Berry People, Hollister, Calif., is moving harvest to the Pacific Northwest as production in Mexico and California winds down for the season.
The company, a year-round supplier of organic and conventional berries and avocados, will ship branded blueberries from Washington in late June and from British Columbia around July 10, according to a news release.
The company will have North American blueberries until about mid-September, when the imported berry season begins.
“Our overall blueberry supply has grown by over six-fold year-to-date, largely based on the groundwork laid in 2017-18,” Jerald Downs, Berry People president, said in the release. “Berry People has a substantial untapped blueberry supply base from shareholders and alliance partners, but we are being careful to expand based This year, the company’s North American blueberry production is expected to be more than triple what was shipped last year, bolstered by a new late-season Oregon crop. Peruvian blueberries also will help the company supply customers from mid-September through October.
“The majority of this new production will be organic, with peak volumes in October,” Downs said in the release. “Additionally, we expect significant growth from our existing northern Chilean supplier base, after a successful season last year. This fruit is also primarily organic.”
Berry People shareholders have new organic blueberry production in Jalisco, Mexico, developed for a fall harvest.
“As we reach critical mass in the blueberry category, we are dedicating more resources to its management to improve our overall genetic position, pack-style and packaging offering, market prediction and pricing, as well as program placement,” Downs said in the release.
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