Michael McMillan of Bridges Organic Produce, based in Portland, Oregon, said on his company’s blueberry production: “The growing conditions so far have been excellent. We have had a bit of heat in the last few days, but everything is fine. The weather seems cooler for the next 10 days, so these are ideal conditions.”
The harvest is likely to start at the usual time, between June 15 and 25, and should be shipped until the middle to the second half of September. “The strongest promotional window tends to be the last week of June, which can be a bit of a stretch for how the season will start, but then it will continue through July and the first week of August. That's the strongest period for volumes, ” McMillan told blueberriesconsulting.com.
According to the pattern the industry has been observing for the past few years, volumes will also increase this season. As the plantations mature, they tend to produce heavier volumes. "There is a desire and a drive to help increase consumption, which seems to be the natural path," says McMillan.
On the demand side, McMillan believes it will be strong this season, particularly when it comes to organic sales. Also helping the demand are the higher volumes that are coming and that can lead to prices becoming more accessible and parallel to conventional items.