Logistics company Crowley says it expects disruptions to many of its services due to Hurricane Irma, which is passing through the Caribbean and expected to make landfall in Florida later this week. 

Source: U.S. National Hurricane Center

The storm became one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes ever earlier this week, with winds of around 185 miles per hour.

"Crowley’s Corporate Emergency Management team continues monitoring Hurricane Irma, which remains a major Category 5 hurricane threatening the Caribbean Basin," it said.

It added it was coordinating with vessels to review their routes and planned to keep them well clear of the storm. 

"At this time, we expect disruptions with many of our services, including those involving the Leeward Islands, the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Caribbean Islands and Central America."

It said Florida's Port Everglades was currently open and operating under U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Condition Whiskey, which went into effect at 08.00 EST on Wednesday. Condition Whiskey indicates that gale force winds are expected in the area within the next 72 hours. 

The port will close at 19.00 EST on Thursday (Sept. 7) and will remain closed through the weekend, it said.

Customized Brokers has announced its offices will be closed and not handling air or ocean shipments Friday through Sunday.  

"Given the severity of the approaching storm and anticipated interruptions to cargo operations, we recommend that you not ship any perishables by air freight this weekend," the company said.

Florida-based Ayco Farms has also announced all its operations will be fully shutdown from Friday through Tuesday. 

Another Florida-headquartered importer, HLB Specialties, will also close its office on Friday but like Ayco, its will forward calls to cell phones with staff working remotely.

"Orders from our other warehouses in Texas and California are not affected," the company said.

HLB expects vessels to be delayed one or two days as a result of the hurricane.

"Many flights into Miami have already been canceled, so there will definitely be delays and a shortage of inbound fruits such as papayas from Brazil (flights) and Guatemala (ship) as well as our rambutan from Guatemala," a spokesperson told Fresh Fruit Portal.

"Our warehouse will most likely be closed on Friday and the weekend, so whoever has orders leaving South Florida needs to get them on a truck on Thursday.

Florida orange juice prices spike

Meanwhile, Florida orange juice prices have reportedly seen their biggest increase in months, according to Bloomberg.

It said prices for November delivery jumped 6.2% to settle at US$1.45 a pound on ICE Futures U.S. in New York, which it described as the biggest gain for a most-active contract since May 2, 2016. 

The nation's top orange juice-producing state has declared a state of emergency as Irma approaches.

Bloomberg reported all of the state's crop was at risk of moderate to severe damage, with trees already full of fruit, according to Donald Keeney, a meteorologist at MDA Weather Services in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

www.freshfruitportal.com