Berry Fresh's Jyoti Bhogal Discusses Pivotal Partnership With Mountain Blue Orchards®

LOS ANGELES, CA - Exciting news recently hit the blueberry sector as Berry Fresh announced a strategic alliance with Mountain Blue Orchards® (MBO), bringing the company’s premium blueberry genetics to the United States and Canada through its farms in Peru and Mexico. Jyoti Bhogal, Managing Director of Berry Fresh, recently offered a more in-depth look at this pivotal partnership.

“Mountain Blue is a strong partner for Berry Fresh because its varieties are already tried and tested in the marketplace, with a proven track record of delivering a premium eating experience,” explains Jyoti. “Through AgroBerries’ experience with these varieties in Europe and the U.K., we’ve seen firsthand how well they perform for growers, retailers, and, most importantly, consumers.”

For Berry Fresh, this partnership is another step in differentiating its blueberry program with flavorful genetics that deliver a more consistent eating experience.

“Consumers want to trust what they’re buying. When they purchase blueberries, they expect fruit that enhances their meal, snack, or recipe every time. That consistency is what builds confidence in the category and encourages shoppers to come back more often,” Jyoti adds. “Blueberries are already an incredibly versatile fruit, but there is still a major opportunity to increase the number of occasions when consumers choose them. If we can consistently deliver a better berry, we can encourage consumers to enjoy blueberries more frequently.”

As Jyoti notes, flavor is a key factor in fueling and maintaining blueberry demand.

“Even a small increase in consumption can create a significant opportunity for the category,” he shares. “That’s why premium and proprietary genetics are becoming so important. They give us a way to elevate the eating experience, strengthen consumer trust, and drive meaningful category growth. At the end of the day, we want consumers to enjoy blueberries more often throughout their day, week, and year. That starts with delivering great flavor every time they buy them.”

Berry Fresh has fully transitioned its blueberry program toward premium genetics in Peru and Mexico. The Mountain Blue varieties further enhance that portfolio, adding another proven set of varieties that deliver better flavor, better texture, and a more consistent consumer experience.

“If premium blueberries are only available during certain parts of the year, it becomes harder to build long-term consumer trust and loyalty,” Jyoti says, emphasizing the need for great flavor year-round. “A shopper may have a great eating experience one week, but if the next experience is negative, they can quickly become disappointed or disengaged from the category. A true year-round premium program is key to bringing consumers into the category and keeping them there.”

Growing across different regions enables Berry Fresh to maintain a more consistent supply of better-eating fruit and continue delivering the quality and flavor consumers expect all year. Premium blueberry genetics from Mountain Blue Orchards create an opportunity for Berry Fresh to deliver a stronger consumer experience at retail.

“Ultimately, we are trying to elevate the entire blueberry purchasing and consumption experience, from what shoppers see on the shelf to what they taste when they get home,” Jyoti explains. “For retailers, that means giving consumers a stronger reason to add blueberries to their weekly shopping basket. When shoppers trust the fruit and have a consistently positive experience, it can help drive increased consumption, stronger repeat purchases, and greater household penetration. The goal is to build confidence in the category and create more loyal blueberry consumers.”

With this strategic partnership driving the category forward, blueberries are primed for strong growth in the produce department.

“I believe the blueberry category will continue moving toward a more premium, genetics-led model. As an industry, we need to keep elevating the eating experience so consumers trust the category and want to eat blueberries more often, across more occasions,” Jyoti concludes. “Flavor will continue becoming a primary purchase driver, but consistency is what will turn a great eating experience into a repeat purchase. The companies that can reliably deliver better flavor, texture, and quality will be the ones that help drive the next stage of category growth.”

The agreement, signed last month between the two parties, strengthens Berry Fresh’s blueberry offering, with plantings commencing in 2026 and fruit arriving at customers for the 2027 season.

To learn more about the partnership or speak with Jyoti directly about the future of Berry Fresh’s blueberry program, visit booth #417 at the Organic Produce Summit.