Florida blueberry growers worry about future competition
Increased competition from larger Georgia blueberry growers and a rising tide of imported blueberries from Mexico and South America mean the Florida blueberry industry is in the middle of a transition, growers told The Ledger.
Key elements of that transition include a consolidation of farms as larger growers with 50 to 100 acres or more buy up smaller grower, an expansion of the industry’s traditional season from March through April and an increased reliance on mechanical harvesting to drive down production costs.
“I think, in the future, we’ll have to put up with lower prices and lower returns (profits),” said Bill Braswell, manager of the Clear Springs Farms blueberry operation with about 325 acres south of Bartow. “The reality is the really high, high prices are gone. We have to accept every year as it comes and party on when we can.”
Wholesale prices for Florida blueberries have been running $6 to $7 a pound currently, well above the break-even range of $2.10 to $2.50 a pound, they said. And because of the damage to Georgia growers, farm prices should remain profitable into May, several weeks later than usual, Braswell and Ebbecke said.
source: newschief.com
