The increase in holiday tourism on the Cantabrian coast of Spain has given a boost to the demand for blueberries in regions such as Cantabria, where the season is in full swing for Ballberry.
"Between June and August, we handle around 15,000 kilos of blueberries from our own farms in Orejo," says Roberto Ballesteros, the company's manager. "In the past, I used to take my fruit to a cooperative in the area, but two years ago I decided to set up my own facilities to market the production myself, and from the get-go I started working with one of the main supermarket chains in northern Spain specializing in local produce."
"It so happens that the logistics centre of the Lupa Supermercados chain is only 500 metres away from my farm, and I contacted them saying that not only did I have a very good product, but they could actually come and try the fruit, picking it straight from the plant. And sure enough, the chain liked our blueberries."
"At Ballberry, we grow our fruit with a focus on quality. We look after our plantation all year round, pruning carefully to get the best tasting, large calibre blueberries, and this year we have also introduced the new 125 gram cardboard pack. It is an attractive, sustainable and recyclable packaging format, which allows you to see the product inside and facilitates consumption, while also preventing waste."
"Last year, we planted a new hectare to increase the production and reach 40,000 kilos; we are currently working with 10,000 plants and the prospect is to continue to expand and grow. The next step we want to take is to expand our acreage with varieties that would allow us to extend the season, because in Cantabria we can cover the entire period from June to October. We aim to be able to have a greater supply in these summer months, when the number of consumers multiplies and supermarkets are ordering more," says Roberto. "Our aim is, in fact, to be able to provide a service not only to supermarkets, but also to all those clients who are interested in our summer blueberries; a gourmet, quality, local product, which stands out from the imported blueberries that are usually available at this time of the year."
For more information:
Ballberry
[email protected]
Tel.: +34 650 437 665
www.ballberry.es