Florida Blueberry Growers Focus On Food Safety
November 4, 2011 
Interest in blueberries as an alternative cash crop in Florida continues to grow by the bunches. Attendance figures at the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA) Fall Meeting held earlier this week on the campus of Hillsborough County Community College in Plant City are a good indicator of that. The one-day short course/business meeting and tradeshow played host to more than 500 attendees.
Besides the latest information presented during the educational session agenda on cultivars, crop protection, and production practices, two issues bubbled up to the top during the meeting: food safety and smart marketing.
In the wake of the recent deadly foodborne illness outbreak traced back to a Colorado operation’s packinghouse, growers and packers on hand at the meeting were urged to go the extra mile to ensure a safe product. “We ask if you sell blueberries, you’re going to need a third party audit,” said Bill Braswell, FBGA president, to attendees. “All it takes is one farm, and we’d all be in a lot of trouble.”
A note from Braswell to association members about the importance of food safety was circulated at the meeting.
In addition to the food safety concerns, marketing was a hot topic discussed during the meeting. According to the USDA, Florida blueberry production hit 1 million pounds a day a couple times in April. “At a million pounds a day during the Easter weekend, fruit starts backing up and it doesn’t have a home,” Braswell said. “If there is a burp in that chain, everybody sees the price drop.”
Promotion of Florida’s window is vital to success, Braswell said. “We want people to know that there are Florida blueberries available in the marketplace at the end of March all the way through May.”
Brand recognition helps, too. Braswell encouraged growers to work with marketers to make sure their labels carried the “Fresh From Florida” logo. “We need a way to distinguish ourselves from Chilean fruit.”
Assessments were brought up as a way to help achieve the marketing goals. “It’s going to be an education process,” Braswell said. “As a group, we need to start thinking about assessments. The purpose is to promote our window and get the word out there.”
Plans also were divulged about partnering with the inaugural Florida Blueberry Festival, which is scheduled May 4-6 next year in Brooksville. Association dues plan to be allocated to help promote not only the festival itself, but also the industry in general. “It’s a good opportunity to move a lot of fruit,” said Braswell.
*For more coverage on Florida blueberries, check out the following links:
- Pruning Tips
- Logical Blueberry Field And Bed Design
- Banking On Berries With Bite
- Seven Steps To Success
- Opinion: A History In Evolution
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