There’s no question that when consumers wanted to fill their freezers during the pandemic, many of them bought frozen blueberries. While this was great to see, we had to wonder: What does it mean for frozen blueberry markets and supply chains going forward? 

In today’s episode, host Kasey Cronquist, USHBC/NABC president, sits down with John Shelford, a consultant to the industry and strategic adviser to Naturipe Value Added Foods, and Kimberlee Chambers, director of business development and sustainability at RainSweet. 

“We’ve had an 8% annual growth rate on average for the frozen pack.” - John Shelford

“We can’t do what we did five years ago … we have to always be innovating and looking forward, and be willing to work together to offer new products to new markets.” - Kimberlee Chambers

Topics covered include: 

• Background on the frozen blueberry industry.
• The importance of food safety in frozen blueberries.
• How the events of 2020 have impacted consumer demand for frozen blueberries.
• Trends in cold storage and how it affects frozen blueberry markets.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout North America. In this episode, you’ll hear from Andres Armstrong in Chile, and Juan Soria Morales in Mexico. This was recorded on Dec. 2, 2020. 

Marketing Boost - Blueberries for the Holidays

Holiday festivities will look different this year, but people will still be seeking fun and interesting ways to create a warm, cozy, connected feel to the holiday season. In this week’s Marketing Boost, USHBC/NABC Vice President of Marketing and Communications Jennifer Sparks discusses how to get blueberries onto consumers’ holiday shopping lists!