Information for fruit and vegetables business in CIS
US: Blueberry boom
The hills of Central Washington's desert region may soon be turning blue.
That blue as in blueberries, the tasty berry that normally grows in Western Washington and Oregon.
In recent years, Columbia Basin growers have planted hundreds of acres of blueberries, attracted by prices that are often better than cherries or grapes, as well as the ability to harvest them by machine when migrant labor is scarce.
Consumer demand for blueberries is growing. Last week, a study by Rutgers University and the U.S. Department of Agriculuture indicated that a natural chemical in blueberries may help prevent colon cancer. Organic blueberries and blueberry juice are already popular anti-oxidants.
Of course, not all the new Central Washington blueberries will be organic. Wyckoff Farms is building a 42-thousand-square-foot berry processing plant near Grandview, Wash., and Gourmet Trading officials recently hired an expert blueberry breeder.
Blueberries grow best in acidic soil. The desert soils of Central Washington and Central Oregon are alkiline or neutral. However, new methods of drip irrigation can deliver tiny amounts of acid to each plant. Western Washington and Western Oregon regions are naturally acidic.