Strawberries aren’t the only berries that shine during the summer. Blueberries, blackberries and raspberries also are berry standouts.
The summer blueberry season is shaping up to be exceptional, said Kristy Babb, director of communications for the Folsom, Calif.-based North American Blueberry Council. U.S. blueberry production is expected to reach 700 million pounds this year, up from 637.2 million pounds in 2023, she said.
“Following a record crop in 2023, Georgia is on track to have an even bigger crop — 115 million pounds — in 2024,” she said.
North Carolina’s volume is down slightly from last season, but quality is great, she said.
“New Jersey and Michigan are set for a strong season with excellent pollination and fruit set,” Babb said. And growers in the Pacific Northwest anticipate a larger crop than last year.
Fresh volume out of California could be down, however, if anticipated heat waves materialize during the second half of the Golden State’s blueberry season.
Overall, quality of U.S. blueberries is expected to be good this summer.
“While weather is always an unpredictable factor, the southern regions have experienced excellent growing conditions with favorable temperatures and minimal adverse events,” Babb said.
Salinas, Calif.-based Naturipe Farms will have blueberries from New Jersey, Michigan, Oregon and Washington “that are exceptional in quality and flavor” to support Fourth of July promotions, said Brian Bocock, vice president of product management.
“This is a great time for retailers to promote these delicious and good-for-you berries,” he said. July Fourth blueberry supplies were tight the past couple of years, but that won’t be the case for Naturipe this summer.
“This year, we will have volume to support large ads and big displays,” Bocock said.
Naturipe blackberries also will be plentiful for Independence Day.
“Our summer blackberries are absolutely bursting with flavor,” he said. “They’re sweeter and juicier than ever, making them perfect for snacking, baking or adding a pop of freshness to your salads and desserts this summer.”
Now is the time retailers should stock up on all Naturipe’s berries, he said.
“Help your shoppers deck out all of their summer meal occasions in red, white and blue with the vibrant hues of our strawberries, blueberries and raspberries,” Bocock said.
Retailers can drive incremental sales by sampling dishes made with berries, he added.
Naturipe also sources blackberries from Georgia, North Carolina and California and offers raspberries from central Mexico and the country’s Baja California region.
Vineland, N.J.-based Consalo Family Farms recently expanded a packinghouse at its Egg Harbor City, N.J., blueberry farm, said Chelsea Consalo, executive vice president.
“The expansion project involved construction efforts that seamlessly integrated cold storage units, sorting equipment and other machinery,” she said. “The result is a streamlined facility with greatly increased throughput capacity.
The company offers New Jersey blueberries starting in early June but offer berries year-round.
“The state is known for its Jersey Fresh program, and we’re proud to be a part of that,” Consalo said. “We are continuing to make taste one of the biggest priorities here as we invest in new varieties and take out old ones.”
Cold, rainy New Jersey weather has affected the blueberry crop, she said, “nonetheless, the quality is still looking great.”
Irvine, Calif.-based Gem-Pack Berries sources raspberries out of Baja California, California’s Watsonville/Salinas growing region and Oxnard, Calif., said Michelle Deleissegues, vice president of marketing. The company also brings in some blackberries from central Mexico. Volume should be similar to last year, and quality should be good.
“Watsonville raspberries have been awesome as far as quality and flavor,” said Paul Kawamura, the company’s chief sales officer.
Gem-Pack also offers organic raspberries.
The blueberry category in the U.S. has enjoyed continued growth in recent years, Babb said.
Retail sales increased by 11.1% from 2021 to 2023, “reflecting consumers’ growing enthusiasm and love for the snackable, crave-worthy flavor of blueberries and their many health benefits,” she said.
Approximately 8% to 10% of blueberries are shipped as organic from conventional markets.
Because of favorable weather, it looks as though Naturipe’s volumes of blueberries and blackberries will be up compared to last year, Bocock said.
“This is really exciting in terms of both quantity and quality,” he said.
Naturipe will have significant volume of new acres of its new proprietary blueberries in all of its blueberry-growing regions, Bocock said, “which will make it our best year ever for quality, flavor, size and texture.”
