These shipping concerns affect all commodities in the ag industry, not just our major exports, like grains and meat.
It is also affecting northwest tree fruit exports. Todd Fryhover is the President of the Washington Apple Commission. He is telling us how they are coping with the challenges.
“You know, when we can’t ship offshore or it’s delayed going offshore, then we have three choices. We have the U.S. domestic market, which can put pricing pressure. And then we have Canada and Mexico, which can do the same. So, our focus here at the Apple Commission on the promotional side is to really emphasize Canada and Mexico moving into the future.”
He says it is taking a week or two to replace apples on store shelves and emphasizes all parts of the supply chain have to work together to fix the problem.
Related:
Shipping concerns are growing as Port Workers’ Union nears expiration
Market analysts expect major shipping backlogs when Shanghai reopens on June 1st
Turning apple waste into packing material
