mostly garlic. This season it looks to load over 100 million pounds of conventional and organic garlic, and ships coast-to-coast. The company has fresh, peeled, organic, roasted, crushed and pickled garlic.
San Joaquin Valley vegetables and strawberries – grossing about $8700 to Chicago.
Colorado Potato Shipments
No much is happening yet in the San Luis Valley of Colorado as shippers work to get rid of the old potato crop, with new ones still in very light volume. Shipments for 2021-22 are expected to be average, if not down a little.
Distributor Epic Produce Sales of Phoenix, AZ reports the new crop is shaping up well, and works with several San Luis Valley potato growers. While a significant portion of its volume is exported to Mexico, the company also sells heavy to retailers.
Washington
On the back end of cherry shipments in Washington, and the Vancouver area clobbered by bad weather this season, cherries aren’t doing much now. Otherwise, Yakima Valley apples are moving into its new season and are now averaging about 1,775 truckload equivalents per week.
Yakima Valley apples – grossing about $9,000 to New York City.
Idaho
Currently volume is split pretty even between the old and new potato crops heading towards fall. Only about 1,250 truckload equivalents are currently being shipped by truck and rail.
Minnesota
The new crop of potatoes from the Big Lake area and Central Minnesota is underway. About 400 truckloads of spuds are being shipped weekly, with volume on the rise. A lot of the volume is shipped by Red River Valley potato grower/shippers such Nokota Packers in Buxton, ND and Associated Potato Growers in Grand Forks.
Everything concerning logistics and transportation has been difficult during the pandemic and it wasn’t any easier during the holiday season. Produce shipments are expected to return to more normal patterns (whatever that is). Restocking of retail supermarket shelves should translate in to an increase in shipments on many items before leveling off as we progress into the New Year.
Here’s a round up of some major winter shipping areas in the western half of the U.S. and the biggest volume items being shipped.
Arizona
Western Arizona in the Yuma district is loading about 1,000 truck loads of head lettuce and romaine each week, plus lesser amounts of numerous other winter veggies….Many Mexican produce items crossing at Nogales will be reaching peak volume in the weeks ahead. Lots of mixed loads here. More than a half dozen different types of squash combined are accounting for about 500 truck loads weekly. Cucumbers and bell peppers are gaining in volume, along with watermelons and tomatoes.
Mexican veggies from Nogales – grossing about $4500 to Chicago.
California
California at one time was the most exciting place for picking up produce loads, but a lot of the shine has shifted to other areas, led by Mexico due to left coast taxes and other political decisions. Many of the best loading opportunities are now in the desert of the Imperial and Coachella valleys with many items mirroring those found in the Yuma district….In Ventura County there are around 450 truck load equivalents weekly of celery. Over in Kern County about 300 truck load equivalents of carrots are being shipped.
Idaho
Russet potato shipments from the Twin Falls region are averaging around 1250 truck load equivalents weekly….In Western Idaho and Malheur County, Oregon they are loading nearly 600 truck load equivalents.
Texas
South Texas continues to become one of the most attractive areas for loading produce, as more and more Mexican fruits and veggies are crossing the border. Nearly 900 truckloads of avocados are being loaded weekly and this should be increasing as we approach the Super Bowl in early February. Other volume items range from tomatoes to limes, watermelons, strawberries and broccoli.
Mexican produce crossings from South Texas – grossing about $4800 to Atlanta.
Washington
Apples and pears are the most obvious opportunities this time of year from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys with over 2100 truck load equivalents each week. There is also moderate shipments of potatoes and onions from Washington’s Columbia Basin and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon.
Washington apples grossing – about $8400 to New York City.
Here’s a round up of the most active produce shipping areas in the Western states including the Pacific Northwest apple, potato and onion loading opportunities, as well as movement from the deserts of California and Arizona, including Mexican crossings at Nogales.
Pacific Northwest Shipments
Washington apple shipments easily lead national fresh produce volume with about 2900 truck load equivalents being moved a week, mostly from the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys.
Washington apples and pears – grossing about $6000 to New York City.
A note of caution is offered when loading Malheur County, Oregon and Western Idaho onions. Some freeze damage is being reported to product coming out of storage, which resulted from cold weather moving in before the harvest was completed last fall.
Potatoes and onions are being shipped from Southern Washington’s Columbia Basin and the adjacent Umatilla Basin of Oregon. There are nearly 750 truck load equivalents of potatoes and onions being shipped a week.
Arizona Shipments
Mexican vegetable crossings at Nogales are led in volume by tomatoes (vine ripes, romas and grape) averaging nearly 1650 truck loads a week and volume continues to increase. Bell peppers and cucumbers are accounting for nearly 1400 truck loads weekly. Zuchnni squash along with much smaller volumes other varieties are averaging nearly 500 truck loads a week. Additionally there numerous other veggies being loaded as well, ranging from sweet corn to eggplant, among others.
Mixed loads involving multiple pick ups and drops are inevitable this time of the year and often the first partial loading begins in California before that last one occurs in Arizona. Thus it’s hard to discuss one state without the other.
This is the most active time for shipments from the Yuma area. Head lettuce and romaine are together accounting about 750 truck loads with much smaller amounts of various leaf lettuces, cauliflower and broccoli.
Yuma vegetables – grossing about $6100 to New York City.
California Shipments
Many of the same items coming out of Yuma are coming out of California’s Imperial Valley located less than 90 minutes to the West of Yuma.
