Increased blueberry imports may have snatched away some of Florida growers’ market share, but they haven’t taken away the producers’ optimistic outlook. That’s evident with some of the larger growers establishing new plantings, says Doug Phillips, University of Florida/IFAS Blueberry Extension Coordinator.
“I would say from a market perspective, imports into the U.S. continue to be a challenge. Having said that, I think many of the growers in the state are still cautiously optimistic,” Phillips said. “I talk to most of the growers throughout the state and people are planting new acreage. People are pulling out old 10, 12, 15-year-old plants and planting new. Even though from a market perspective there’s some challenges with imports, I would say people are still at least cautiously optimistic.” Reports vscnews.com
Florida’s market share in blueberries was 2.7% compared to Mexico’s 18% in 2020, according to a recent report from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,. Florida’s blueberry sales decreased by 16.1% from 2012 to 2020. Florida produced 22 million pounds in 2020, compared to Mexican imports that netted 112 million pounds.
