Once the North American blueberry season wanes, Peru’s long growing season, steady climate and greenhouse-like growing conditions will provide retailers and consumers with a constant volume of high-quality blueberries. "We continue to have new acreage in play, and the crop set looks heavier, and earlier, than last year," said Michael Osumi, Berry People's chief operating officer. "We expect to begin shipping in August, a couple of weeks early, with peak arrivals planned for October through mid-December."
Berry People expect to begin shipping blueberries in August with peak arrivals planned for October through mid-December.
Berry People now has year-round supply of conventional and organic blueberries as a result of its increasing commercial partnerships in Peru, Chile and North America. "As Berry People approaches our fourth year in business, our overall volume, continuity and mix of supply allows us to make larger program commitments with key retail accounts. This year’s Peruvian season is part of that growth and we are making customer alignments now that we hope to carry forward for years to come as acreage and volume continues increasing," said Jerald Downs, president of Berry People.
Left to right: Michael Osumi, Jerald Downs
From the COVID-19-related packaging supply constraints to port of entry delays, logistics is an increasing challenge for the industry, and Berry People has been chasing these issues in preparation for the 2021-2022 season. Its one-stop-mixer-dock berry model—shipping both during the summer out of the Central Coast, and in the fall, winter, and spring out of Southern California—simplifies shipping for buyers. The company has also planned around its lead time constraints on packaging materials and pallets to ensure coverage of customer demand for certain pack styles and enabling an uninterrupted supply of each pack style at promotable retail price points.
Berry People-branded blueberries are available in 6-ounce, 1-pint and 18-ounce pack sizes.
For more information:
Berry People
Tel: +1 (831) 245-3500
sales@berrypeople.com
www.berrypeople.com