British Columbia's 2015 Blueberry Season a Success

After the earliest start to a blueberry season in recent memory, the British Columbia Blueberry Council has confirmed the 2015 fresh blueberry season's crop topped out at 73.5 million kilograms (162 million pounds), exceeding last year's crop of 68 million kilograms (152 million pounds).

Because British Columbia's 800 growers faced weather challenges this season, the 2015 fresh season was initially expected to be on par with 2014's harvest. However, the season has proven to be better than anticipated thanks to a solid crop of late variety berries.

"A stronger than anticipated season for British Columbia blueberry growers allowed their product to be enjoyed by consumers across Canada," said Debbie Etsell, executive director of the British Columbia Blueberry Council. "Because British Columbia remains the world's largest highbush blueberry growing region, known for its high quality product, our ongoing overseas marketing efforts are being reinforced."

As seen in recent years, an increase in available product has allowed the British Columbia Blueberry Council to continue to expand its marketing efforts overseas, creating new demand for exports from the province. In addition to visits from Chinese and Korean inspectors, trade agreements for fresh market access for B.C. blueberries with South Korea were signed this season. This comes at a time when the demand for fresh Canadian blueberries in both countries is very high due to the health benefits and quality of the product.

Image Source: Pixabay