Based on average annual per captia consumption, raspberries and blackberries were the fastest-growing fruit categories in the produce department during the period from 2006-08 to 2016-18.
This is according to Roland Fumasi, vice president and senior analyst for RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness, Fresno, CA. This was part of a presentation he gave to the North American Raspberry and Blackberry Association of Pittsboro, NC recently.
Conventional raspberry shipments rose from 216.5 million pounds in 2018 to 236.4 million pounds in 2019, according to the USDA.
Blackberry volume was down slightly year over year from 174.4 million pounds in 2018 to 168.3 million pounds in 2019.
Most fresh-market raspberries come out of California. Fresh-market blackberries are grown primarily in California and from such states as
Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Ohio.
Volume of berries for Naturipe Farms LLC of Estero, FL is about the same as last year and currently has good volumes of blackberries and raspberries along with blueberries and strawberries.
Well-Pict Inc. of Watsonville, CA now is shipping raspberries from the Salinas/Watsonville area. Heaviest volume is expected to continue through October and possibly November.
For Main Street Produce Inc of Santa Maria, CA, this is the third year to be shipping raspberries. Volume is increasing 30 percent a year and will continue until November.
HBF International LLC of McMinnville, OR started shipping blackberries in mid-June and will continue into September.