Organic Berries Producing Promotable Volumes

California organic strawberries and blueberries are currently in peak production, with plenty of fruit available for Memorial Day weekend and beyond.

Thomas Smith, director of sales for California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, CA, told OPN Connect this week “We are hitting our spring crop peak production in Santa Maria, which will last through mid-June on strawberries. Watsonville and Salinas are ramping up and should also peak in the coming weeks. Volume will support promotions now through the next three weeks.”

Thomas Smith, Director of Sales, Cal Giant

Smith’s assessment was quantified by California Strawberry Commission Senior Vice President Chris Christian, who noted that through mid-June, California growers are expected to send more than one million trays of organic strawberries to market each week. It is the peak of the season for all strawberries as overall more than nine million trays of strawberries are expected to be picked in each of the coming four weeks, with organics representing 10-12 percent of total volume.

California growers are expected to send more than one million trays of organic strawberries to market each week.

Cool spring weather has caused total strawberry production to lag last year’s figures, Christian said, but the strong volume during this peak period will help the state’s growers catch up to their three-year average. The slower-than-anticipated start has been good, she said, as it has produced great-quality berries and a demand-exceeds-supply situation through much of the first half of the season.

Chris Christian, Senior Vice President, California Strawberry Commission

The increased demand for strawberries has been commonplace throughout the pandemic. Consumers were concerned about their health last year, leading to an increased demand for strawberries and other produce, which has not let up, Christian said.

“Quality is very good, counts are in the low-mid teens with full color, great appearance, and great flavor out of all areas. This is an excellent time to feature organic strawberries alongside all other berries for your summer ads and promotions,” she said.

One of those berry options with a good deal of organic volume is blueberries. “Volume is peaking out of the California Central Valley now but will be declining as we head into June,” said Smith. “Quality is very good with excellent appearance, bloom, and great flavor.” 

He said Cal Giant can support promotions but will have a production gap on organic blueberries until its volume increases significantly in July with production out of Oregon. “From the Fourth of July to the end of summer, we will have promotable volume” from the Northwest, Smith added.

“This is an excellent time to feature organic strawberries alongside all other berries for your summer ads and promotions.” -Chris Christian

Stephen Paul, blueberry category director for Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, CA, said: “We are in the middle of peak week. It started last week, and it will go through Memorial Day.”

Stephen Paul, Blueberry Category Director, Homegrown Orgainc Farms

He added that Homegrown will be sourcing California organic blueberries through mid-June from several different regions with pretty good supplies. The focus will shift to the Pacific Northwest in mid-June with plenty of volume for Fourth of July promotions and throughout the month of July. He said with July 4 falling on a Sunday this year and the 5^th being a holiday, organic blueberry promotions should result in huge sales for more than a week surrounding America’s birthday.

Paul said organic blueberries have become a global commodity with excellent supplies from multiple locations. Summer is when they are in peak supply, leading to many promotions with 18-ounce and two-pound clamshells. “There are some pints but very few six-ounce clams,” he said. “They go away at this time of year. We want to sell blues, not packaging.” He continued: “We have had great weather and our quality [on the organic blueberries] has been phenomenal.”

Paul did insert the caveat that the California San Joaquin Valley blueberry deal is susceptible to late May/early June hot temperatures, which can derail the harvest. As of May 19, the 10-day forecast was perfect—predicting mostly unseasonalably cool highs only reaching into the high 70s and 80s.

Summer is when organic blueberries are in peak supply, leading to many promotions with 18-ounce and two-pound clamshells.

If scorching temperatures (above 100) remain in check in early June, the organic blueberry deal should get to achieve plentiful volumes. The rising temperatures are exactly why the harvest starts in the southern San Joaquin Valley in spring and moves up through the Central Valley into the Northwest as spring turns into summer.