Blueberries

Peru saw a big jump in strawberry exports this year. According to consultancy Fresh Fruit Peru, the country shipped 20,338 tonnes worth US$34m between January and September 2023, an increase in 43 per cent in volume and 26 per cent in value compared to the year-earlier period. read more

It's already time for strawberries in Basilicata. The abnormally mild fall weather has accelerated plant growth and the ripening of the fruits, hastening harvesting operations by two weeks. read more

After successfully exporting fresh citrus to China, Zimbabwean blueberry producers are now eyeing the expansive Chinese market for their berries. read more

Western Berry a blueberry farm in Western Australia is gearing up for substantial growth, aiming to quadruple in size over the next five years due to rising demand for larger blueberries. Initially an olive farm, the family-owned Western Berry company, founded in 2012 by Derek Fisher, shifted
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"Many strawberry plant seedlings are unfortunately lost before they reach the planting out stage, this will help fruit growers reduce waste in the very early stages of plant growth," says Lily Manzoni, Head of R&D at LettUs Grow. read more

This season, growers have once again experienced an increase in costs. We estimate that costs have increased by 30-40 per cent over the past three years, while the average price per blueberry received by the grower has been declining from 2018 to 2022. This season we have experienced
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In a recent survey conducted by British Berry Growers, the organisation representing 95% of the UK's berry sales, it has emerged that a significant 80% of berry producers in Britain no longer perceive their relationship with UK supermarkets as a partnership. read more

New soilless strawberry crops that can be adjusted up to three levels have been completed in Basilicata, Calabria, and Puglia by Combimetal Carrera, the company that designs and manufactures such innovative systems that help workers during operations, FreshPlaza informs. read more

A new survey by British Berry Growers, the industry body representing 95 per cent of British berries sold in the UK, has found that 80 per cent of British berry growers feel they no longer have partnership relationships with UK supermarkets. read more

This year's blueberry global market situation is entirely different from other years. "And not only in Peru," stresses abbGrowers' Fred Douven. "Productions are down in many countries, and other years' budgets weren't met. Many seasons started later and had lower yields, sometimes accompanied by
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The 2023 strawberry season has been a mixed bag for the various global markets. In the Netherlands, the autumn crop shot up early, causing losses later in the season. This lack of production has pushed up the prices, of which the German market is feeling the effect as they wait for the arrival
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After a tough few months, blueberry volume from Peru is increasing. “El Nino played a huge factor. In just our programs, we lost a significant amount of the fruit that we would typically see in the October early November window,” says Michael Giordano of Consalo Family Farms. read more

Hamdy Fayed, chairman of Egyptian producer FATA Farms, says the development of new varieties, of stonefruit, table grapes and now blueberries, remains a top priority for the company. read more

During the war, entrepreneurs from Zaporizhzhia moved to Zakarpattia and opened Ukraine's most technologically advanced berry farm, where they grow strawberries and raspberries in tunnels, as well as raspberries and blueberries in open ground. read more

The first flat of Florida strawberries was harvested in Plant City on Tuesday of this week. “We’ve never started this early,” says Matthew Giddings with Always Fresh Farms. It is a good window as volume from California has slowed down and Mexico is slower to start up. Additionally, imports
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In the first week of November, some companies in Huelva had not yet finished planting strawberries on their farms. "Some nurseries have really delayed the start of the planting this year, in some cases, to mid-October, which is late for us," says Manuel Alfaro, manager of El Pilonar. read more

As Peru, the world leaders in blueberry production, struggle with the warmer weather and lower volumes, not all producers share the same fate, with new varietal genetics proving the difference. According to Steve Magami, co-founder of Agrovision: “We have reached the peak and have been the top
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EastFruit analysts draw attention to an interesting and rather suspicious trend of a sharp increase in exports of Ukrainian blueberries to Georgia in 2023. The fact is that Georgia itself is rapidly increasing blueberry exports, and once again updated export records this year, increasing it four
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The Dutch area of covered strawberry cultivation in greenhouses and permanent tunnel greenhouses has almost doubled in 10 years. A steady increase in acreage can also be seen in Flanders. In recent years, Flemish statisticians consistently point to a shift in cultivation from open-air to covered
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EastFruit analysts draw attention to an interesting and rather suspicious trend of a sharp increase in exports of Ukrainian blueberries to Georgia in 2023. The fact is that Georgia itself is rapidly increasing blueberry exports, and once again updated export records this year, increasing it four
read more