A swath of Canada better known for maple syrup is being tested to mass produce berries normally grown in warmer locales, making it the unexpected beneficiary of extreme weather, local demand and rising costs in traditional growing areas like California.
Driscoll's and grower-owned Naturipe Farms LLC, two of North America's largest fruit sellers, are both testing commercial production of berries in Ontario and Quebec, executives said.
High fuel costs are also a reason "to grow products closer to where the end game is," or near consumers, said Brian Bocock, vice president of sales and product management at Naturipe Farms, which is testing blueberry and raspberry production in Quebec and Ontario. "Here the strawberry season, and raspberries similarly - they're set up to be harvested day after day after day, week after week after week," said Daniel Sumner, director of the University of California Agricultural Issues Center, adding the bigger threat for the state is Mexico with its cheaper labor.
Pria Uppal, director of sales at Fraser Valley Packers Inc, a large blueberry processor and packer, said some experienced growers are "preparing ahead of time" and looking to buy land in northern British Columbia.Privately-held Driscoll's, which has annual revenues of more than $5 billion, is similarly preparing for the future by diversifying its berry supply sources.
The nursery started growing berries for Driscoll's last year on a trial basis and expects to produce 80 to 100 tons of fruit from late June to September. "But I do feel with the infrastructure that's available now we can come up with a more steady way to produce on a commercial scale good-tasting raspberries for a longer season."
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