Logistics
Truck rates increased for Florida produce growing districts for the week ending April 16, though most U.S. shipping districts reported an adequate supply of trucks.
About 550 cartons of Jazz apples from the orchards of New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay flew to Tokyo for Japan’s annual springtime holiday, Golden Week.
Citrus suppliers will have plenty of product for retail and foodservice customers over the summer months, and they plan to promote them in numerous ways, particularly in stores.
Grower-shippers share the latest news from their operations, plus plans for the future.
Eastern Propak, Glassboro, N.J., a cold-storage warehouse with repacking and bagging capabilities, expanded in June 2018.
Newark, N.J.-based AeroFarms, an indoor vertical grower of greens, is working on developing new products, said cofounder and chief marketing officer Marc Oshima.
Avocados from Peru already were arriving in the U.S. in May, and shipments should continue until around Labor Day, importers said.
The Donio family of New Jersey has received the same national honor that Frank Sinatra, Tommy Lasorda and Tony Bennett have accepted.
With the recent acquisition of Hearn Kirkwood, The Coastal Cos. is now a member of Pro*Act, giving it a boost in foodservice capabilities, particularly in the Mid-Atlantic area.
Versatility is a retail promotional bonanza for Florida avocados, suppliers say. Retailers are best-served by providing shoppers with usage ideas and choices, they said.
Miami-based J&C Tropicals has upgraded its packing process, said Jessie Capote, executive vice president and co-owner.
Unity Groves Corp. has expanded its acreage and looked to improve groves by “grafting better varieties,” said Louie Carricarte, president and owner.
Truck rates are running well below a year ago and most U.S. fresh produce shipping districts had adequate to surplus truck availability in late May.
Rough tropical weather in 2017 and its fallout in 2018 are now history, and Florida avocado grower-shippers say they are eager to get back to business as usual this year.
Reaching beyond the traditional marketing target of 25- to 44-year-old women shoppers, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council wants to increase demand from moderate consumers of blueberries.
Volume should be up, and prices should be down compared to last year as the 2018 California avocado season kicks off.
The official start date for the Vidalia onion season has been set for 8 a.m. April 20.
Coast Produce is expanding in three key states with facilities that enhance the company’s cross dock and consolidation services, and alleviate pressures of new electronic logging device mandates.
Brandy McMullen has been named general office manager of Choptank Transport’s Tampa, Fla., office.
The Ontario Produce Marketing Association and Fruits from Chile partnered this winter on a series of promotions, social media campaigns and other programs focusing on blueberries, stone fruit and grapes.
Eddie Lund has been promoted to president of Allen Lund Co., the transportation company his father founded in 1976.
Summer Citrus from South Africa continues its successful consumer targeted promotions this season, while importers find their own marketing methods.
Accounting for the rising popularity of fingerling potatoes and other niche varieties, size requirements for Idaho potato varieties would change under a proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Incorporating a weighing device into forklifts is a good way for warehouse operations to save time and money compared with using a traditional floor scale, according to Fairbanks Scales.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has found three Oriental fruit flies in south Miami-Dade County.
Apple grower-shippers in New York report a promising bloom set up by near perfect weather throughout the state in May.
It’s still relatively early in the season, but California strawberry volume seemed headed for its third record strawberry crop in a row as of early June.
Truck rates have fallen from the historic marks reached earlier this summer but remain well above 2017 levels.
Heavy rains in upstate and central New York caused flooding in some regions but should help the development of the apple crop.
Wenatchee, Wash.-based Stemilt Growers took a bite of the Big Apple from Aug. 16-18 and the Big Apple bit back.