Mar 2, 2022

Naturipe owner increases blueberry production in Southeast US

Naturipe, one of the world’s largest producers of fresh berries, has increased organic and conventional blueberry production in the Southeast U.S.

Over the last year, Michigan Blueberry Growers (MBG), an owner of Naturipe Farms, has made significant additions to their Southeast blueberry program. These changes have resulted in remarkable increases of organic and conventional blueberry volumes from Florida and have successfully supported MBG’s efforts to increase output in Southeast United States.

“We are thankful to our growers for their constant diligence in their exceptional growing practices and for producing such high volumes as a result,” Larry Ensfield, MBG’s president, said in a news release. “The Southeast blueberries are the same quality our customers have come to expect from Naturipe – fresh, firm, and flavorful. With the strong numbers we are seeing we are more than able to fulfill the high demand we expect on the east coast.”

The timing for these changes is ideal as production starts the fourth week of March (week 12) and peaks the first two weeks of April (weeks 14-15). The new program will allow Naturipe to be among the first to market with Florida blueberries, fulfilling east coast needs and allowing for a smooth transition from Chile to Florida to Georgia.

“We at Island Grove LLC have been proudly growing fresh conventional and organic blueberries in north central and southwest Florida for over 20 years. Our team is excited about joining MBG and growing under the Naturipe label,” Jerod Gross, GM Island Grove LLC, said in the release.

Additionally, growers have been able to pick up additional pounds in Georgia that help to support weeks 15-20 of southern highbush and assist with early production of the superfruit.