California Giant Berry Farms is starting its Chilean blueberry deal.

Cindy Jewell, director of marketing for the firm, headquartered in Watsonville, CA, said that the Chilean blueberry season began a little late this year due to some weather issues.

“It is just now getting under way,” she said on Nov. 15. “The season should run into April 2014.”

Cal Giant offers several pack sizes, she said. “The standard pack is a pint clamshell, and we offer larger styles for club stores and higher volume customers — primarily two-pound clamshells.”

Nader Musleh, general manager for California Giant Berry Farms’ Chilean operation.California Giant Berry Farms has a year-round berry program. Jewell noted that today’s consumers are looking specifically for value and they see a greater value in purchasing blueberries for the family. Larger packs were previously seen only in club stores, but now mainstream retailers are also offering large pack styles for their customers.

“We increased our imports this year as compared to last year by about 20 percent from the 2012-13 season,” said Jewell. “Since the season is just getting started we have only experienced a slow start due to weather, but we expect movement to be back on track quickly.”

Although California Giant Berry Farms’ primary customers are major chain retailers and club stores, it also services some foodservice operations. It imports its Chilean blueberries into distribution points on both the East Coast and the West Coast in order to supply its customers across the United States.

“We agree with those who say that the Chilean fruit growers and exporters are highly experienced,” said Jewell. “They have been in this industry for many years. They export to the U.S. and to Europe, and they do an excellent job. We are very pleased to be part of this segment of the industry, and equally pleased to have the partners that we do in Chile.”

Consumers have also embraced Chilean-grown produce items in general, she said.

“And we are pleased at the continued growth,” she said. “We are also pleasantly surprised to see that consumer demand is definitely there for any increases. Consumers know that blueberries are a super food that is high in antioxidants and good for the whole family. Additionally, blueberries have a longer shelf life than some of the other berries. This enables moms to keep the larger packs in the fridge and add them to breakfast cereal in the mornings, to school lunches and snacks in the afternoon, and to salads and more. California Giant Berry Farms is trying to do our part in communicating with consumers about the tremendous versatility of fresh blueberries, and we look forward to continued increases in consumption.”

She noted that demand for year-round fruit has been a bigger factor in the expansion to Chile, adding, “We are very pleased with our grower relationships in this region and will continue to expand as demand increases.”

California Giant Berry Farms has a staff in Chile that is led by Nader Musleh, South America general manager for the company.