Prior to the 1980s, commercial blueberry production in the US was largely confined to several eastern, southeastern, and northeastern statesand Michigan. The US blueberry industry had evolved in the early 1900’s through research programs at USDA and several eastern universities that took this native US crop plant and turned it into a commercially viable crop. There have traditionally been three species of blueberries with commercial importance: Vaccinium corymbosum hybrids (highbush), Vaccinium angustifolium or V. myrtilloides Michx (lowbush), and V. ashei Reade (rabbiteye) types. Of these the majority of production of blue- berries has been of the highbush types because they showed the best productivity and the best combination of horticultural traits for the commercial market.
This production up until the 1980s was typically confined to the eastern and northern US and southern Canada and extending to Michigan. The production areas were largely defined by areas with cold enough winters to satisfy the highbush blueberry’s chill requirement for flowering and fruiting and to break dormancy and for production areas with more acid soils. Blueberries evolved in areas of low soil pH and they traditionally have grown best where soils are below pH 5.2-5.3. Slowly during the 1980s and 1990s, production also spread to similar growing areas across Canada and to Washington and Oregon and also south into Florida and the southeast.
In the mid 1970’s a cooperative plant breeding effort between the USDA and several universities in the southeastern US - including the University of Florida - led to the release of the first low-chill requirement “southern” highbush blueberry for early season production in the southeast. This southern highbush type originated from crossing the V. corymbosum (highbush) with a native evergreen Florida blueberry from V. darrowi. Prior to that time, growers in Florida and other parts of the southeast had harvested native rabbiteye-type blueberries for sale early in the year, before the arrival of the first highbush blueberries from more northern areas. This had traditionally been a period when blueberries were absent from the U.S. market and the early production brought very high prices.
The release of Sharpblue and followed by other southern highbush types provided highbush-type varieties with fruit quality characteristics superior to those of the rabbiteyes. A number of low-chill, southern highbush varieties continued to be released by the U. of Florida in particular but also by North Carolina State University, the University of Arkansas, and the USDA in Mississippi. These varieties represented a wide range of adaptation especially with respect to chill hour requirements. Some of the lower chill varieties could even be produced in central and southern Florida with very few chilling hours.
During the same period that the “southern” highbush blueberry industry was developing in the southeastern US, a whole contra-cyclical fruit and vegetable production industry was developing in the southern hemisphere. Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa began experimenting with blueberries during the 1980s and 1990s and production evolved in those countries directed their domestic markets and exports to Asia, North America and Europe. More southern areas of Chile and Argentina also found that they could adapt northern highbush blueberries to similar latitudes in the southern hemisphere and ship the fruit north during the winter.
As a result, Chile and later, Argentina planted large areas to blueberries and largely due to advantages related to relatively inexpensive labor, they now dominate the off-seasonwinter production period in the U.S. (Figs 4-6; Tables 5-6) and Europe. Argentina starts picking in mid October in a typical year and their peak production comes in December. Chile starts a little later in November and peaks in January. Chile, Argentina, and the southern hemisphere pretty much finish the harvest by mid March, but using controlled atmosphere storage, Chile continues shipping to North America and Europe into April and early May. Early domestic production from Florida continues to find extremely high prices when they begin in mid to late April as marketers are hungry for the first domestic berries (Figs 4-6).
Blueberries as a crop continued to expand in the US, Canada, and several southern hemisphere countries during the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s with growing worldwide demand and attempts by marketers to supply fruit year around to US and European markets. And production area and volume is continuing to expand in the US and around the world today (Tables 1-4).
Recent reports confirm that per capita US consumption is continuing to increase (The Packer, July 30, 2007, pg C1). Current annual per capita consumption is 21.1 oz per person – 8.5 oz of this as fresh VS 16.8 oz and 5.5 oz as fresh per person annually in 2001. Now, many U.S. states produce blueberries, but the volume is still heavily concentrated during the months of June to August. There is still however, relatively little opportunity for additional production during the mid-fall or mid-spring periods when prices are highest, because of climate restrictions and the characteristics of blueberry flowering and fruiting. Mild coastal production areas of California are one of the rare situations where blueberries have been observed to produce during mid spring and fall periods. New trial blueberry plantings in Mexico may also eventually target mid-fall and mid-spring market windows.
