Blueberries generic

Del Monte Fresh Produce has said that it is optimistic about the domestic blueberry season, which it reported will run between March and September.

The campaign will begin in the south and eastern states, continue to California in April, and later into British Columbia.

Del Monte’s Chilean import blueberry season finished with increased volumes over the prior years and it continues to expand to meet the growing interest from retailers and food service customers.

“The demand for fresh blueberries in the United States has grown steadily over the past decade,' said Dennis Christou, vice-president of marketing. 'Per capita consumption more than tripled since 2005, exceeding 1.5 pounds per person.

“Del Monte has been a key player in growing and shipping premium blueberries in Chile for more than 25 years and we continue to expand our operations to meet this growing demand,' he added. 'A major advantage we have is our Del Monte Fresh Cut business which these products support.”

The Mexico blueberry season will begin in early fall, the group noted.