Naturipe Farms’ Brian Bocock Discusses Year-Round Blueberry Program and Varietal Development
From
| 8 March 2023
Overview of blueberries in the U.S. market, complemented by charts from Agronometrics. Original published on March 6, 2023.
SALINAS, CA – Let’s hear it for the blues! Blueberries, that is. This little fruit packs a mighty punch, delivering a sales boost to the berry patch all year long. One supplier making sure those shelves stay stocked is Naturipe Farms and its year-round blueberry program. I recently had a chance to talk shop with Naturipe’s Brian Bocock, Vice President of Product Management.
“Naturipe provides wholesome, good-for-you, fresh berries all year long. Our diverse grower base and focus on innovation ensures year-round availability of Globally Local™ conventional and organic berries,” Brian explained. “Right now, the delicious super fruit is mostly coming from Mexico and the quality has been outstanding. Our growers there have experienced cool weather and the berries are maturing and ripening beautifully. Soon, blueberries from California, Georgia, and Florida will be ready.”
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Brian also pointed to Naturipe’s excitement about its world-class breeding program. The company’s growers have invested an incredible amount of time and resources to develop new varieties of berries that taste better, are disease resistant, and have a longer shelf-life.
“Naturipe’s growers work hard to deliver high-quality, tasty berries consistently every year so the produce sections are stocked and consumers can enjoy blueberries in their smoothies, pies, or as a standalone snack,” Brian told me. “There’s plenty of variety in terms of packaging sizes so that whether you’re buying for one person or for a large family, you can enjoy our blueberries at their peak.”
In terms of capturing shopper dollars, Brian relayed that it is imperative that retailers make room for blueberries. The firm and flavorful berries pair nicely with an array of other fruit like strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries. He suggests they carry a variety of sizes and build secondary displays that are well cross-merchandised with recipe and usage ideas.
“The quality of Naturipe’s berries are going to be front and center this year for retailers and consumers. The time, energy, and financial resources our growers have invested in the blueberry of the future will soon be seen and we couldn’t be more excited,” Brian added. And of course, I had to ask what more is coming down the pipeline. “Prepare your taste buds. Naturipe’s growers are planting new blueberry varieties right now that are sure to impress later this year when it’s time to pick and pack the blue superfruit.”
Nothing says springtime like a fully stocked berry patch with fresh blueberries front and center. So, get out there and make those blues shine!
The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.
Access the original article with this (Link)
Related Stories
