Berries continue to be a huge growth category in the fruit sector. However, the stages of growth vary by region. In the U.S., blueberry consumption is mature while Europe is still in a growing stage. For blackberries on the other hand, consumption has the opportunity to double within a relatively short period of time. At last week's Fruit Logistica Berlin event, Philip Symons with North Bay shared his view on the developments in the European berry market while Ryan Lockman provided an update for North America.
Ryan Lockman and Philip Symons at Fruit Logistica Berlin.
Blueberry potential in Europe
In Europe as well as globally, berries are a huge growth category," says Philip Symons, North Bay's Director EMEA. "Blueberries in particular have shown big growth in the past 20 years, where some other fruit categories have been relatively flat. From that perspective, we've been in a really good position." The popularity has been driven by two key features: convenience and health. To capitalize on the opportunities, North Bay has been putting a lot of effort into varietal development, improving the quality of the fruit. "With blueberries being our biggest berry component, we've been focusing on accessibility by offering blueberries 52 weeks per year. Consumers only get into the habit of buying blueberries non-stop when they are available year-round," Symons shared.
In addition, flavor, size, texture, and shelf-life have been key attributes of the newer varieties. On all these trends, he feels blueberries have been a real winner in the past 20 years. "Taking a varietal program like SEKOYA® as an example, it provides such a good eating experience, resulting in blueberries being in a great spot at the moment." Blueberries are the most convenient berry, and their shelf-life is a real differentiator. "It enables us to transit blueberries globally without having to convert to airfreight. Longer shelf-life just makes transportation easier and allows us to plan a bit better. All in all, blueberries offer a perfect deal really."
When projecting ahead, this growth curve is anticipated to continue, at least from a European perspective. While blueberry consumption in the U.S. is already quite mature, the European market is much less developed from a consumption/capita perspective. "In Europe, we are trying to catch up with the U.S. and have huge growth potential still," commented Symons. When looking further down the line at regions like Asia and other parts of the world, consumption per capita is even lower and lots of growth is expected in the coming years.
North Bay is a cooperative with member farms in North America, Central America as well as South America and works with partner growers in other parts of the world. "Blueberries can be grown pretty much everywhere, and we offer varieties that are specific to the growing regions, being able to withstand cold winters or extremely hot summers." As of right now, blueberries for North Bay's program are grown in Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Peru, Mexico, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, New Jersey, Michigan, California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, South Africa, Egypt, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Georgia, Serbia, and Bulgaria. "It's a very versatile berry, both from a growing and consumption perspective."
Left: SEKOYA CRUNCH® FC13-083. Right: Erandy® blackberry variety.
Explosive growth in blackberries in North America
With North America being a more mature blueberry market, North Bay has shifted its focus on varietal development to blackberries. "Just in the past few years, we've seen an explosive growth in proprietary varieties entering the blackberry segment, which is a positive development for the category," says Ryan Lockman, VP of Sales and Procurement. "Previously, the few varieties that were available were very tart, had a short shelf-life and were of low quality." Now, North Bay has a variety called Erandy® that is being offered under the RESERVE® label, providing improved features. "It has a better shelf-life, a sweet and balanced flavor as well as a great size. Once we start taking away the bad experiences consumers have had with blackberries, we see almost a doubling of blackberry consumption overnight," Lockman said. With consumption per capita being relatively low, better consumer experience is expected to result in a rapid increase in consumption.
After blueberries, blackberries are the next category where the varietal work is being done and Lockman expects more proprietary blackberry varieties to hit the market in the future. "With a better consumer experience and increased consumption, more varieties will become available," he said. The new varieties offer more shelf stability, which is a big factor together with taste. "The biggest volume blackberry that is currently being offered has very little shelf-life and very little consumer satisfaction associated with it. From a consumption perspective, it is very important to turn this around."
The RESERVE® line of packaging is offered in the U.S. and Europe. For a berry variety to make it into this special label, it needs to meet certain specifications on shelf-life, texture, as well as taste. "We offer unique varieties and differentiate ourselves by the level and care of packaging we offer for our proprietary varieties. Genetics, packaging, and reliable distribution is where we make the difference."
For more information:
North Bay Produce
Philip Symons
[email protected]
Ryan Lockman
[email protected]
www.northbayproduce.com