Southeast berries feel the cold weather, import competition

In early February, farmworkers started trickling into the parking lot from the strawberry field to take their lunch break at Parkesdale Farms, Dover, Fla.

Walking through the parking lot, grower Matt Parke said he was preparing for a freeze that night during a growing season that’s had cool weather for an unusually long time — producing top quality, high sugar, plump berries, but volume about half as much as the same time last year.

Florida, Georgia and North Carolina berry growers are contending with weather, regulations, labor costs and import competition as they kick into high gear for their peak season.

“I’ve got berries right now that’s the size of my hand, and my hand’s pretty big. They’re sitting there trying to ripen and it’s taking forever and a day,” Parke said. “We haven’t broken 80 (degrees Fahrenheit) in a month. If it stays this way, cold, hopefully the market will prevail.”

On Feb. 12, just before Valentine’s Day, Central Florida strawberry demand exceeded supply and the market was about steady, ranging $16-18.90 for flats of eight 1-pound containers with lids, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The region’s organics were $30-32.

Demand was fairly good with a steady market for strawberries coming from Mexico crossings through Otay Mesa, at $16-18 for the flats, although most shipments were from previous commitments because the harvest was curtailed by rain and wet fields and the quality varied greatly, according to the USDA.

Strawberries from Oxnard, Calif., saw similar weather conditions Feb. 12, with a fairly light supply and prices at $18-22 for conventional and $26-28 for organics.

That same time last year, Central Florida strawberry demand was “fairly good at much lower prices,” ranging from $10.90-14.90 with most shipments from prior commitments, according to the USDA. Organics were in the $32.90-36.90 range, the market for conventional was much lower while organic was steady.

For Mexico crossings through Otay Mesa, conventional was $16-18 and organic $26-32. For Oxnard, it was $16-18.

Parkesdale Farms started picking in November and will continue through March, possibly into April.

On that day in early February, Parkesdale Farms’ field workers picked long-stem fruit for Valentine’s Day, as well as the regular berries for 1-pound clamshells. Parke expected to supply retailers with 75,000 to 100,000 flats of long-stems.

Oxnard, Calif.-based Bobalu Berry Farms sources some early season Florida strawberries, said Cindy Jewell, who handles the company’s marketing program.

Heavy rains and severe winds in northern California diminished the strawberry supply for Valentine’s promotions, and using alternative sources didn’t completely restore the lower volume, she said.

Wish Farms, Plant City, Fla., has also experienced cold weather and lower volume issues for its Florida strawberries, said Nick Wishnatzki, public relations manager. The quality is superb, though.

The company is a year-round supplier of strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries, sourcing from South America to Canada.

The Sweet Sensation strawberry is still the preferred variety at Wish Farms for its flavor, size and aroma, Wishnatzki said.

Both Parke and Wishnatzki have planted a few acres of a white strawberry, Pink-A-Boo pineberries, that has a hint of pineapple-like sweetness. Based on the excitement around these pale specialties, they expect to increase the acreage next year.

“Just judging by the general buzz we are hearing from consumers and customers, we are very bullish on its future prospects,” Wishnatzki said. “Shoppers are always looking for something new and exciting in the produce aisle. In the berry category specifically, there is a lot of room for growth and diversification.”

Blueberries, blackberries

Blueberries have had it a little better lately, said Chris Barnhill, owner of Blueberry Hill Farms, Ivanhoe, N.C., and executive chairman of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

“Plenty of chill hours, and lots of moisture in the ground. The temps are about normal for a change. We haven’t seen this kind of weather for the past four years,” Barnhill said.

The bud set looks good, he said.

The Southeast will pump out the blue orbs come springtime and deep into summer, with Florida blueberry season March through May, Georgia’s April through June and North Carolina’s May through July.

There’s a lot of competition during that period, mostly from California, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

But on Feb. 11, the U.S. International Trade Commission determined that imported blueberry volumes are not so high as to cause “substantial cause of serious injury, or threat of serious injury” to U.S. growers.

The determination was made after an investigation was initiated Sept. 29 at the request of the U.S. Trade Representative. The commission’s report details will be open to the public sometime after March 29, when it’s handed to President Joe Biden.

Al Finch, president of Florida Classic Growers, Dundee, Fla., is one of several growers who disagree with that conclusion, specifically about Mexican competition.

“There are more pounds coming across the border each year. They’re really becoming a threat to Florida blueberry growers,” Finch said.

Earlier, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried had testified before the commission that Mexico’s market share for blueberries had skyrocketed 2,100% since 2009, while Florida’s market share decreased 38% since 2015, which she said indicated serious economic damage.

Regardless, Florida’s 2021 blueberry production outlook is good, with no major weather events so far by mid-February, said Brittany Lee, vice president and farm manager of Florida Blue Farms, Gainesville, Fla. She’s also executive director of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association and Florida producer alternate council member of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

“We had a good amount of chill at the right time, so I’d expect one of our better years,” Lee said.

Blueberry demand has been growing in recent years, and even more-so since the pandemic has placed higher interest in the antioxidants and other immunity-boosting benefits of the berries, Finch said.

Chile should finish its blueberry season earlier than normal, creating a gap as Central Florida blueberries may start about a week later than normal — unless Mexican blueberries fill in.

Crystal Valley Foods, Miami, expects to start shipping Georgia blueberries in late April and Georgia blackberries in early June, said Katiana Valdes, director of marketing and business development.

Then, the company will source blueberries from Alabama around the end of June.

“There has been colder than normal weather in the region, so we expect Georgia to start a week or two later than previous years,” Valdes said.