Blueberries Part 2

Last week we began a conversation with Alan Schreiber, the Executive Director of the Washington Blueberry Commission. Since fresh blueberries are very labor intensive and need to be hand-picked, worker issues tend to be prevalent.

SCHREIBER: The number one reason why is we have an inadequate workforce. That's the overwhelming reason. Now there's some other issues that make it more acute. Early season blueberries that overlap with cherries. We have late season blueberries that overlap with apple picking, tree fruit picking. And we have a significant increase in the amount of berries in the state so it just compounds the demands on an already inadequate workforce.

As for where all those blueberries go once they are picked, Schreiber says most are kept here in the states.

SCHREIBER: We export a small amount, it's mostly domestic consumption. There's a tremendous amount of interest in blueberries, just a tremendous amount. There's just a lot of demand for blueberries.

A lot of that interest is due to the health benefits of blueberries which are considered by some as the world's healthiest food due to the high amount of antioxidants and nutritional profile.

SCHREIBER: I don't know any commodity that has been studied as much and has as many positive results. It's pretty amazing of all of the health benefits that have been documented as being associated with blueberries

That's today's Fruit Grower Report. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.