Otherwise most California loading opportunities are in the San Joaquin Valley and to the south. Both of these regions are shipping heavy volumes of oranges. In the Bakersfield area world leading carrot shipper Grimmway Farms leads production. About 450 truck loads equivalents of carrots are being loaded each week. In Ventura County over 375 truck loads of celery is being shipped. At the Port of Los Angeles around 400 truck loads of Chilean grapes are arriving weekly.
Idaho Potatoes
Steady shipments of America’s most famous spud are amounting to over 1500 truckload equivalents.
Idaho potatoes from the Upper Valley and Twin Falls and Burley areas – grossing about $5300 to New York City.
Western produce shipments may not be setting many records right now, but in general provide the best loading opportunities in the U.S.
Vegetables are in good volume from Arizona, where it be the Yuma district or Mexican product crossing the border at Nogales. Head lettuce and romaine lettuce account for the heaviest volume with about 2000 truck loads a week from Yuma and to a lesser extent the Phoenix area. Much fewer shipments of broccoli and cauliflower also are available.
Yuma, AZ vegetables – grossing about $7100 to New York City.
Mexican vegetables coming into Nogales distribution centers are led by bell peppers and other peppers totaling about 900 truck loads weekly, and various squash at around 750 truck loads of sweet corn. There’s also decent volume with tomatoes and squash.
Mexican vegetables from Nogales – grossing about $5800 to Miami.
In the Pacific Northwest apple growers and shippers not only know how to produce great product, they’ve developed keen marketing skills over the decades. Apples easily provide the single heaviest domestic fresh produce volume this year. Over 3000 truck load equivalents are being shipped from Washington state’s Yakima and Wenatchee valleys. They also are shipping much lighter volumes of pears.
Washington apples – grossing about $5100 to Chicago.
Southern Washington’s Columbia Basin along with the adjacent Umatilla Basin in Northern Oregon are shipping moderate amounts of onions and potatoes. Combined the two products are averaging 1000 truck loads a week, although the biggest volume is with onions.
Idaho potato shipments are averaging over 1800 truck load equivalents, although similar to Washington apples, a significant amount is moving by rail. Western Idaho and Malheur County Oregon are loading about 650 truck loads of onions weekly.
Twin Falls, ID potatoes – grossing about $5900 to Orlando.
Colorado russet potato shipments from the San Luis Valley are amounting to around 575 truck loads per week.
San Luis Valley potatoes – grossing about $1700 to Dallas.
Western produce shipments out of California, Washington and Arizona are making their typical fall season moves.
We are about a month into the fall produce shipping season and it is very much still in a transitional period for fresh fruit and vegetable shipments. Some items are increasing in volume, others are in a seasonal decrease, yet we have some products that are a few weeks, if not months away from changes – meanwhile remaining in a fairly steady amount of shipments from week to week.
California Produce Shipments
Table grape shipments out of the San Joaquin Valley in recent years have been one of the more steady, reliable items for hauling – with generally good quality that certainly reduces issues with claims or deductions in freight paid. This situation should continue for another six to eight weeks before a seasonal decline takes place making way for imported grapes led by Chile. California’s late season grape volume is averaging over 1900 truck loads per week…..The Central Joaquin Valley also is having consistent loadings with mature green and romas tomatoes – around 650 loads weekly. A little further south in Kern County, California carrots are averaging about 375 truck load equivalents per week.
It has been a rather ho-hum shipping season for vegetables out of the Salinas Valley. Still, loadings have been pretty consistent lately and should remain so for a few more weeks before a seasonal decline. Among the larger volume items are head lettuce, romaine, celery, broccoli and cauliflower. These five items combined are averaging over 3700 truck loads per week.
California grapes – grossing about $6200 to New York City.
Washington Apple Shipments
Apple loadings out of the Yakima and Wenatchee valleys have yet to hit stride in the new season, but are increasing on a weekly basis. This week about 500 truck load equivalents should be moved. Pear shipments from the same area also are increasing.
Washington apples and pears – grossing about $4200 to Chicago.
Arizona Produce Shipments
As the Westside district in the San Joaquin Valley comes to a conclusion for melon shipments led by cantaloupe and honeydew, the fall transition to central and western Arizona is underway. Arizona cantaloupe volume is on the rise, and honeydew will follow in a couple of weeks.
Even though Thanksgiving is a couple of days away, most orders by receivers now involve restocking after the big turkey feast.
Desert Vegetable Shipments
Here’s an update on desert shipments from Yuma, AZ and California’s Imperial Valley. Plus, here’s a glimpse at loading opportunities regarding Washington state apples and Idaho potatoes.
With San Joaquin Valley lettuce from the Huron district all but history, the head lettuce harvest has just started from Yuma, AZ, although shipments remain minimal. Yuma typically about starts about a week or two ahead of shipments from the Imperial Valley. Lettuce from there won’t get underway until around December 9th.
However, cauliflower, as well as some leafy greens have just started from Brawley in the Imperial Valley, with broccoli following in early December.
Celery will continue to be shipped out of Ventura County through the end of the year, when loadings then shift to the Imperial Valley.
Desert veggies, plus cantaloupe – grossing about $5200 to Atlanta.
Washington Apple Shipments
Never mind Washington apple shipments are down this season, it is still a huge crop and plentiful loading opportunities remain for at least the next six months. Yakima Valley apple shipments, as well as the Wenatchee Valley are shipping on average about 2,500 truck load equivalents of apples a week, and this doesn’t even include pear loadings.
Washington apples and pears – about $7000 to New York City.
Idaho Potato Shipments
Idaho also has fewer potato shipments this season, but there’s still plenty of tubers for hauling. Idaho is averaging about 2,000 truck load equivalents per week of potatoes.
Idaho spuds – about $2900 to Chicago.