Highbush Blueberry Production
Blueberries
are well suited for small-scale and part-time farm operations. The initial
investment is large, primarily because of the cost of preparing the land,
establishing plants, and installing an irrigation system. However, little
equipment is needed for small plantings, and healthy, welltended plants can
be expected to bear fruit for 50 years or more. Demand for blueberries has
increased in recent years, and fresh-market prices have been relatively
stable.
However, blueberry production is not for everyone due to the specialized cultivation requirements of the plants and the relatively short shelf life of the fruit. Three species of blueberries are native to North America: highbush (used in commercial plantings in cooler climates), lowbush (wild fruit harvested commercially in New England), and rabbiteye (used in commercial plantings in the southern United States). To meet growing consumer demand, commercial blueberry acreage increased more than 60 percent in the past 15 years.
Production has more than doubled since the late 1970s.
Major increases have occurred in Michigan (where more than 40 percent of the
commercial acreage is located) and in the southeastern United States.
Although about 90 percent of the commercial acreage is located in the United
States, sizable plantings are also located in Australia, New Zealand,
Germany, Romania, Holland, and Poland.
The United States produces 150 to 200 million pounds of blueberries
annually, with most of this production coming from highbush or rabbiteye
plantings. Nearly
one-half of the total blueberry crop is consumed fresh, but most lowbush
blueberries are processed due to their small size. Maine is the leader in
lowbush production and Georgia is the leader in rabbiteye production. The
top three highbush blueberry states are Michigan, New Jersey, and North
Carolina. This publication focuses on highbush blueberry production.
Marketing
Fresh-market blueberries usually are sold in plastic half-pint and pint
containers covered with lids. Six basic marketing options are available to
the blueberry grower: wholesale markets, marketing cooperatives, local
retail markets
(grocery stores), roadside stands, pick-your-own operations, and processors.
With the wholesale option, either you or a shipper takes your crop to the
market. Shippers generally sell and transport the blueberries for a
predetermined price.
This
marketing alternative has the greatest price fluctuations. Marketing
cooperatives generally use a daily pooled cost and price, which spreads
price fluctuations over all participating producers. To sell directly to
local retailers, you need to contact produce managers and provide consistent
quality when the stores demand the berries.
read the complete article
This publication was developed by the Small and Part-time
Farming Project at Penn State with support from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture-Extension Service.
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