When it comes to blueberry quality in the Garden State, ‘Everything is pretty optimistic here’, says Gary Pavlis, agriculture and natural resources agent for Rutgers Cooperative Extension. But when it comes to labor and social distancing due to COVID-19, it’s a different story.
“We'll see how they handle the labor situation. Will there be enough labor and how much does this tie their hands?” he asks.
Pavlis says that the relatively mild winter set growers up for a good crop this spring. Then the frosts of late April and early May hit. Early varieties such as Duke were greatly affected with some growers reporting losses of between 10% and 15%. Cooler temperatures extended flowering and pollination, so harvest has been pushed back this season.
“The cool spring delayed harvest. We are running about a week later than originally expected. We will start around June 18. Crop looks pretty good, there was some patchy frost but otherwise looking like an average crop,” according to Art Galletta, sales manager for Atlantic Blueberry Co. in Hammonton, N.J., one of the largest blueberry farms in the state with 1,000 acres.
New Jersey blueberry production statistics
Pavlis says that most growers he’s talked to have seen dryer-than-normal conditions, reducing disease pressure. Recent rains, though, have left ruts in fields because of bad drainage. Many growers have had to go back and grate fields to allow trucks in for harvest.
