Winter Produce: Top 5 Reefer Commodities & Origins
What are the leading reefer commodities for this winter produce season, and where are they coming from? Find out here.

The USDA data from the past 30 days sheds light on the most transported commodities in the refrigerated freight sector:
- Potatoes - 67.5 million lbs, maintaining their staple status in American diets.
- Apples - Approximately 42.5 million lbs. 'Tis the season for apple pies, apple cider, and apple butter.
- Dry Onions - Around 28.4 million lbs transported.
- Tomatoes - Nearly 17.7 million lbs, a key ingredient in diverse cuisines.
- Avocados - Close to 16.7 million lbs transported. In 2021 alone, Americans consumed over 3 billion of the fruit.
So where does this produce come from? A significant portion isn't home-grown.
Top 5 Producing Regions
The origins of these commodities offer insight into the global vs. local production dynamic:
- Mexico - Leading with 141.8 million lbs of produce, including all the popular produce this season except grapes, pears, and sweet potatoes.
- Washington - 56.1 million lbs; 34.7 million of that being apples.
- California-Central - Providing 49.8 million lbs, with a diverse agricultural output from grapes, celery, sweet potatoes, and more.
- Idaho - 30.6 million lbs, famous for its potato production.
- Arizona - Adding 26.5 million lbs, leading in lettuce output.
Capitalizing on High-Volume Regions: Mexico's dominant position, with 141.8 million lbs of produce, marks it as a key region for freight opportunities. Are you investing in these routes?
Explore the full graph below:
Sources: ThinkFreight | USDA