Latest News From Blueberries

The Blueberry Coalition for Progress & Health, a group that includes domestic blueberry importers and foreign grower groups, has formed to oppose limitations on imports of the berries.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council has launched Grab a Boost of Blue, a strategic positioning and call to action backed by new tools and consumer research for retailers.

Felipe Juillerat, who has a long career in the blueberry industry, has joined Las Vegas-based Terra Exports’ advisory board.

The Packer's Organic Fresh Trends 2021 consumer survey reveals a vast cross-section of commodity-specific insights about organic produce consumption.

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc., a global blueberry breeding and nursery company, has announced that Tom Blaser has joined its professional board of directors.

Blueberry growers have created a coalition to to seek relief from rising imports.

Dole Food Co. is providing a little healthy, bluesy inspiration to Joe Gardner and others trying to reclaim their passions as part of the fresh produce leader’s year-long collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios.  

California Giant Berry Farms growers are reporting peak volumes of a promotable organic and conventional blueberry supply for the start of the new year. 

With all the changes and challenges this year has brought to the foodservice industry, many operators are assessing how to reconfigure their restaurants to better facilitate curbside pickup and other options.

Marketers say they are gearing up for promotable volumes of fruit from Chile for the upcoming winter months.

U.S. Fresh blueberries, dates, grapefruit and sweet potatoes are among U.S. agricultural products have been hit with 25% retaliatory tariffs by the European Union in mid-November.

The Port of Hueneme, in California’s Ventura County, is known as the Banana Port of the West Coast, but a new service is certain to increase blueberries at the port.

A systems approach regulation, recently published in the Federal Register, should facilitate organic blueberry shipments from Chile to the U.S., said Karen Brux, managing director of the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association.

Berry grower-marketer Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla., is refreshing its brand with a new look for packaging, new label messaging, updated website and a smartphone app.

Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, Calif., will offer a Jumbo Kiwi from Greece for the first time this season, said Scott Mabs, chief executive officer.

Fans of blueberries officially have a fresh way to share their love of their favorite berry.

Blueberries have been growing at a rapid clip at retail, according to the United Fresh Produce Association’s FreshFacts report for the second quarter of 2020.

Berry People, a year-round, full-line shipper of branded organic and conventional strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and avocados, recently secured partnerships with growers in Peru.

Industry leaders anticipate a good season for Chilean blueberry production and exports to the U.S. through the winter months.

A patented system that improves cooling through pallets can benefit berry handlers, said Alain Garcia, sales engineer with FF Cooling Solutions.

Fall Creek Farm and Nursery Inc., Eugene, Ore., has made some leadership changes, appointing Oscar Verges to a co-CEO position, sharing duties with Cort Brazelton.

Two groups that represent the U.S. blueberry industry have hired a vice president of marketing and communications and financial controller, which are new positions.

Magic Sun, Richmond, Va., known as a grower of conventional and organic tomatoes, is expanding to include blueberries, with plans to quickly ramp up production.

Curious about Bento Bliss? In case you haven't yet scored a sample, Amelia and Ashley gave them a try at home as part of their New Product Review series for Fresh Summit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, through its Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, is allowing the import of blueberries from two regions in Chile without methyl bromide fumigation for pests.

Episode 17 features an interview with Driscoll's president Soren Bjorn on the growth of the blueberry retail sales, the issue of seasonal trade protection, and alternatives to quotas and tariffs. 

Let’s get the obligatory pun out of the way: This blueberry is berry, berry big.

As promised, the USTR has requested that the International Trade Commission investigate whether increased imports of blueberries have caused, or threaten to cause, harm to domestic blueberry growers.

The Packer’s Editor Tom Karst spoke with Driscoll’s president Soren Bjorn about the issue of seasonal trade protection for U.S. blueberry growers.

Data-driven marketing can help blueberries land in shopping carts more often.

Global conventional and organic berry supplier Giddings Fruit has opened an office in Monterey, Calif., through its subsidiary, Giddings Berries USA.

The California Blueberry Commission, Clovis, supports the administration’s intentions to investigate imported blueberries and their effects on U.S. growers.

Weston, Fla.-based Fudi Food Corp./Thx! has formed an independent advisory and transparency board to oversee execution of its social impact mission.

Ocean Spray brand blueberries from Peru are now certified by Fair Trade USA through marketer The Oppenheimer Group.

Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Awe Sum Organics is offering organic green and gold kiwifruit and organic Chilean blueberries this winter.

The Packer’s Tom Karst visited Sept. 15 with Brittany Lee, executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association.

The North American Blueberry Council and U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council are taking their annual conference and expo online because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Carolina Uquillas Herrera has joined Fall Creek Farm & Nursery Inc., Lowell, Ore., as commercial manager for Chile.

The “Report on Seasonal and Perishable Products in U.S. Commerce” was released yesterday, and it packs a wallop.

Rainier Fruit, Selah, Wash., has earned Equitable Food Initiative certification for its largest farm, which is more than 2,300 acres.

AC Brands has hired Evan Pence as vice president of international procurement.

Berry company Sun Belle Inc. is acquiring CoolHouse Distribution Center LLC, in Laredo, Texas.

Fresh produce industry associations have joined other agricultural groups in asking the USDA to extend the deadline for producers to receive direct payments through the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.

U.S. highbush blueberry growers generate more than $4.7 billion in annual economic impact, according to a study commissioned by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Naturipe Farms has taken a big step forward in its commitment to sustainability.

Root 24 Farms, a new grower-owned organic blueberry company based in Moxee, Wash., is finishing up its first harvest and already has plans to expand, said Tim Youmans, executive vice president of sales.

Ample supplies of good-quality blueberries still are available from U.S. growers, and raspberries and blackberries are in good supply as well.

Family Tree Farms, Reedley, Calif., added two new Unitec sorting lines for blueberries this season, following installation of Unitec equipment for blueberries and peaches in 2018 and 2019.

Tomra Food has opened a Latin America regional headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

Federal trade and agriculture officials have rescheduled hearings for growers to testify on how foreign trade is harming U.S. agriculture, with a focus on the effects of Mexican produce imports on southwest growers.