The Pacific Northwest blueberry season is very different from last year, in a positive way. The 2023 crop goes down as one of the lowest producing years for Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia and expectations weren't met. "It was a difficult season for growers, packers, sales teams, and retailers," says Jeff Malensky with Oregon Berry Packing. "While there is no such thing as a typical season, the 2024 season is much more typical when looking at historic numbers."
Normal start of harvest
From pollination through harvest, the timing was more traditional this year, and weather conditions were favorable. As a result, harvest started around June 25, which is normal. "It's very important for the start of harvest to be at the usual time," commented Malensky. "Retailers expect Oregon to start at a certain time and when we don't, it impacts the timing of promotions as well as movement."
In addition to volume, Malensky is also very content with the quality of Oregon blueberries this season. "The weather was favorable for most of July, except we had five really warm days that affected sizing, quality, and timing of harvest." During this time, the temperature reached levels between 95°F and 105°F, and it threw off the picking cycle. However, things rebounded, and the weather ended up being favorable for most of July, the state's peak producing month.
Super Crunch, a new label introduced by Oregon Berry Packing this year.
August and September volume
The month of August is shaping up to be promising as well. Last year, Oregon's blueberry production was 40 percent lower compared to average historical numbers and only limited amounts of fruit were left in August. This year, there is still lots of fruit out in the fields to be picked and Malensky is even seeing good opportunities for September. "If the quality is there, there will be a market for Oregon blueberries in September as retailers will support high quality fruit." What's helping with movement is a much more balanced price level this season. "Due to very low volumes of late season fruit in 2023, demand was higher than supply, elevating prices. Movement was in line with short supply."
From the domestic season, Oregon Berry Packing will transition to the import season. The company started bringing in blueberries from Peru a few years ago.
For more information:
Jeff Malensky
Oregon Berry Packing
Ph: +1 (503) 640-4410
[email protected]
www.oregonberry.com