SALINAS, CA - July is National Blueberry Month, and Naturipe is gearing up to celebrate all season long. The grower is kicking off the summer season with a strong start and promotable domestic volumes of its flavorful blueberries from New Jersey, Michigan, and the Pacific Northwest.
“Demand for blueberries has been fantastic so far this year, which leads into a perfect scenario for a large crop coming on from New Jersey then transitioning into Michigan and the Pacific Northwest,” said Jim Roberts, President of Sales for Naturipe Farms. “Mother Nature has been kind to us this year, unlike the last three years. We are pleased to have strong crops with promotable volumes and better quality. This will provide retailers with the opportunity to increase promotional frequency, open up displays with multiple pack sizes, and achieve record sales in the category.”
The “berry” blue summer kicked off with promotable volumes from New Jersey in the second week of June, with Duke, Draper, and Naturipe’s proprietary Envoy variety. New Jersey is experiencing peak volume since mid-June, and crops will transition to Michigan and the Pacific Northwest at the beginning of July.
Peak volumes in the Pacific Northwest will continue from mid-July to early August, while Michigan will see peak volumes in late July through mid-August.
“We’re really excited about our new varieties in all of these growing regions at Naturipe Farms,” added Brian Bocock, Vice President of Product Management. “Our growers are going through an evolution in varieties that takes the top characteristics of existing varieties and delivers even better taste, flavor, size, texture, shelf-life, and more. Growers, retailers, and consumers, regardless of variety, are going to get an improvement over what we’ve seen in the past.”
Throughout the summer, Naturipe’s Mighty Blues™ Blueberries will also be available and will bring a larger-than-life aspect to retailers’ berry lineups. Nearly the size of a quarter, Mighty Blues are a super-sized way to enjoy Naturipe’s fresh offerings, noted the release.
Naturipe’s Blueberries will be offered in a range of package sizes, including 6 oz, 1 pint, 18 oz, and 2 lbs, as well as the stackable, easily merchandisable, low-profile pint package.
Get in on the blueberry opportunities, and this summer will be that much more exciting.
