Demand continues to grow for imported berries
Demand continues to grow for imported berries
Once considered seasonal items, berries of just about all types are now in demand year-round in the United States in both retail and foodservice.
Strawberries are available essentially year-round from California, with seasonal volume in Florida and some other states. Most imported strawberries come from Mexico, primarily the Baja California peninsula. But when it comes to other types of berries -- blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and specialty berries such as red currants, cape gooseberries or baby kiwifruit -- marketers source from many countries at different seasons in order to be able to offer their customers year-round availability.
In recent years, blueberries in particular have experienced a major growth in demand and consumption not only in the United States but worldwide. Argentina and Chile in particular have been increasing their production to meet the growing demand in the U.S. market.
Sunny Valley International in Glassboro, NJ, markets blueberries from Argentina and Chile, and Phil Neary, operations and grower relations representative for the company, said that he expects increases from both areas in the coming season. "Argentina had a little frost damage this year," he said, "but despite some loss, we are expecting a 20 [percent] to 25 percent increase."
The increases are not limited to imports. "Domestically, every region that can increase its blueberry acreage is doing so," Mr. Neary said. "Where production areas such as New Jersey cannot be expanded, growers are replacing older plants with new varieties that produce higher yields. Florida has more than doubled its production in the past few years, as have growers in Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Oregon and California. British Columbia production has also increased tremendously in recent years."
In other parts of the world, "other new areas are also entering the blueberry business," Mr. Neary said. "Growers in Uruguay are now looking into protocols that will eventually enable them to ship into the U.S. market, and we expect to see a program from there at some point in the future. New Zealand and Australia are producing today, but blueberries from those countries are not yet exported to the U.S."
Global Berry Farms, based in Naples, FL, is another company that imports blueberries from Argentina and Chile.
"Argentina is starting up right now with some very limited volume. Chile will start in another week," John Shelford, president of Global Berry Farms, told The Produce News Sept. 28. "We represent a large number of growers -- our own growers and a good number of other growers -- in Chile. We will be doing significant increases this year on blueberries: 30 [percent] to 40 percent over last year."
The Argentina deal started a little late because of a frost six weeks earlier, Mr. Shelford said. But although that affected some of the early fruit, "it will have very little impact upon the whole supply." The weather has been favorable otherwise, he said.
"Blueberry demand continues to be very good," Mr. Shelford continued. "Supplies are growing. We hope to be able to supply our retail customers with excellent product to take care of their consumers."
The imported blueberries will begin to arrive in volume about mid-November and continue through the end of March, he said. "Argentina peaks in December, and Chile peaks in January."
Global also brings in raspberries from Chile via air freight in addition to golden raspberries and red currants. The raspberry season starts in mid- November with volume beginning about Dec. 10 and continuing through the first of the year, he said. Red currants come mainly in December and January. The company also has organic raspberries, blueberries and blackberries from Chile, and "those programs are growing," he said. The organic blueberry program will be up by 300 percent this year.
"We are doing blackberries in Guatemala, and will have good supplies of those into December," Mr. Shelford said, adding that about 80 percent of the production is now under hoops, and the company is transitioning to a new, sweeter proprietary variety.
"The other program that is growing tremendously is Mexico," Mr. Shelford said. "Mexico raspberries will be up significantly this year." They will start in October and go with good volume into December.
Robert Schueller of Melissa's/World Variety Produce in Los Angeles noted that most berries "can now be sourced domestically, mainly in California, but there are some times of the year when U.S. supplies fall short, so we need to import [them]."
Melissa's imports not only blackberries, blueberries and raspberries during fall and winter months when domestic supplies need to be supplemented, but it also imports several specialty berries. The company brings in cape gooseberries from Colombia from February through August and from Canada from October through December. It also imports baby kiwifruit from New Zealand in February and March.
Although kiwifruit is botanically a berry, the full-sized fruit is not regarded as such from a culinary standpoint. The baby kiwifruit, however, are considered berries. Retailers merchandise them next to the clamshells of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, Mr. Schueller said, and they are used by foodservice in much the same way as other berries.
Tim Youmans, national retail sales manager for Driscoll Strawberry Associates in Watsonville, CA, which imports various types of berries to complement its domestic production and assure customers a constant, year-round supply, made the point that the standards under which the company's berries are produced are consistant for domestic and foreign production alike.
No matter where in the world Driscoll proprietary varieties are grown, all growers "adhere to the same quality, food safety and business standards," he said.
Mr. Shelford of Global Berry Farms made a similar point, stating that all the company's growers meet "our protocols for food safety and packaging and so forth."
Sunny Valley's Mr. Neary made the point, however, that U.S. Department of Agriculture protocols are not the same in all cases.
"USDA protocol on imported blueberries from Chile is different than product from Argentina," he said. "Chile is somewhat more experienced in handling the item for export, so growers there are aligned with USDA partners for quality and fumigation inspections. Shippers in Argentina have a more conservative attitude because they are less experienced in blueberry exports. They continue to fumigate in accordance with USDA requirements, so every facility in the country that engages in exportation is certified for fumigation."
They hope eventually to eliminate the need for fumigation, Mr. Neary said, "but it is most important that they do things correctly so they can continue to grow the category."
According to the USDA, the United States is the top importer and the top exporter of blueberries in the world, with Canada following in second place in both categories. Chile and the Ukraine are the third and fourth largest exporters. U.S. blueberry imports in 2004 were about double exports. Canada is the largest source of imported blueberries in the United States, followed by Chile, with Argentina a distant third.
