After a couple of bad crop years in Georgia, this year is looking better for blueberries, said Joe Cornelius, president of J&B Blueberry Farms Inc., Manor, Ga., and chairman of the Georgia Blueberry Commission, also in Manor.
His only concern is a potential freeze event before harvest in April.
Cornelius said he expects total volume for fresh and processed berries to be around 80 million pounds this year.
This is compared to a high of 96 million pounds total volume in 2014, 58 million pounds of which went to the fresh market.
Last year’s harvest for fresh and processed was more than 70 million pounds. A lack of chill hours led to the lower production in 2016.
Cornelius said demand looks good so far as consumers continue to really like blueberries.
As for pricing, he said he hopes it remains stable or ticks up.
“Fresh is as strong as normal,” Cornelius said. “The frozen industry is in a lull right now.”
Cornelius also is advocating for an industry shift away from dry pints for blueberries to 1-pound clamshell containers.
“It’s better for consumers,” he said. “That way they get more blueberries per trip.”
Cornelius said Georgia’s product is marketed under the “Sweet Georgia Blues” campaign.
He said this year the Georgia Blueberry Commission will focus less on marketing and more on research, including varietal testing, crop protectant and horticultural practice.
“We are testing for varieties that are highly adaptable, good producers, machine pickable and tasty to consumers,” Cornelius said.
The majority of Georgia blueberries are still picked by hand, with 40% of production picked mechanically.
“Mechanically picked berries are more cost-efficient if the right varieties respond well to machines,” he said. Responding well includes how they detach, bounce and bruise during harvest.
Alto Straughn, owner and manager of Straughn Farms LLC, Waldo, Fla., said his company grows 115 acres as a joint venture in Georgia.
Georgia product this season looks good so far on farms that were planted two, three and four years ago, Straugn said.
