By Kasey Cronquist
The blueberry industry has experienced remarkable growth over the past few years. This has been driven by a united marketing effort to increase demand, improvements in the consistency of year-round supply, and advances in genetics, post-harvest technologies and agricultural practices.
The team at the North American Blueberry Council (NABC) and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) is proud of the work we’re doing on behalf of the blueberry industry. It is made possible by the tremendous support of blueberry growers, marketers, importers and suppliers who have united around a shared mission and vision.
In many ways, blueberries are just scratching the surface of success. Despite rising inflation reducing the purchasing power of consumers, blueberry consumption in the United States shows strong positive trends. Total blueberry sales in 2023 (including fresh and frozen) increased by 7.8% in dollars, adding an additional $242 million in value to the retail category.
Supply and Demand
This growth is certainly attributable to the effort to ensure a more consistent supply of fresh and frozen volumes throughout the entire year. However, maintaining the high value of that supply during this period of growth is where NABC and USHBC continue to work hard to drive profitable demand for growers.
Both NABC and USHBC have anchored their efforts with refreshing their strategic plans, with an eye on increasing consumer enthusiasm and supporting growers and stakeholders in working toward a united vision to grow the popularity of blueberries as the “world’s favorite fruit.” A host of strategies has been executed to ensure that the value of blueberries continues to outpace the supply.
Retailer Relationships
Most notable has been the effort in the shopper marketing space and the work in developing relationships with retailers who recognize the value and benefit of promoting blueberries to their consumers.
Connections with retailers have been made through the Grab a Boost of Blue call to action and licensing strategy that enables blueberry marketers and their retail partners to benefit from USHBC category marketing efforts more directly in their advertising and retail promotion investments. Retailer partnerships have leveraged Grab a Boost of Blue branding at point-of-sale and in the fresh fruit aisle.
Nutrition Awareness
The establishment of a strategic nutrition affairs strategy has leveraged the content of USHBC’s million-dollar science pipeline to elevate consumer, health professional and health policy decision-makers’ awareness and appreciation for blueberry health benefits, ranging from heart to brain to digestion.
Other Efforts
Improving the alignment of overall marketing efforts under the USA Blueberries promotion umbrella secured an additional $1.3 million through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Regional Agriculture Promotion Program. These dollars help farms diversify their market opportunities and position USHBC as the leader in driving global consumer awareness and consumption of blueberries.
When it comes to advocacy, NABC has increased its presence and relevance in Washington, D.C., with the hiring of the council’s first director of governmental affairs. Alyssa Houtby is leading the charge on topics like improving access to global markets, addressing the high cost of labor, connecting with school nutrition programs and increasing resources within the next farm bill to help growers remain successful and competitive.
Additionally, NABC and USHBC secured a $25 million USDA Section 32 purchase of frozen blueberries and advocated for a 20% reduction in India’s tariff on fresh, frozen and dried blueberries. Efforts to advocate for the elimination of Japan’s tariff on frozen blueberries continue.
Together, these efforts are inspiring consumers and the blueberry industry to imagine all of the possibilities yet ahead for blueberries. But there’s still more work to do on this front to build demand and keep blueberries top of mind and in shopping carts.
Kasey Cronquist is the president of the NABC and the USHBC.