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Feeling Blue
Saddled with low prices last year for the first time, California blueberry growers are battling back by joining together.
By David Eddy
Senior Western Editor
IT WASN'T that long ago, not even a decade, that blueberries were largely unheard of as a commercial crop in California. But plant breeders got busy, and were able to develop varieties that could withstand hotter climes. "God didn't put blueberries in California originally, so growing them required some manipulation," says Jon Marthedal, who was one of the first to plant a commercial crop, eight years ago. Because it takes five years for a block to reach full production, the state's growers didn't really know what the total output would be until these past two years, and they're facing a mountain of blueberries. "If nobody planted another plant," says Marthedal, "it will take four years to find out where the industry stands."
Faced with such huge crops -- 5 million pounds in 2004 and nearly double that much this year, says Mark Villata, executive director of the North American Blueberry Council -- growers decided to band together. A couple months ago most of the state's commercial growers met at Marthedal's packingshed in Fresno to discuss the formation of the California Blueberry Association (CBA). Marthedal, chairman of Sun-Maid Growers of California, was named to the board of directors of the CBA. Bill Steed, a blueberry and avocado grower from San Diego, was named secretary.
The main reason for the formation was falling prices in May 2004, says Steed, but there are other factors as well. The CBA will provide a unified voice for growers, he says, and will give growers an opportunity to exchange information on cultural practices as well as the shifting market windows for their fruit. And those market windows are crucial. Most of the U.S. crop is harvested in summer, as the top producing states are such northern states as Michigan, New Jersey, and Oregon. The spring market window is filled by the next top-producing states, which are in the Southeast, North Carolina and Georgia. This means Californians have to get the crop off and out by the end of April, says Steed.
Consumption Soars
To say California has enough crop coming off in May is an understatement. Prices plummeted with a crop of only 5 million pounds. But Villata says there's no reason to panic, with the formation of the CBA the first step in the right direction. CBA members are likely to have good Asian contacts from selling other crops there, and they should be able to utilize them to boost blueberry sales in Asia.
After all, says Villata, blueberries are not a tough sale right now. Over the past five years, U.S. per-capita consumption has shot up from 13 ounces to 19 ounces. And with all the news of the fruit's antioxidant power, that shows no signs of slowing. "It's directly attributable to the health halo that blueberries have right now," says Villata. "In the past they just tasted good. Now they not only taste good, but they're good for you."
Another factor in the CBA's favor, says Villata, is that because blueberries are traditionally an Eastern crop, they were more apt to be consumed there. Market studies show the Western markets are hugely underdeveloped. "There's a lot of demand right in California," he says.
Tough Crop
Steed and other CBA members sure hope Villata's optimism isn't misplaced. That's because blueberries are a very difficult, expensive crop to grow. They require a precise pH of 5 to 5.4, and they have zero salt tolerance. They are also extremely labor-intensive, as the fresh-market crop must be entirely handpicked and there is a narrow harvest window. "It can easily be $15,000 per acre to start in this business," says Steed. "If you don't get a good buck for your berries, you're buried."
California blueberry growers of all sizes are invited to join the CBA, says Steed. The voluntary dues are based on acreage and range from $200 to $1000 per year. The CBA's Board of Directors will be composed of seven members, including Marthedal and Steed, each representing a different production region. It is anticipated that the CBA will meet three times a year. For further details, contact Steed at
info@californiablueberries.com
E-mail questions or comments about this article to
afg.edit@meistermedia.com
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