Summer Organic Blueberry Promotions on Tap

With shifts in production to new districts, the volume of organic blueberries available through the heart of the summer should be plentiful to engender many promotional opportunities.

This is occurring with the backdrop of a new report from the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) touting the increasing volume of organic blueberries and the premium they receive in the marketplace, though it is shrinking as volume increases.

Currently, production on the West Coast is shifting from California to Oregon, while the East Coast will see continued strong volume from North Carolina and new volume from New Jersey as Georgia ends its season.

Chelsea Consalo, vice president of operations, The Freshwave Fruit & Produce, Vineland, N.J, told OPN on Tuesday, June 9, that organic blueberry production was getting ready to pop. “We had our first blues on Friday (June 5),” she said. “We think by the weekend or Monday (June 15) at the latest we will be in full production.”

She said the season will start off with a bang and continue for five to six weeks with promotional volume the entire time, which means New Jersey will be carrying the organic blueberry ball for the East Coast into late July. Consalo said this year’s crop looks excellent and the company’s organic blueberry production continues to increase year over year. She said New Jersey does fill a nice summer niche with North Carolina also competing for customers in the June/July time frame.

Kyla Oberman, director of marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, Watsonville, CA, said West Coast organic blueberry production is also in transition. “Oxnard (CA) just completed its harvest and the Central Valley (of California) is finishing up. Next week we will have our first pick in Oregon.”

Oberman said by the week of June 27, Oregon should be in full production of organic blueberries with the peak coming at the end of July and plateauing into the first couple of weeks of August for Cal Giant. She added that there should be promotable volume throughout July and into early August.

She reported that Cal Giant’s organic blueberry volume continues to increase with the program approaching year-round status. “We do have conventional blueberries year-round, but we have a short gap on organic blueberries in the fall,” she said.

Stephen Paul, stone fruit and blueberry category director for Homegrown Organic Farms, Porterville, CA, agreed that July and August are primed for organic blueberry promotions. “We still have some production in California but we’re getting ready to move to Oregon,” he said this week. “I was just up there last week touring the farms and I’ve never seen a better blueberry crop in my nine years here.”

As is the case throughout the North American blueberry districts, Paul said Oregon production is defined by niche deals featuring different varieties and different climates creating a patchwork of robust organic blueberry supplies. He noted that Homegrown’s growers will be providing the company with Oregon blueberries into September. “This was an excellent season for California blueberries, and it appears it is going to be the same in Oregon.”

Paul opined that Oregon’s climatic conditions produce the best-tasting blueberries, followed closely by California. He said growers have many different varieties well suited to the region. While blueberries typically are not sold by variety to consumers, Paul said many of the more discerning retail buyers do note the differences and have their favorites.

The Homegrown director has been handling the blueberry category for the last couple of years though watching it for a decade and he marveled at its grown. “It’s moved from a niche item to a mainstream commodity. You can get it 52 weeks of the year with a lot of promotional opportunities throughout the year.”

After Homegrown finishes up the Oregon production, it will begin sourcing from South America. Both Chile and Peru have significant blueberry production.

In early June, NABC released the results of an examination of the blueberry category with a promising forecast for the future. The report analyzed wholesale and retail volume and pricing comparing both conventional and organic blueberries and noted the continued growth in volume.

“In the last 10 years, organics as a category has seen an incredible level of growth. As measured by the USDA, the category has increased by more than six-fold. All this while maintaining relatively stable pricing. There is undoubtedly a growing hunger for organic blueberries that the market is successfully satisfying,” said the report.

The report concluded that the “historical growth of the organic blueberry segment is undeniable and the category’s relative stability in prices is impressive. New volume opportunities exist for organic blueberries in the U.S. retail, foodservice and ingredient markets…”