Canada: First part of British Columbia's blueberry harvest begins with lighter volumes
British Columbia's blueberry harvest is underway amid ideal weather conditions, with maximum volumes expected for next week.
A good harvest is expected, but volumes could fall slightly year-on-year, according to an industry representative.
The president of the British Columbia Blueberry Council (BCBC), Jack Bates, told Portalfruticola.com that the harvests began in early July in the Fraser Valley, the province's main producing region.
"At this time the weather conditions are excellent. We have had some nice days, and we have not had rain in this area in about three weeks", he pointed.
Warm and sunny conditions are expected for at least another 10 days or so, he added.
"The quality of the fruit is excellent, on the part of those who have spoken. Something in size is not there yet, but I guess we're really starting. In my own garden we have not started harvesting yet, but in the valley they have already been a week"He said.
Bates expects the maximum volumes of the several hundred producers in the industry to be seen from the 17 or 18 in July.
The season started later than in previous years, but noted that this was a more traditional start date. A similar trend has been observed with many summer fruit crops on the west coast of the United States and in British Columbia.
The province produced some 68.000 metric tons in 2014, 73.000TM in 2015 and 77.000TM last year, but Bates did not think the growth trend would continue this season.
"From what I'm hearing, I think the harvest is going to be smaller, how much really, I can not predict"He reported.
"There is a good amount of fruit in the late varieties, but some of the early and mid-season varieties are definitely a little lighter."
He added that the new plantations and varieties in recent years had extended the season of British Columbia until September, and increasingly later, if the weather allowed it.
Regarding the market, he indicated that prices were at attractive levels in North America, with strong prospects in general in both Canada and the United States.
The data from the market intelligence company Agronometrics shows that average prices in the wholesale markets of the United States were higher in the 27 week than the three previous years.
Approximately half of each season's output is exported to markets outside of Canada, making blueberries the most exported fruit in the country, according to the BCBC.
Source: Portalfruticola
ARTÍCULOS RELACIONADOS
