The British Columbia organic blueberry crop is starting following very favorable growing conditions this season. "We haven't had a heat wave to speak of, and we've had a good amount of rain in the last little bit," says Stefan Misse of Discovery Organics. "So everyone is reporting a pretty good crop this year for B.C. blueberries."
The crop is anticipated to be similar to last year, if not greater, though that largely depends on the upcoming weather. "The season is dependent on whether we get prolonged periods of heat–that's when the blueberries get mushy and then go to processing," says Misse. "If we can stay with temperatures 30°C and lower through the daytime, that produces a pretty good crop."
© Discovery Organics
Production underway
For Discovery Organics, one of its growers is harvesting already, and this week, three more will come on line as well. The season generally runs into mid-August, though that can be location-dependent. One of the company's growers is located in Creston, B.C., which is at a higher elevation, and last year was able to produce fruit into September.
In all, this will fill the company's pack sizes–12x2# clamshell; 12x6 oz clamshell; 12x1PT clamshell; 12x2# clamshell, and also 5# bulk and 10# bulk.
What about demand? "There's huge demand. The push for Canadian product is certainly there, particularly with the tariff situation. Discussions around food security are happening more so now than they have before," says Misse, adding that it's also already receiving calls for other local B.C. fruit, such as organic stone fruit, a crop that was almost completely lost last year due to weather conditions. "I think our sales can be very strong this season, and as fast as fruit comes in, we'll probably be shipping it out."
For more information:
Stefan Misse
Discovery Organics
Tel: +1 (604) 299-1683
[email protected]
www.discoveryorganics.ca
