The British Columbia (BC) Blueberry Council expects the 2016 blueberry season to kick off on 15 June in what will be one of the earliest starts to the season in recent history.
'We were blessed with sunny days through winter and spring, which should bring British Columbia sweet, high-quality blueberries,' Debbie Etsell, executive director of the BC Blueberry Council, said in a statement released 20 May. 'Because different varieties ripen as we move through the harvest, we are once again expecting a steady supply of blueberries for consumers to enjoy through until late August.'
The BC Blueberry Council has been attending international trade shows to drive demand for the region’s blueberries, including Seoul Food and Hotel in May. After gaining access to South Korea and China in September last year, 2016 will mark the first full season of shipments to these markets.
A record 77m kg of blueberries was harvested in British Columbia during the 2015 season, making it the largest highbush blueberry growing region in the world, as well as Canada's leading fruit export.
