USA: Rains give a positive spin to the California blueberry season
Winter rainfall and new plantings are helping California's blueberry production rebound after a period of lower volumes as a result of the drought, according to an industry representative.
The executive director of the California Blueberry Commission, Alexander Ott, commented to Portalfruticola.com, that the forecast of the season was not fulfilled for a couple of weeks, but he anticipated that it will be a harvest greater than that of the last year.
"Last year we produced almost 58 million pounds, and in previous years had a larger volume. The drought took its toll last year "informed.
"But with the rain that we have received this year, it seems that everything returns to march, reason why we waited for a good harvest of blueberries this year".
The state has experienced one of its wettest winters in years, alleviating the consequences of drought. Ott noted that the rain had boosted the water allocation of many farmers this season.
"We have water allocations from both the federal and state water projects. For the last couple of years people have received the federal water allocation 5-10% or even zero. But, now they are receiving water ", Dijo.
"People are becoming a little more confident in the water supply than they were last year or two years ago".
In addition to the increase in rainfall this year, Ott added that new plantations have been cultivated rapidly in recent years. A report showed that there were 7.257 acres planted in the state last year, compared to 5.895 acres in the 2013-14 season.
Some frosts and in January and hail a couple of weeks ago, may slightly affect the volumes, but Ott said that until now, everything is fine.
The season is also running around five days after the last campaign, which was significantly earlier than previous years, he said. The first producers in the state started harvesting last week, and Ott expects peak volumes to go to the end of May.
Exports to relieve market pressure
The US market has been under pressure recently, in part due to the large import volumes from South America, which the representative described as "A challenge that the industry as a whole has had for some time".
He indicated that there was a "Large influx of blueberries on the horizon" for a while, and the volumes were only going to increase. However, he said that it remained to be seen how the market would turn out this season.
"We are seeing a lot of movement in the export markets, so I hope they are able to alleviate part of the high volume that will be in the domestic market", he pointed.
"We're also going to have to wait and see what the other states are doing".
"There are many factors that have not yet been determined. But without a doubt, with a bigger offer, we will have to find new ways to use blueberries, continue to generate demand, and also open some of these export markets ".
Source: Portalfruticola.com
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