The Giumarra Companies' Florida and Georgia blueberry deals are in full swing, with substantial volumes from Georgia expected. "Our Georgia blueberries are currently shipping and should finish in early June," says Alfredo Pena, general manager, West Coast berry sales for The Giumarra Companies. "The peak will be the first two weeks of May, and May generally should see a lot of high quality, promotable volume from Georgia, including organics. We also offer blackberries from Georgia, which will start in mid-May and end in early June."
The company is a year-round supplier of both blueberries and blackberries, with its North American berry supply moving seasonally through the growing regions, giving retailers opportunities to promote locally grown berries. "Whenever possible, we work with state licensing programs and include the state's agricultural logo on our clamshell labels. These tie in perfectly with any local promotions retailers want to do in-store," says Megan Gorgisheli, vice president, marketing administration & brand for The Giumarra Companies, adding that the programs the company participates in include Fresh From Florida, Georgia Grown, Pick Tennessee Products, Ohio Proud, Jersey Fresh, and PA Preferred, among others.
Georgia blueberries are currently shipping and should finish in early June.
Developments in packaging, increasing consumption
The company's berry labels are designed to put the product name front and center while communicating key product attributes within a compact space, including regional agricultural logos and/or the USDA Organic symbol, if applicable. "On something like a 2" by 2" clamshell label, space is limited, but it's important to convey product details to consumers in an easy-to-read format," says Gorgisheli. She also mentioned that most of the company's berry labels are bilingual English/French to support sales in Canada, an important market with strong demand for fresh berries.
For category marketing, the company is developing tools for its customers to help increase overall berry consumption with a variety of approaches, from promoting them for both everyday eating and for holidays–shortly, this includes Mother's Day. "Often, it is a case of reminding people to remember berries as an option and to purchase them regularly," says Gorgisheli, adding that generally, both blueberries and blackberries continue to experience increased demand and consumption in the North American market, and the categories overall have grown substantially in the past few decades.
"Consumers continue to be interested in healthy, antioxidant-rich foods. Multiple studies suggest blueberry consumption improves brain health across various ages, from children to late-life adults," she says. "They are also conveniently 'wash and go' and, perhaps most importantly, delicious. There are exciting possibilities for this category and we want to support our retailers in driving continued growth."
The company's berry labels are designed to put the product name front and center while communicating key product attributes within a compact space, including regional agricultural logos.
2025 berry sourcing
Looking ahead, after Georgia's production finishes, the company will transition its domestic sourcing to North Carolina and New Jersey blueberries. "There will be overlap, and those states are expected to start around June 10 and ship through July and early August," says Pena. "Tennessee, Ohio, and Pennsylvania will begin in early July and run through late August."
On the West Coast, blueberry production will come from British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and California. California's production will start shortly this month, with Oregon following in June. Washington and B.C. will get going in July.
"We could see imports from Peru in late July, providing overlap and ensuring a seamless supply transition as the domestic season concludes," says Pena, adding that the company's berry team continues expanding its supply base and researching new varieties to deliver great eating experiences to consumers. "We are expecting increased volumes from Peru, particularly in the organic category. Now is a great time to plan for fall."
For more information:
Megan Gorgisheli
The Giumarra Companies
Tel: +1 (213) 627-2900 ext. 1010
[email protected]
www.giumarra.com
www.naturespartner.com