US-based Crystal Valley Foods has announced that it has started the first shipments of imported blueberries for the 2018 season.
The company will be shipping Peruvian-grown berries through mid-November, and Argentinian blueberries through mid-December.
The first of the Chilean grown blueberries are anticipated to arrive by air in early December, with containers arriving mid-December through March, while Crystal Valley will also be offering Mexican blueberries.
“We expect good volume and quality from all of our offshore blueberry growing regions,” said Katiana Valdes, director of marketing at Crystal Valley Foods. “Especially at the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 from Chile.”
The company said that it has also grown and solidified its partnerships with domestic growers in order to supply its customer base with year-round berries.
“Not only are we looking forward to a great import season, we are already expecting good volume with both organic and conventional blueberries when we transition to Florida in late March,” explained Valdes. “When we expanded into the berry category, it was imperative that we were not only able to supply great quality and volume during the winter months but also during the domestic season. We have successfully been able to do that.”