Overview of the Developing California Blueberry Industry
Northern highbush blueberries are the most widely planted blueberries in the U.S. and worldwide but only the southern highbush varieties are important for early or off-season production in California. Rabbiteye varieties may eventually find a special market niche in one or more parts of California and northern highbush varieties may eventually be planted in more northern parts of the state. But this production in more northern areas would come during the main season when prices are low and much would likely be diverted to processing. Early and off -season fresh market production is thus, largely limited to southern and coastal California and a few areas of southern Florida.
Prior to 1997, there were only small, rare, scattered commercial and back-yard blueberry plantings in California primarily based on older varieties of northern highbush blueberries and marketed directly through farm stands and to specialized groceries in the Bay Area. Blueberries had not traditionally been grown much in California or really anywhere in the southwestern US, because blueberries require acid soils to establish well and the majority of varieties available were northern highbush varieties requiring a longer winter chill period than typically available in much of California.
Beginning in the mid 1990s, Dave Brazelton of Fall Creek Nursery in Lowell, OR, contacted some California farmers and convinced them to establish trial plantings of blueberries.Brazelton also had a summary of key cultural practices that he provided to growers. In some cases the varieties thrived and showed that early season fruit production was a possibility. In other situations, the variety(s) chosen initially was poorly suited to the growing conditions and was removed and replaced with more promising varieties within 4 - 5 years. Also, in the late 1990’s, UC farm advisors began establishing field trials with blueberries in the southern San Joaquin Valley and in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Diego counties along the coast. These were the first comprehensive field trials evaluating a wide range of southern highbush varieties in California growing conditions.
Meanwhile, during the 1990s, University of Florida researchers began experimenting with the “evergreen” blueberry production system in Central and South Florida in which the plants do not enter dormancy and drop their leaves but remain green and actively growing year around. At more northern blueberry growing areas in Florida, the plants receive more chilling temperatures and typically lose their leaves in the fall and early winter and enter a light dormancy.
In California, growing conditions along the central and south coast are generally milder and these conditions favor the evergreen growing system and the earlier production that accompanies it. Blueberry production in the interior valleys of California more closely mimics north Florida with at least some leaf drop and limited dormancy. Historically, 60% of Florida blueberry production has come after May 5 – primarily from the larger plantings in the northern part of the state. Likewise, 80% or more of SJV production comes after May 10.
Since the early 2000s, California blueberry acreage has grown consistently with new plantings in mild coastal areas and beginning in the southern San Joaquin Valley (SJV) near Arvin and more recently extending in the SJV to north of Sacramento. There have also been some planting in and around the San Francisco Bay area and in the Sierra foothills. In 2007 planted acreage in California is estimated to be approximately 4000 acres with perhaps 75% concentrated in the SJV. Of these 4000 acres, perhaps 20% would be full bearing mature plants, another 20%, new, nonbearing plants and the remaining 60% in various producing ages between 2 and 5 years. The blueberries grown in the central and southern SJV begin producing in late April at the earliest, significant production volume begins May 15-20 in a typical year. This period, mid-May to early June is likely to see substantial price pressure in the future as the new production volume in the SJV competes with established production in Florida and South Georgia. Even with high tunnel protected cropping which currently exists on approximately 200 acres in the SJV, they can only advance the harvest 10 – 14 days. So, the period prior to mid May and particularly after Chile finishes in mid March is a very attractive production period.