(For more on imported berries, see the Oct. 9 issue of The Produce News.)
Strawberries are available essentially year-round from California, with seasonal volume in Florida and some other states. Most imported strawberries come from Mexico, primarily the Baja California peninsula. But when it comes to other types of berries -- blackberries, raspberries, blueberries and specialty berries such as red currants, cape gooseberries or baby kiwifruit -- marketers source from many countries at different seasons in order to be able to offer their customers year-round availability.
In recent years, blueberries in particular have experienced a major growth in demand and consumption not only in the United States but worldwide. Argentina and Chile in particular have been increasing their production to meet the growing demand in the U.S. market.
Sunny Valley International in Glassboro, NJ, markets blueberries from Argentina and Chile, and Phil Neary, operations and grower relations representative for the company, said that he expects increases from both areas in the coming season. "Argentina had a little frost damage this year," he said, "but despite some loss, we are expecting a 20 [percent] to 25 percent increase."
The increases are not limited to imports. "Domestically, every region that can increase its blueberry acreage is doing so," Mr. Neary said. "Where production areas such as New Jersey cannot be expanded, growers are replacing older plants with new varieties that produce higher yields. Florida has more than doubled its production in the past few years, as have growers in Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, Oregon and California. British Columbia production has also increased tremendously in recent years."
In other parts of the world, "other new areas are also entering the blueberry business," Mr. Neary said. "Growers in Uruguay are now looking into protocols that will eventually enable them to ship into the U.S. market, and we expect to see a program from there at some point in the future. New Zealand and Australia are producing today, but blueberries from those countries are not yet exported to the U.S."
Global Berry Farms, based in Naples, FL, is another company that imports blueberries from Argentina and Chile.
"Argentina is starting up right now with some very limited volume. Chile will start in another week," John Shelford, president of Global Berry Farms, told The Produce News Sept. 28. "We represent a large number of growers -- our own growers and a good number of other growers -- in Chile. We will be doing significant increases this year on blueberries: 30 [percent] to 40 percent over last year."
The Argentina deal started a little late because of a frost six weeks earlier, Mr. Shelford said. But although that affected some of the early fruit, "it will have very little impact upon the whole supply." The weather has been favorable otherwise, he said.
"Blueberry demand continues to be very good," Mr. Shelford continued. "Supplies are growing. We hope to be able to supply our retail customers with excellent product to take care of their consumers."
The imported blueberries will begin to arrive in volume about mid-November and continue through the end of March, he said. "Argentina peaks in December, and Chile peaks in January."
Global also brings in raspberries from Chile via air freight in addition to golden raspberries and red currants. The raspberry season starts in mid- November with volume beginning about Dec. 10 and continuing through the first of the year, he said. Red currants come mainly in December and January. The company also has organic raspberries, blueberries and blackberries from Chile, and "those programs are growing," he said. The organic blueberry program will be up by 300 percent this year.
"We are doing blackberries in Guatemala, and will have good supplies of those into December," Mr. Shelford said, adding that about 80 percent of the production is now under hoops, and the company is transitioning to a new, sweeter proprietary variety.
"The other program that is growing tremendously is Mexico," Mr. Shelford said. "Mexico raspberries will be up significantly this year." They will start in October and go with good volume into December.
Robert Schueller of Melissa's/World Variety Produce in Los Angeles noted that most berries "can now be sourced domestically, mainly in California, but there are some times of the year when U.S. supplies fall short, so we need to import [them]."
Melissa's imports not only blackberries, blueberries and raspberries during fall and winter months when domestic supplies need to be supplemented, but it also imports several specialty berries. The company brings in cape gooseberries from Colombia from February through August and from Canada from October through December. It also imports baby kiwifruit from New Zealand in February and March.
Although kiwifruit is botanically a berry, the full-sized fruit is not regarded as such from a culinary standpoint. The baby kiwifruit, however, are considered berries. Retailers merchandise them next to the clamshells of raspberries, blackberries and blueberries, Mr. Schueller said, and they are used by foodservice in much the same way as other berries.
Tim Youmans, national retail sales manager for Driscoll Strawberry Associates in Watsonville, CA, which imports various types of berries to complement its domestic production and assure customers a constant, year-round supply, made the point that the standards under which the company's berries are produced are consistant for domestic and foreign production alike.
No matter where in the world Driscoll proprietary varieties are grown, all growers "adhere to the same quality, food safety and business standards," he said.
Mr. Shelford of Global Berry Farms made a similar point, stating that all the company's growers meet "our protocols for food safety and packaging and so forth."
Sunny Valley's Mr. Neary made the point, however, that U.S. Department of Agriculture protocols are not the same in all cases.
"USDA protocol on imported blueberries from Chile is different than product from Argentina," he said. "Chile is somewhat more experienced in handling the item for export, so growers there are aligned with USDA partners for quality and fumigation inspections. Shippers in Argentina have a more conservative attitude because they are less experienced in blueberry exports. They continue to fumigate in accordance with USDA requirements, so every facility in the country that engages in exportation is certified for fumigation."
They hope eventually to eliminate the need for fumigation, Mr. Neary said, "but it is most important that they do things correctly so they can continue to grow the category."
According to the USDA, the United States is the top importer and the top exporter of blueberries in the world, with Canada following in second place in both categories. Chile and the Ukraine are the third and fourth largest exporters. U.S. blueberry imports in 2004 were about double exports. Canada is the largest source of imported blueberries in the United States, followed by Chile, with Argentina a distant third.
(For more on imported berries, see the Oct. 9 issue of The Produce News.)
