Driscoll's sets sights on increased organic strawberry volume
Driscoll's sets sights on increased organic strawberry volume
Driscoll Strawberry Associates Inc. is set to launch the first phase of a strategic business plan to increase organic strawberry volume in the coming decade. Driscoll's is one of California's premier strawberry growers, riding the cutting edge of the industry since the turn of the 20th century.
Soren Bjorn
The initial step in this direction involves the transition of cultivated land to organic, a process that takes three years to complete before organic plant stock can be certified. “We've been doing research for the past seven years,” Executive Vice President Soren Bjorn told The Produce News. “We've consistently seen we could do this. We felt the time was right, and it's the right thing to do.”
Although organic strawberries currently comprise approximately 5 percent of the company's overall volume and 15 percent of overall sales, Bjorn said opportunities in the coming 10 years show strong potential. “Total sales will be 20 percent in five years and 25 percent in 10 years,” he stated. “I think that's realistic.”
The move to expand availabile organic nursery stock is supported by data the company has gleaned showing that consumer interest in organic strawberries is strong, with demand definitely outstripping available supply.
“We're deliberately pushing ourselves,” Bjorn said of the move to fill this gap.
He said strawberries plants are subject to ground-borne pest and disease pressures. The transition to organic nursery stock production will meet California's high organic standards, ensuring that plants can be shipped between counties without fear of relocating pests or diseases.
The process has begun to transition land to organic production. “Right now, the limiting factor is organic-certified ground,” he said about production in 2015.
Driscoll's works with an extensive grower network that is supportive of the move. “From the grower side, it's a healthy business, and growers are interested,” Bjorn stated.
Although the company will move plants this year that have been raised under organic conditions, Bjorn said the plants cannot be labeled “organic” until the transition process is competed three years from now. At that time, Bjorn said organic strawberry volume will begin to show increases.
Driscoll's plans to distribute its organic strawberry nursery stock within growing areas in California at the current time. In the future, Bjorn said he expects similar expansions will take place at the company's nurseries in Mexico.
