According to a number of reports, it has been a very good year for the Garden State’s blueberry growers.
Some are already calling it one of the better seasons in years.
Based upon certain quality criteria such as quantity, quality, size and sweetness, the season has gone very well.
One of the factors contributing to a good growing season was the milder winter, giving the bushes a running start.
New Jersey ranks second in the nation in blueberry production behind Michigan. But overall, the blueberry crop is slightly larger in volume than last year.
In a normal or average year, about 80% of Jersey blueberries go to the fresh market, and about 20% go to processors. The berry quality has been very good and pricing has remained very strong.
In addition to the excellent New Jersey blueberry crop, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture reported that it projects its peach crop to be one of its largest in years.
According to a press release, “New Jersey is one of the nation’s top growers of peaches. In 2015, farmers grew 42.2 million pounds of peaches on 4,700 acres valued at $27.6 million. The 2017 peach crop is projected to produce between 55 and 60 million pounds of peaches on 5,500 acres, according to the New Jersey Peach Promotion Council.”