About the Industry

BC produces the most delicious blueberries found anywhere.

The BC Blueberry Council

The BC Blueberry Council is the umbrella organization that represents all blueberry growers in the province. Our mission is to encourage the growth and development of the BC blueberry industry for the benefit of growers through promotion, research and education. Research is conducted to improve production efficiency, sustainability and product quality.

The Industry

The BC blueberry industry is growing rapidly, approximately 12,000 acres of farmland in our province are devoted to growing this delicious fruit. With production of approximately 63 million pounds in 2004, British Columbia is now the second largest producer of highbush blueberries in the world.

BC produces the most delicious blueberries found anywhere. This is because of our fertile soils and ideal growing conditions. The warm summer days and relatively cool nights result in top quality berries with good flavour and storage capabilities.

Harvesting BC Blueberries

Harvest of blueberries will begin in some areas (dependent on variety) by early July with all areas in production by the third week in July. The heaviest harvest period for BC blueberries is during August - Blueberry Month. Depending on variety and area there can be fresh BC blueberries available until the October (fall varieties).

Bluecrop is the most common variety grown in BC, accounting for 65% of the acreage. The varieties Duke and Reka account for most of the recently planted acreage. It is favoured as an excellent fresh shipping variety that is also well-suited to mechanical harvesting. Growers plant other varieties to extend the seasonal availability - especially to capture the often higher valued early and late markets. There are more than 20 different varieties grown in the Fraser Valley including Earliblue, Weymouth, Reka, Bluecrop, Spartan, Northland, Jersey, Brigitta and Elliot. Farmers often test new varieties in small plantings before planting large fields.

Distribution

BC blueberries are shipped to many international destinations including the United States, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe.

The blueberry industry is part of the agricultural sector that supports many BC communities. This industry is of significant value to the BC economy. Other businesses or individuals that benefit as a result of the blueberry industry include banking, accounting, insurance, real estate, shopping centres, car and truck sales, agri-businesses, processing plants and farm workers.