The berries sector in the United States is in the spotlight thanks to a recent comprehensive report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). The analysis highlights the steady rise in demand for strawberries and blueberries since the turn of the millennium, causing a significant increase in both domestic production and imports.
The USDA's Economic Research Service examined exports, imports and per capita availability as indicators of domestic consumption, revealing significant growth in demand, imports and production of organic products. These findings underline the urgent need for the domestic industry to adapt to changing market dynamics.
Over the past two decades, strawberries and blueberries have grown in popularity in the United States due to new berry varieties, technological advances in production, and expansion of cultivated areas. This has led to a significant increase in both domestic production and imports, with Mexico emerging as the largest supplier of strawberries and Mexico and Peru as major players in the blueberry market.
These changes not only increased the availability of berries for consumers throughout the year, but also raised concerns about foreign competition and its potential effects on prices for domestic producers.
Strawberries
Strawberries, considered the most popular berries in the United States in terms of value and production volume, have seen a significant increase in domestic production. Imports of fresh strawberries, particularly from Mexico, reached a record 431 million pounds in 2020, with 85% of shipments destined for the United States. Exports of fresh strawberries also grew, mainly to Canada, while frozen exports decreased.
Blueberries
Blueberries, the second most popular berry in the US by value and production volume, have undergone significant changes. The United States has become a net importer of fresh blueberries, with significant increases in imports from Peru and Mexico between 2010 and 2020. High prices for fresh blueberries stimulated growth in global production and imports during the spring and autumn months.
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