In the early years of Florida's foray into growing blueberries, there were a lot of naysayers. We were a citrus state, a tomato state, a strawberry state.
But the area of blueberries harvested in the state has roughly tripled over the last 10 years, and this year's crop is likely to reach 25 million pounds, with a harvest season that fits fairly tidily in between those of Chile and Georgia. Michigan, the nation's leader in cultivated blueberries, produced 87 million pounds in 2012. In 2013, Chile exported 174 million pounds of blueberries, most of them to the United States.
And while this year's season is about a week late to start due to a higher number of overcast winter days, the harvest is expected to be strong, with lots of fruit and prices that hit the sweet spot, making the berries both affordable for consumers and lucrative for growers. Prices for this year's crop have not been set yet, but traditionally consumers pay more at the beginning of the season.
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