Development of new blackberry and raspberry varieties suitable for different growing regions
Berry supply is currently moving through its usual seasonal transitions. “Supplies across the four main berry categories remain generally positive and steady, although some transition gaps are appearing,” says Matthew Giddings of Always Fresh Farms. “So far, we are seeing good supplies from our farms in California, Peru, and Mexico and the transition gaps are nothing out of the ordinary for this time of the year.” The company brings strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries to market all year and seasonally offers pineberries from Florida.
The transitions between growing regions remain one of the more noticeable features of the berry supply cycle. “Gaps typically become more apparent when the industry moves from domestic production toward imports,” Giddings commented. Strawberries can also experience shifts between growing regions within California.
Impact of El Niño
Weather remains another factor that could influence production in the months ahead, especially the impact of El Niño. “It’s creating challenges across the different production areas, although the effects vary depending on the region,” Giddings says. “El Niño will continue to present challenges across all regions, and in different ways and at different times.”
The impact is already being felt across the company’s sourcing regions. “We see it hot in Peru, colder in Florida, and wetter in Mexico.” The differing conditions illustrate the complexity of managing berry supply across multiple production areas. Rather than affecting all regions in the same way, weather patterns can create different production pressures depending on where crops are being grown.
Rejoice blackberries and Resonance raspberries.
New blackberry and raspberry varieties entering production
Within the overall berry category, developments in blackberries and raspberries are areas of particular interest. “We are excited about the Rejoice blackberries and Resonance raspberries as we are starting to see the results of a lot of hard work.” Both varieties are being grown in California and Mexico and play an important role in the broader approach to maintaining consistency across production regions. In addition, blueberries out of Peru continue to push each other into what the expectation of how good a blueberry can get.
Rejoice blackberries and Resonance raspberries offer a 52-week supply plan with consistency and flavor. The program is designed to use the same variety across multiple growing regions, reducing the need to switch to different varieties when production moves geographically. “It is a program that allows for the same variety in multiple regions, so we shouldn’t transition into lesser varieties,” Giddings mentioned.
The development of the varieties is connected to a wider genetics program that’s more data driven. Always Fresh Farms is working to gather information from different production environments as it continues developing its approach to berry genetics. “We are currently structuring our genetics program to continue to provide our customers and consumers with the best flavor and quality. Through our network we are providing research data across multiple growing regions and different environments.”
Rejoice blackberries.
Blueberry demand remains strong
On the demand side, the berry category is seeing some recovery following recent food recalls that have contributed to broader uncertainty within the fresh produce sector. “Although overall global demand on blueberries is great, the uncertainty has a wider effect on confidence and has damaged the U.S. produce industry.” This creates a mixed picture for the berry market.
All in all, the coming period will continue to depend in part on how weather develops across California, Peru, and Mexico. At the same time, the introduction of new varieties reflects the industry’s ongoing effort to maintain consistency in quality and supply as production moves between regions.
For more information:
Matthew Giddings
Always Fresh Farms
Tel: (+1) 863-401-3404
mgiddings@alwaysfresh.com
