Thanks to imported berries, U.S. shoppers don’t have to wait for summertime to enjoy their favorite fruits, from bright blueberries to juicy blackberries and raspberries.Market conditions are making berry imports even more desirable for retailers.The 2023 fiscal year could have a $5 billion sales surge for agricultural imports, according to the Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade: November 2022 report, published by t...

The Packer’s Organic Fresh Trends 2023 survey polled more than 1,000 consumers in mid-October, discovering differences in how consumers report purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables.In terms of commodities most often purchased exclusively organic, consumers reported a wide range of responses, from just 8% for cantaloupe and sweet corn to 28% for cranberries, 27% for papayas, 26% for Asian pears, 24% for sprouts and...

Blueberries have a really good reputation these days, so you don’t have much of an excuse if you aren’t selling them that well.Shopper research by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council showed: 87% of the household primary or shared shoppers said they would purchase fresh blueberries on their next grocery trip; and 57% of those shoppers said they intend to buy fresh blueberries at least once a week. And there shoul...

Chelsea Consalo, executive vice president of Consalo Family Farms and Fresh Wave, Vineland, N.J., loves to bake cakes.So, it comes as no surprise that she’s created a treat featuring her farm’s main crop: blueberries.Here’s what she has to say about this dish:“My blueberry cake has been perfected based on a recipe from www.zoebakes.com. She actually got her original cake recipe from a cookbook by Julie Richardson cal...

Organic fresh blueberry sales were off in March compared with a year ago, but increased volume and sales for conventional blueberries more than made up for the decline.Total fresh blueberry sales of $189.1 million were up 3.8% in March, according to the latest Nielsen U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council report. Retail fresh blueberry volume, at 36.1 million pounds, was 6.9% higher compared with a year ago.By way of compa...