REEDLEY, CA - As California-grown blueberries start making their way to local grocery stores, retail partners need to know the latest information on the category. I touched base with Ryan Howard, North American Sales Manager, to learn how Family Tree Farms puts its domestic blueberry program above the competition.
“Our California production has reached unprecedented levels, thanks to our new plantings of Mountain Blue Orchard (MBO) varieties that have revolutionized the industry in other growing regions,” Ryan notes. “With these varieties now maturing in California, we anticipate a seamless transition from our Mexico production to our California farms. We're delighted to see the success our partners are experiencing with Family Tree blueberries, consistently delivering the world's most flavorful blueberries with that renowned crunch and remarkable size our customers have grown to love.”
Family Tree Farms is harvesting at its newly established coastal ranch in Santa Maria, California, located on the Central Coast.
“Here, we proudly cultivate our proprietary MBO genetics, with harvests typically spanning from February through May. Meanwhile, our ranches in the Central Valley of California are gearing up to commence harvesting in late April or early May, continuing through most of June,” Ryan notes. “Additionally, with the majority of our produce expected to be sourced from Mexico over the next month, we are actively coordinating and overseeing the harvesting process in our Mexican operations.”
The outlook for the season appears promising, with new blocks coming into production.
“As for volume, we anticipate robust availability across our conventional, organic, and jumbo categories throughout the California season,” Ryan remarks. “Demand for our fruit remains exceptional, and pricing continues to hold strong even with the influx of more fruit entering the market. There will be promotional opportunities from late April through May.”
We’ll keep our eyes on the latest crop updates, so stay tuned to ANUK.
