commercial or organic markets, she says. “We are also working to reduce the amount of nutrients like nitrogen in the blueberry crop which would reduce the cost for growers and reduce environmental burdens related to nitrogen losses into groundwater. They also are trying to increase resilience to abiotic and biotic stresses so plants can perform in a changing climate, which over the past two years has resulted in earlier than normal harvesting.


“Any new variety needs to grow well in either a warm or cold climate and can adjust to excesses such as flooding or drought,” Dorais explains. “ We have people working to develop not only new varieties or sustainable production systems, but also ways to improve our best management practices. An example would be the best way to prune a crop and its impact on productivity and fruit quality.” Field trials are under way on plants at the Clearbrook research farm. “We are monitoring their use of nitrogen dynamic and how to manage nitrogen to get a high yield, high quality and at the same time reduce nitrogen leaching.


“We need to better understand nitrogen uptake by the plant, how to feed nitrogen to the plant at the right moment and its effects on berry quality.”


Again this year blueberries have been harvested earlier than normal. Dorais notes this may be a challenge because fruit size and fruit firmness are two key elements.


“When picking blueberries they all have to be ripe to the same level. That is one of the requirements for the fresh berries we want to ship into the Chinese market.”


Agriculture Minister Norm Letnick visited Blueridge Produce, part of the Driediger Farms operation in Langley, during July to help mark the first full season of fresh blueberry exports to China.


China gets full season of blues L


ast summer, a small amount of fresh blueberries were sent to China to ensure that the


packing and shipping process met all the requirements in the agreement between that country and Canada. The test run was a success. Now, British Columbia is increasing the amount of fresh blueberry shipments to China and B.C. growers could be looking at the potential of up to $65 million in exports a year, once the agreement is fully implemented.


B.C. is one of the largest high bush blueberry-growing regions in the


world, producing about 96 per cent of Canadian-cultivated blueberries. In 2015, B.C. farmers harvested about 70,000 tonnes, an increase of seven per cent. Exports accounted for $218 million, up more than 29 per cent from 2014.


Building markets is one of the key priorities in the provincial government’s Agrifood and Seafood Strategic Growth Plan. The effort is being supported by a network of 13 international trade offices, trade missions and the development of direct-cargo flights out of Vancouver. “The B.C. blueberry industry is excited about expanding


international markets and especially this new opportunity to provide our healthy, sweet and quality fresh B.C. blueberries to China,” said B.C. Blueberry Council executive director Debbie Etsell.


She noted that 2016 will be the first full season of shipments to mainland China. “Our registered growers and suppliers have been working hard to ensure the highest standards. British Columbia is one of the few regions able to ship fresh blueberries to China and today our growers celebrate access to this valued Asian market.”


8 British Columbia Berry Grower • Fall 2016


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