In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” host Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), shares the responses, comments and questions from industry stakeholders about the data platform provided by USHBC. Joe Vargas, director of business intelligence for the USHBC, joins Cronquist to share how we can develop this platform to help drive our category and ensure that blueberries continue to be recognized for the value they bring to every produce department.

“I think to sum it up in one word really, it's the future. You know data is the lifeblood of every organization. It's kind of at the top of a lot of people's minds and the tip of the tongue in a lot of these industries. And I think with the project that we've got going on, we're trying to fill those gaps.” - Joe Vargas

“The value that comes from eliminating those blind spots in business, those are gonna be what bring home the margins. Those are gonna be what keeps businesses operating. And that's what we have to focus on, is to make sure we can bring in the data to make sure that we avoid some of the other destinations that we've seen some other commodities roll into. And I think that blueberries have a fantastic trajectory, but we just need to make sure that we understand what that trajectory is going to look like and what the future holds.” - Joe Vargas

Topics covered include:

• Review of the data program USHBC is launching, and a description of the benefits it will offer industry stakeholders.
• Feedback and questions about the program from participants at The Blueberry Summit.

Crop Report

The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today, you’ll hear from Nestor Vega in Mexico and Luis Vegas in Peru. This was recorded on November 30, 2022.