Freshspective

Apples . Avocados . Bush Berries . Cantaloupe . Citrus . Grapes . Honeydew . Limes . Mangos . Papaya . Pears . Pineapple . Strawberries . Watermelon

Blueberries- New Jersey weather will push volume.  New Jersey fruit has been looking great from a quality and eating perspective. The weather is reflecting some thundershowers over the next 5 days. Sizing is starting to look good on the Dukes and Blue crops.  The Pacific Northwest production is now underway and is expected to ramp up over the next 7-10 days (rumors of a bumper crop this season in the Pacific Northwest!). Michigan is scheduled to start right after the 4th of July.

Blackberries -  Promotable volume.  Georgia and North Carolina blackberries will peak over the next week. So far, there is continued good size, color, and eating experience out of the Southeast. Quick transits are another selling point for Southeast blackberries. New Jersey berries will start after the 4th of July; weather has been ideal. California will continue to ramp up supplies within the next week, and Guatemala should bring in decent volumes in the coming months. Mexico volumes are still around, but we will look to prune and come back in August as the weather right now is not favorable. 

Raspberries - More supply out of California.  Raspberry volumes are still growing weekly out of California. California is expecting a heat wave this week which could impact volumes. The Santa Maria growing district is expected to increase volume by next week with peak toward late July. We do see challenges with quality out of Mexico due to the summer heat causing issues with raspberry color, as well as mechanical issues. Farmers are seeing this as a challenge in the nurseries as well as future plants struggling with heat.

Cantaloupe

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Cantaloupe harvest is beginning to slow down in the Yuma desert region and will wrap up harvest in the next week or two; sizing is primarily Jumbo 9 count and 9 count in the desert region. The Central Valley of California has begun to harvest lightly on cantaloupes. They are seeing primarily larger Jumbo 9s/9 counts and a few 12 counts. The Central Valley of California will be into larger volumes by next week. We are not expecting any interruptions or gaps in supply between the two regions. 

Citrus

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Oranges:

California navels are still shipping in a very small way.  As we come to the end, the most availability is on your larger fruit, 40/48 count.  Quality is still holding up, with a little green tinge due to the hot weather.     

Valencias are continuing to ramp up and there is availability on the full size curve.  Quality has been great with good eating characteristics.

Import Navels have started in a smaller way.  South Africa was first in and now Chilean navels are currently being released.  Large sizes will be tough to come by as the manifests are peaking on smaller fruit, leading with 88 count.  Planning is key if you are on a large fruit program. 

Lemons:

Lemons have been very active in California as supplies are tight and heavier to choice.  Argentina lemons have been coming into the East Coast with better quality.  Argentia has been heavy to 115/140 counts.  Chilean imports are starting to ramp up in July and we should see Mexican supply mid- to late-August.  Both Chile and Mexico will provide relief on smaller sizes. 

Grapefruit:

California is currently producing the Star Ruby and some packing houses will be finishing their season in mid-July while others will be transitioning to the Marsh Ruby.  Currently, there is plenty of opportunity on large fruit.  

South African grapefruit is starting in a small way, but we will not see much transactional volume as programs will get priority.  Fruit looks great!

Mandarins:

Most California shippers have ended their season on the East Coast and may have a little for West Coast customers.  

Imports are starting in a slower way but have availability on the East Coast.  Larger sizing is still snug and will continue that way through July.

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As we enter July, we can expect to see some of the first Flame harvest out of Arvin. Picking will be slow to start this week due to excessive heat in the region that could span over 10 consecutive days. We do not expect to see any meaningful Flame volume until we get into next week, since the heat will limit packing crews to no later than noon. Green Sugrones are expected to start around the July12th; however, this too can be impacted by the heat wave as excessive heat will cause the berries to delay sugar output. Stay tuned to the California Central Valley harvest as this week and next week unfold. For now, Mexico still has ample supply on red and green; however, blacks are drying up fast. Premium red and green should run another 2 weeks so the transition to California this year should be smooth with no expected gaps. 

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Honeydew harvest is on its last week out of the Yuma desert region with Jumbo 5/5 counts and limited 6 count sizing available. A few growers have begun honeydew harvest out of the Central Valley but is slow to start as honeydew harvests and volume are usually a week or so later than cantaloupe. There is adequate supply to fill honeydew partials with cantaloupe orders. 

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Region:
Veracruz, Mexico
Crop Update: 
Currently, the crop is peaking on 200/230/250s. The weather forecast is showing high temperatures and rain throughout the week.
Market Intel: 
The demand for limes has been steady. According to the USDA, the crossings through Texas from last week were at 701.
Sizing Profile:
Peak sizes are 200/230/250s. Size distribution is 110-1%, 150-5%, 175-23%, 200-29%, 230-21%, and 250-21%.
Quality: 
Quality issues being reported include oil spots, blanching, scarring, and skin breakdown.  
Looking Ahead:
As July progresses, we expect slightly reduced volume, yet sufficient to meet all our program requirements. The fruit will remain predominantly medium in size and will benefit in quality from the rain received in June. 

