North American wild blueberry pre-harvest and market situation for 2022.

Spring 2022

In Quebec, our flowering period ended without frost, which rendered an abundance of wild blueberry buds. However, the cooler temperature and the many rainy days combined with the low number of bees did not provide conditions for optimal pollination of the plants.

Current Outlook

In Quebec, the current situation leads us to believe that a good proportion of flowers have been pollinated. Fortunately, the situation is similar elsewhere in Canada, namely in the Maritimes, where the harvest looks promising. In the United States, the potential harvest looks favorable even if the state of Maine only received a third of the rain needed for the proper development of flowers. Fortunately, the cooler weather in June kept the plants in good condition. If sufficient rainfall is received in July, the harvest should be excellent. Otherwise, the situation could change drastically.

Inventory situation

Previously, the state of Maine was the largest blueberry-producing region until recently, with Quebec having the potential to surpass its neighbors. With the limited harvests of recent years have had significant impacts on the industry, inventories throughout the industry have been depleted and as a result, we must be cautious. As the temperature has been quite variable for the past few months, we will wait to confirm the size of the harvest before presenting offers to our global clientele. The harvest will begin a little before mid-August, and it generally lasts three to four weeks. Until then, fingers crossed that favorable weather conditions will contribute to the optimal development of our precious berries: size and quantity.