Volume up for California Giant
Volume up for California Giant
The blueberry season is shaping up well for California Giant Berry Farms. “We have more acreage this year than last year and are expecting about a 15 percent increase in overall volume,” Director of Marketing Cindy Jewell told The Produce News.
The company is headquartered in Watsonville, CA, and markets blues to its global customers under the “California Giant Berry Farms” label.
Weather impacted production slightly this season, and Ms. Jewell said California Giant will be approximately one week behind typical harvest timetables. Production in the coastal regions began in March. Harvesting continues into the valley, ending sometime in June.
Most of the blues grown and marketed by California Giant are conventional. “We are growing some organic blueberries in Oxnard,” she said. “But it is currently a small percentage of our overall production.”
She was asked about product quality and sizing this season. “Sizing and quality have been great,” Ms. Jewell replied. “We are getting very good consumer feedback already, and the berries are delicious.”
The company primarily markets blueberries to retail. “But do also have some volume going into foodservice as well,” she commented. Most of the company’s volume is moved into the domestic marketplace. “Some fruit being shipped to Japan and the Pacific Rim,” Ms. Jewell noted.