United States Blueberry Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

United States Blueberry Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023 - 2028)

The United States blueberry market is projected to register a CAGR of 2.1% during the forecast period.

• Blueberries are majorly grown in temperate zones in more than 38 states of the United States. The trade of blueberries is in the form of wild and cultivated. Blueberry bushes can grow all over the United States, and farmers in 26 states produce blueberries commercially. More than 98% of that production happens in just 10 states, spanning the country from coast to coast: Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Michigan, California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Minnesota. Among these, Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida were among the top eight producing states, with 20,600 acres, 7,400 acres, and 5,700 acres harvested, respectively, representing one-third of all US blueberry acreage in 2022. These farmers play a crucial role in keeping fresh blueberries on grocery store shelves throughout the year, especially during our winter months.
• In 2022, The government invested an additional USD 100,000 in the Blueberry Pollination Expansion Program to support blueberry growers who keep bees to pollinate their crops, which are essential to the production of blueberries and other crops. Blueberry growers may apply for funding to expand the number of hives they keep or purchase equipment to improve efficiency in their bee operations to strengthen the blueberry market in the coming years.
• The major factors driving the blueberry market in the United States include increasing preference toward superfruits and foods containing antioxidants, growth in the retail market for fresh berries, increased use of blueberries in the beverage and confectionery sectors, ​and enhanced adoption in the beauty and personal care segment.

The United States is the largest blueberry producer, accounting for around half of the global blueberry production. The production is further increasing with the favorable climatic conditions and the interest in cultivars within the country and other international markets.

The United States highbush blueberry harvest is at peak output, and the season’s total production volume is higher than last season. As usual, US blueberries will be exported globally, and China, an up-and-coming new market for fresh US blueberries, the US Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) will hold an online information session for potential buyers from the Chinese fruit industry to learn more about fresh US blueberries. In July 2021, fresh US blueberries arrived in China, with 6,900 boxes of blueberries sold at outlets of Pagoda.

According to USHBA (US Highbush Blueberry Council), the United States exported about 14 metric tons of fresh blueberries to China in 2021. In those, China imported 491 metric tons of frozen blueberries and 19.4 metric tons of dried blueberries from the United States in 2021, which will drive the export market of the United States and boost the growth of the sector in the coming years.

The major states in which production is increasing tremendously include Michigan, Maine, Oregon, New Jersey, and Georgia. The favorable season in North America is in between April and October. The climatic conditions in the United States are more favorable for producing northern highbush, southern highbush, rabbiteye, lowbush, and half-high varieties.

Blueberries are full of antioxidants, called anthocyanins, that help keep memory sharp with age, and raspberries contain ellagic acid, a compound with anti-cancer properties. They are great sources of fiber also, which is a nutrient important for a healthy digestive system. Blueberries have a higher demand for flavor, versatility, and health benefits. Blueberry consumption has expanded beyond fresh, ranging from pureed to powdered forms. Blueberries are also being used as ingredients and additives in foods and beverages. These new uses and forms of blueberries are combined with increasing fresh consumption to drive up production worldwide and market value in the sector. According to FAO, the production of blueberries increased by 351,130 Thousand metric ton in 2021, which is an increase compared to the previous year and will anticipate a growing market in the coming years.

Rising consumption of cultivated blueberries prompted a flurry of new plantings, with an acreage of 112,100 acres in 2021. Most of the new plantings occurred in the western region (i.e., Washington, Oregon, and California), which recorded a 76% increase from their 2005 harvested acreage of 9,000 acres to 38,100 acres in 2021. Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida also increased plantings, with harvested blueberry acreage increasing from 6,000 acres to 20,600 acres, 3,600 acres to 7,400 acres, and 1,500 acres to 5,700 acres, respectively, in 2021.

In search of super-fruits, more and more consumers are moving to the soft fruit shelf. These are some of the major factors which are driving consumption in the United States.

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