Magoebaskloof Berry Festival whets appetite for blueberries

The bushes at Blueberry Heights farm are twenty years old. They are of the Climax and Tifblue rabbiteye varieties that require 400 to 450 hours and 600 chilling hours respectively during winter, making them ill-suited to most other areas in South Africa. Pruning on a four-year cycle rejuvenates the plants; most fruit is borne on one-and-two-year old canes.

Blueberry Heights opens its 2ha of organic blueberries to the public from early December, culminating in the festival at the end of the season. The farm produces 16t a season and exports to the Netherlands. Locally it markets its fruit through organic food retailers like Wensleydale Farms.

"There were a lot more people at the festival than we expected," says Jonathan Trusler of Blueberry Heights and festival organiser. "I'd say over the weekend we had about four to five thousand people on the farm. About a thousand people picked here on the farm on Saturday."

South African consumers are still largely unfamiliar with blueberries, although it is easily available at upmarket stores, but at a price. Its oft-mentioned 'superfood' status does wonders for the fruit's marketing. The large turnout at the Magoebaskloof Berry Festival, representing a diverse group of South Africans, does much to stimulate local appetite for blueberries which might be on its way to becoming a more affordable choice.