Growers and university trials in mild coastal and southern California growing areas have observed production from southern highbush blueberries in these areas in the period between February and May in a typical year. In some milder areas with some varieties, fall and winter blueberry production is even possible in open fields. The production is markedly affected by temperatures however, and a cold period will delay harvest days or weeks during that time of the year. Blueberry plants will tolerate temperatures well below freezing with little or no plant damage but temperatures only 3-5 o F. below freezing will cause flowers and fruit to abort and the production is lost for that critical early season period. It is important that frost protection – typically from sprinkler irrigation or air mixing fans – be provided to protect the production. Some growers have added high tunnels to advance the harvest even further in these areas and to add an additional level of frost protection. And there will be years – such as 2007- when the temperature falls so low that no amount of frost protection will save the crop in all but the mildest growing areas. In spring of 2007, even generally frost free” coastal areas of San Diego County dropped into the low 20s F.
Historical Fresh Blueberry Wholesale Prices
Traditional blueberry wholesale prices track closely that of supplies from domestic and off-shore sources (Figs 1-3). The weekly wholesale prices for fresh blueberries in the Los Angeles Terminal Market for the most recent years (2004-2006) are typical of annual price fluctuations with prices peaking in mid-late April and with lowest prices during the mid summer. Midsummer low prices correspond to a period when blueberries are available from multiple domestic growing areas on the East Coast, as well as Michigan, Oregon, Washington and more recently, California. Washington, Oregon, and Canada store some of their late summer harvest in CA and continue shipping from storage stocks during the September to November period.
The off season from October to May had – prior to 1995 - traditionally been a period of relatively high prices but in recent years, Chile and Argentina have filled much of that period with their contra cyclical production (Figs 4-5; Tables 5,6). Typically Argentina starts in October and picks into January and Chile starts in November or December and goes into mid March. New Zealand, Australia, and most recently Mexico have also shipped intermittently during winter periods.
There are large areas of additional new plantings in Argentina and Chile that will continue to increase the supply to the off-season market from the southern hemisphere in coming years. Chilean and Argentinean exporters are already complaining of rising fuel costs and constant fuel surcharges and their long boat trip and expensive air freight will likely limit further expansion as US and Mexican production increases some for the offseason market. Likewise, Chile and Argentina are seeing some of their blueberry hold on European markets begin to be challenged by new plantings in Spain, Portugal, and Morocco. It is also interesting to note that when blueberries are in the US market from domestic US sources (California or Florida) in late spring, they typically maintain a marked price premium over the offshore fruit. Fruit buyers will often prefer the fresher fruit harvested from closer production areas if given a choice.
Figures 1 - 7.
Figure 1. Weekly high/low wholesale blueberry prices for 2004. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.Figure 2. Weekly high/low wholesale blueberry prices for 2005. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Figure 3. Weekly high/low wholesale blueberry prices for 2006. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Figure 4. Weekly wholesale blueberry prices by U.S. domestic or foreign shipping point for 2004. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Figure 5. Weekly wholesale blueberry prices by U.S. domestic or foreign shipping point for 2005. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Figure 6. Weekly wholesale blueberry prices by U.S. domestic or foreign shipping point for 2006. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Figure 7.Three year average weekly wholesale blueberry prices 2004 - 2006. Los Angeles Wholesale Terminal Market. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.
Table 1.
Blueberry harvested acreage, yield, production and utilization by State and U.S. 2004- 2006.
1/ Yield is based on utilized production
2/ Small quantities of processed blueberries are included in fresh to avoid disclosure of Individual operations.
3/ Estimates began in 2005
4/ Estimates began in 2006
Table 2.
Prices and values by state and US
1/ Small quantities of processed blueberries are included in fresh to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
2/ Estimates began in 2005
3/ Estimates began in 2006
Table 3.
Value of U.S. blueberry crop. 2004-2006
Source: USDA/NASS, Mann Lab, Cornell University
Table 4.
Acreage and volume of U.S. blueberry crop. 2004-2006
1/ Yield is based on utilized production
Source: National Ag. Statistics Service, Mann Lab, Cornell University