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SUPPLY IS MEETING DEMAND FOR PAPAYA IN THE U.S. MARKET!

Supply: Conditions have improved significantly with very good surplus of product, mostly large count available. Prices are lower in the U.S. market, with crop yields improving from better availability from multiple shippers. Weather conditions in Mexico are reporting heavy rains which are helping fruit gain size. Inventories show some availability to offer. Growers continue to secure good-quality product to keep up with U.S. demand. In general, pricing is LOWER with supply meeting demand in the U.S. market.
Size: Most sizes are between 6–9s, with good surplus of LARGE calibers.
Condition: Quality is reported as good with fruit showing clean skin and little scarring, and a bit more speckling on latest arrivals. Color is 25%- 50% and 12-14 brix at point of shipping.  The ideal temperature for Imperial papaya is 48 degrees to avoid quality issues upon receiving.
Crop Outlook: Forecast is for good supply for the next two weeks.
Market Intel:  There is enough supply to service demand.

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We are currently shipping both green and red Anjou pears out of the Northwest this week. The market on Anjou pears has tightened significantly over the last month and prices have jumped up as a result. The movement on Anjou’s has been exceptionally strong this year and we will see higher prices until we finish in a couple of weeks. All sizes and grades of Anjou are hard to procure at this point as we near the end. Bartlett pears have finished out of Washington, but we now have imported Bartlett pears arriving at East Coast ports this week. The Bosc pear crop is now finished out of Washington, but there are a few imports arriving from Chile and Argentina available on the East Coast. Overall, expect to see higher prices than last year on pears for the remainder of the summer. The next new crop on pears will be the Bartletts out of California. This crop is projected to be better than average in volume and quality and projected to start shipping this year around July 18th.

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Availability: Supply is NOT meeting demand in the U.S. market!

•    Growing regions: MEXICO- Volume remains very low with some farms already in their summer gap. Weather conditions at pineapple fields in both Oaxaca and Isla Veracruz have now changed from dry to heavy rains, affecting internal condition of the fruit. Pines are struggling to meet conditions, with lower brix and lower internal condition than needed to meet U.S. specifications. Most of Mexico’s pine production will be sold internally with a good market and more tolerance on quality. Transportation out of Mexico is currently stable with good availability of trucks to service pineapple shippers. Costa Rica is seeing some improvement on yields for smaller calibers, but there’s still a shortage of fruit on large counts. Growers are pro-rating--and with order cancellations due to lack of availability-- to cover commitments. Markets are expected to stay high at least until the end of July.  
•    Mexican fruit quality is marginal with some fruit meeting U.S. specifications. Prices are high on all counts out of Mexico and Costa Rica.  COSTA RICA- Volume remains low AT PACKING with an expectation that it will improve in the next few weeks. There is currently NO surplus fruit available to pack. The U.S. market remains high on all counts with supply NOT meeting demand. Costa Rica is under mixed sunny to rainy conditions with some fair weather expected this week.
•    Movement: The USDA is showing a very low number of loads crossing with only 670 containers crossing FROM Costa Rica for the entire continental USA. This continues to be a low number for this time in the year, well below last year’s crossing at this same time when almost 1,300 containers crossed. 
•    The forecast is for little to NO surplus fruit available at shipping points being offered by large grower/shippers at this time. The market is higher with good demand this week. 

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California strawberries are past their peak production and harvest volumes will continue to decrease weekly until the fall crop in Santa Maria is in production.  California fruit is fair quality with occasional bruising, full color, and overripe (and occasionally under-ripe).  Sizing is medium to small.  Santa Maria for the week of 7/1 is forecast to be mostly sunny with highs in the 70s to mid-80s and lows in the 50s. The week of 7/8 is forecast to be mostly sunny with highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s. Salinas/Watsonville for the week of 7/1 is forecast to be mostly sunny with highs in the 70s to mid-80s and lows in the 50s. The week of 7/8 is forecast to be partly sunny, becoming mostly sunny Thursday through Saturday, and sunny on Sunday. Highs are expected in the upper 60s to low 70s and lows in the 50s.

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Watermelon supplies are good right now.  Florida and Georga are still going Out East with good volume for another week or two. Lots of 60-count seedless Out East.  Missouri and North Carolina will start in a week or two. Indiana will start around July 10th.  Texas has a bit of volume going with limited supplies.  Arizona and California are going with good volume.  Minis have steady volume and good quality in all areas.  July and August will be a good time to promote watermelons.  

