According to the Washington State Department of Agriculture, the state is the top blueberry producer in the world. Farmers in Washington, the nation’s top blueberry-producing state, grow close to 90,000 tons of blueberries every year. The state produced 180 million pounds of blueberries valued at $228.4 million in 2021.
Western Washington grows close to 55% of the state’s blueberry crop, while Eastern Washington grows close to 45%. The state’s producers of highbush blueberries, which grow taller and bring higher yields than other varieties, generated $464.4 million in economic impact.
Oregon produced 150 million pounds of blueberries in 2021, worth $171.7 million, according to the USDA. The state’s highbush producers generated $353.5 million in economic impact, according to the California Ag Network.
Despite all this, the nation is still a net importer of blueberries, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resources Center. The United States imported close to 571.3 million pounds of fresh blueberries in 2021, worth close to $1.6 billion.
Source: whatcom-news.com
