To build a better blueberry, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is building a better blueberry lab in Gainesville. By mid-2022, we expect to complete U.S. higher education’s premier blueberry breeding headquarters.
Like most of you, my blueberry farm is family-owned. Our Florida industry is made up of more than 900 blueberry farms across the state, and collectively we employ 2,500 workers and generate an annual economic impact of $295 million. But this year, we face a challenge to our livelihoods. We’re being pounded by a flood of low-priced blueberry imports from Mexico, Peru and other countries.
It’s no secret that Florida Blueberry growers are facing ever-increasing challenges to the well-being of our industry. Despite the nicely expanding demand for blueberries, this positive trend is swamped by a massive explosion of imported fruit flooding our coveted early domestic market. Despite the progress made by the USHBC in capturing a larger “share of mind” with consumers, convincing more and more people of the convenience and health benefits of blueberries, it is not enough to turn the tide. An increase of tens of millions of pounds of fruit from other countries is a tidal wave inundating our short market window resulting in much lower prices even as the cost of producing quality, food-safe Florida fruit pressures our growers.
‘Tis the season! No, not that season. This is our season — harvest season! It’s a busy season that is not without its challenges, but it’s also a time when Florida blueberry growers are in their element and make the most of the work they’ve put in all year.
As we enter the harvesting season for Florida’s blueberry growers, many farmers are breathing a sigh of relief that this year is looking better than last. With COVID-19 hitting Florida in March of 2020, farmers, like so many others, found themselves thrown into a state of uncertainty and chaos. Mandatory shutdowns caused demand for most of Florida’s crops to plummet, as schools, restaurants, and resorts were forced to temporarily close.
By: Brad Buck
Blueberry gall midge (Dasineura oxycoccana)is a significant insect pest of blueberries in Florida. Adults only live for 2-3 days, and lay their eggs in floral and leaf buds as the bud scales begin to separate, typically during winter months in Florida. The larvae feed on developing floral and leaf bud tissues, resulting in bud damage, abortion, or death, with reduced or no bloom from affected buds (Figure 1).
Update on Use and Ongoing HC Research in Florida Blueberries
Key Considerations for Organic Blueberry Production
Trump Administration to Investigate Mexican Trade Practices on Heels of Public Hearings
Blueberry growers know that to get good yields, you need bees. But guidelines for optimal bee stocking densities are limited and outdated. There is also a lack of management recommendations for improving blueberry pollination, especially in Florida. The value provided by pollinators and the limited information available on pollination has led some growers to increase bee stocking densities with little guarantee that this will improve flower visitation or yields. Over the past two years, we have focused on the following research questions with the goal to develop management recommendations for enhancing pollination, fruit set, and overall yields: 1) Do farms with higher stocking densities of managed honey bees receive more honey bee visits to blueberry flowers? 2) Does a higher visitation rate by managed honey bees result in greater fruit set and yields? 3) Do farms with managed bumble bees see enhanced pollination and yields? And finally, 4) What is the role of wild bees in pollinating southern highbush blueberries in Florida?
As we enter the fall season, Florida blueberry farmers are in planning mode. Across the region, growers are taking measures to prepare for the next season’s crop with attention to pests, new research, and fall and early winter suggested management items. This edition of The Blueberry News has all that information, as well as great updates on UF’s Blueberry Breeding Program. You can also find an introduction from J. Scott Angle, the new Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of UF/IFAS.
In August, USTR in conjunction with the USDA and DOC held two public hearings: “Trade-Distorting Policies that may be Affecting Seasonal and Perishable Products in the U.S. Commerce.”
I often get asked what are my thoughts of the Florida blueberry industry going forward. This is a difficult question to answer much like someone asking what will the stock market return next year. No one really knows for sure, there are a lot of variables. However there are some things that we do know.
The University of Florida blueberry breeding program supports Florida blueberry producers, primarily through the development of new cultivars with improved yield, timing, disease/pest resistance, fruit quality, and flavor. In addition, the breeding program collaborates with and supports blueberry-related research in plant pathology, entomology, pollination, and production practices. The following are summaries of projects that are currently underway, to keep our producers up to date with the different levels of research occurring in the breeding program, and in collaboration with several UF/IFAS experts.
Blueberries Currently Not Included in Category 1 CFAP Funding for Losses Due to Coronavirus
Blueberry is a relatively new crop for Mexico. The Mexican blueberry production capacity was mostly built over the past 10 years. The acreage of blueberries grown in Mexico broke records almost every year over 2009-2018. In 2018, the planted and harvested acreages reached 9,357 and 8,923 acres, respectively, almost 20 and 19 times higher than those in 2009 (Figure 1). As a result, Mexican blueberry production increased from 4 million pounds in 2009 to 89 million in 2018. Blueberries are grown in 10 states of Mexico, with the major production concentrated in Central Mexico, including Jalisco, Michoacán, and Sinaloa, which are also the major strawberry production states. The national average yield was 9,948 pounds per acre (lb/acre) in 2018. Sinaloa ranked the highest, with an average of yield of 16,059 lb/acre, which was almost 4 times that in Florida. The Mexican blueberry season covers the period from September through June, peaking between February and May, which overlaps the production window of Florida blueberries.
This 2020 blueberry season, our industry faced unprecedented hardship.