Organic Apples . Organic Dry Vegetables . Organic Melons . Organic Onions . Organic Pears . Organic Potatoes . Organic Squash . Organic Sweet Potatoes

Produce season continues as growing season is in full swing. While non-produce impacted origins remain soft, California and the Southeast have seen the largest tightening in capacity. We have likely seen the peak of this season at the Mexico-U.S. border. To ensure coverage and the best rates and service, work with your account team to provide visibility to supply chain needs so they can build the proper lead time and flexibility into the loads. For more details on geographies and locations, please reference the map within our last month’s report.

East Coast – The Northeast continues to remain soft, even with shorter-than-average lead time. Southeast produce season continues to creep north. Southern and Central Florida are largely past peak season, but outbound Northern Florida and through Georgia will continue to see constraints.
Central U.S. – Capacity markets through the Mid-North should remain soft into mid-July. Short lead time and same-day coverage may provide some difficulties within the central states where there is a lot of protein production, as peak grilling season approaches. We expect the final produce push to occur leading up to the July 4th holiday.
West Coast – Pacific Northwest cherry season has begun, but that has been mostly manageable given the softness leading up to it. Berries and various vegetables are now shipping heavily out of Central and Northern California. Southern California and Arizona are still experiencing high volumes that likely won’t taper down until July.
 
Work with your C.H. Robinson team to stay informed on regionalized opportunities and how to best schedule freight to capitalize on the best price and service.

GLOBAL UPDATES 

PANAMA CANAL - The Panama Canal is facing challenges due to both delays and drought, impacting operations. The drought has caused water levels in the canal to drop, making it difficult for vessels to pass through efficiently.  Recently, shippers have noticed a reduction in disruptions caused by low water levels along the Panama Canal. Carriers are resuming transits through the waterway for certain east-west services, and they are also exploring alternative options to transport cargo. 

PORT OF SAVANNAH - In October, the Port of Savannah experienced robust activity, handling 449,000 TEUs, marking its fourth busiest month on record and registering a notable 5% increase compared to the same month in 2019, which was unaffected by the Pandemic. This growth suggests that the Port of Savannah is not only handling increased overall cargo but is also strategically investing in infrastructure to accommodate the specific needs of the fresh produce sector. With a focus on facilitating trade and improving efficiency, the Port of Savannah aims to provide a more conducive environment for handling perishable goods. The expansion aligns with broader efforts to meet growing demands and underscores the port’s commitment to maintaining its status as a key gateway for imports, offering world-class services to its customers. This development is likely to have positive implications for the agricultural and perishable goods industries, fostering smoother and more reliable transportation of produce through the port. As the Port of Savannah continues to invest in its infrastructure and capacity, stakeholders in the produce import sector can anticipate improved handling processes, reduced bottlenecks, and an overall more streamlined experience. The expansion not only reflects the port’s adaptability to growing trade volumes, but also signals a commitment to meeting the specialized needs of industries such as fresh produce, contributing to the port’s significance as a vital trade hub in the region. 

OCEAN CARRIER CONSOLIDATION - Fresh produce growers and shippers attempting to move cargo globally via ocean vessels are dealing with scenarios where ocean carriers genuinely dictate some markets.  They dictate and determine the marketability and viability of export markets for many fresh produce exporters.  Shippers are being forced to commit earlier to ocean lines to reserve space for upcoming seasons, and spot market space on vessels is nearly impossible to secure. 

RED SEA SHIPPING CRISIS – Hundreds of ships are currently diverting around Africa to avoid attacks in the Red Sea, causing delays to global trade and inflicting months of disruption and imminent price rises on supplies. The crisis has led to doubling insurance costs and soaring demands for security services, which has raised prices and affected availability of fresh produce from Africa and Australia.  

DEMURRAGE/DETENTION CHARGES - Shippers negotiating with ocean carriers or freight forwarders on perishable cargo contracts should request as much free time at destination as possible to reduce the risk of detention/demurrage charges when inspections/fumigations or drayage capacity constraints delay cargo delivery at destination.  Unavoidable and unprecedented demurrage and detention charges due to delays in turning cargo at destination continue in 2024. 

PORT CONGESTION - Congestion is causing equipment shortages at major ports, particularly affecting reefer containers. Cold chain shippers now need to book further in advance to ensure cargo space. While reefer cargo and perishable goods are more sensitive to schedule delays, the impact has been limited so far. However, there is a risk that the situation may worsen as demand continues to grow. Tight capacity leaves little room for future disruptions, so volatility should be anticipated. 

For more global freight insights please visit Global Freight Markets Insights | C.H. Robinson (https://www.chrobinson.com/en-us/resources/insights-and-advisories/global-forwarding-insights/) 

Turbulent weather has caused disruptions in domestic supply chains, forcing customers to relook at solutions to ensure fresh products into their facilities through untraditional avenues, including expedited truckload, surge airfreight, and direct-to-store delivery.  As temperatures across the country increase for the summer, ensuring a solidified temperature control solution is imperative to fresh flowers in the store.