Blueberries
“What can’t berries do?” says Mike Mauti, managing partner with Canada-based Execulytics Consulting. Industry experts recently offered reasons for berries’ sales growth and sustained consumer appeal.
Average fob berry prices in the U.S. declined for strawberries, blueberries and raspberries in 2022, while the average fob for blackberries climbed.
The Traverse City, Mich.-based marketer will have a robust spring and summer berry deal with good volumes and availability, says Ryan Lockman, vice president of sales and procurement.
Naturipe will have plentiful berry supplies this summer, says Jim Roberts, president of sales for the Naples, Fla.-based marketer of both conventional and organic fruit.
California Giant Berry Farms is anticipating promotable yields of blueberries out of Oregon, British Columbia and Washington state in July and August.
Naturipe Farms is kicking off the summer season with promotable volumes of its blueberries from New Jersey, Michigan, and the Pacific Northwest, according to a news release.
Selma, Calif.-based Farm to Table Berries is integrating blueberry breeding into the company’s blueberry marketing efforts.
The observations come from a USDA Economic Research Service report examining changes in domestic production, consumption, prices and trade for strawberries and blueberries over two decades.
The Chilean Blueberry Committee, together with iQonsulting, has updated its export estimate for the 2023-2024 season, forecasting exports of 76,500 tons of fresh blueberries.
Naturipe Farms expects to have volumes of its Michigan blueberries from late June through September, says Brian Bocock, vice president of product management.
The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2024 data shows 54% of surveyed consumers reported purchasing blueberries in the past 12 months, up from both the 2023 and 2022 surveys.
Twenty percent of the fruit marketed by Domex Superfresh Growers is organic, and that percentage is on the way to 25%, says Cat Gipe-Stewart, director of marketing for the Yakima, Wash.-based marketer.
Organic blueberry sales and volume were both up in 2022, according to retail numbers from Circana.
Sekoya is an in-demand variety platform that retailers ask for by name, having earned a reputation for excellence thanks to its consistently high-quality blueberries, says the family-owned greenhouse business.
Peruvian blueberry exports in the 2023-24 marketing year (May 2023 to April 2024) will be down more than 40%, the USDA reports.
Mexico’s blueberry production in 2024 is forecast to rise 8% over 2023, according to a new USDA report.
The fruit breeder has added varieties and a breeding program from Inka’s Berries, which develops no-chill cultivars.
The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council says the leadership program helps up-and-coming leaders grow their leadership skill set, learn from decades-long industry leaders and develop their network of connections.
The company said its South American imports will begin for East Coast customers.
The agency says the new guidance helps identify preventative measures against enteric viruses and ensures consistent application.
California Giant Berry Farms says its Giant Blueberries are available in good volume from March through August, with peak availability in April and May.
The company first made the list in 2019 and has continued to make steady growth.
California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, Calif., is blockchain compliant with the IBM Food Trust, allowing all points of the company’s berry supply chain to access data.
The region is a key hub for berry production, supplying retailers with an early season of fresh strawberries, blueberries and more.
The company behind Fruitist Blueberries aims to bring nutritious snacking to the world with its “global-local” strategy.
Originating in the eastern U.S., the pathogen has been found in Peru, Morrocco, China, Portugal and Mexico and was likely spread through infected nursery material.
The organization said the grant, as part of USDA Regional Agricultural Promotion Program funding, will help it expand into Southeast Asia.
The council, which supports the marketing and promotion of highbush blueberries, added nine members and 10 alternate members.
U.S. imports of Chilean blueberries totaled 45,982 metric tons in 2022, up from 42,458 metric tons in 2021 and up from 42,608 metric tons in 2020.
A standardized naming convention associates each new proprietary blueberry, raspberry and blackberry variety with a gemstone, the company says.