Topics in this issue of Behind the Blue:
- From the Chair: Update on Our Assessment Increase Exploration
- USHBC Participates in California Blueberry Day
- First Quarter Retail Promos Focus on Getting Frozen Blueberries in More Carts
- USDA Extends Response Deadline for the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties
- Leadership Class Spotlight: Meet Stephanie Kleiner
From the Chair: Update on Our Assessment Increase Exploration
By Bryan Sakuma
USHBC Chair
As the council and industry continue to explore a potential assessment increase, I wanted to thank everyone who has reached out to ask questions, provide input and share their concerns. The USHBC board and the Assessment Steering Committee are listening, and we continue to meet and communicate with growers – like we did last week in California, Washington and Michigan.
The very encouraging news is that our industry is highly engaged in these critical conversations – which is exactly what we need.
At the same time, we must recognize the urgency of the situation. Supply is outpacing demand today, and within five years, the volume of blueberries in the marketplace is projected to double. Dr. Kaiser’s economic analysis from Cornell University shows that without an increase in the assessment rate, grower prices could decline by 10% between 2027 and 2033. His research also highlights that higher assessment levels could generate a substantial return on investment for the industry and have a positive impact on pricing.
We’ve made the report and a number of other new documents available on the USHBC website.
If and when our growers say “go” on a new assessment, it will take two years before those investment dollars are fully collected and marketing efforts can begin to drive demand. That means any action we take now won’t have its full impact until 2027 or later. We are already behind, but we won’t be making any final decisions until the growers’ support is there.
So, let’s keep talking – but let’s also move with a sense of urgency. Most growers agree we have a supply and demand imbalance – now we must decide if we are willing to act together to address it. If so, we need to determine an assessment level that growers can afford, while ensuring we have the necessary resources to make a meaningful impact.
If we haven’t heard from you yet, I encourage you to pick up the phone and call me or any member of the USHBC Council or Assessment Steering Committee. This is a grower-led organization, and this will be a grower-led decision. Let’s work together to chart a path forward that ensures a profitable future for our industry.
USHBC Participates in California Blueberry Day
The USHBC team presented a series of information sessions at the California Blueberry Commission’s California Blueberry Day on March 19.
At the day-long event, staff provided an update on USHBC’s work, including health and nutrition research efforts, global market development strategies and successes, demand-driving efforts and data and insights.
Gunnar Avinelis, CEO of AgriCare and a member of the USHBC’s Assessment Steering Committee, updated attendees on the council’s exploratory efforts into an assessment increase and fielded questions from the audience with Doug LaCroix of Family Tree Farms, California’s representative on the USHBC Council.
“With many longtime growers in attendance who have lived through the maturation phase of our industry and the significant ramp in global production, the discussion seemed positive regarding the crossroads we find ourselves in from a supply/demand standpoint and the options at our disposal. While any increase to expenses for a grower is a sensitive conversation at the moment, the overview of the Kaiser study, assessment conversation timeline and the work of the steering committee were well-received,” Avinelis said following the event. “The California meeting served to educate on the need well, and promote the continued work of the Steering Committee to achieve alignment on this very significant decision.”
First Quarter Retail Promos Focus on Getting Frozen Blueberries in More Carts
Our retail and shopper marketing program efforts are focused on boosting blueberry sales among shoppers at the store and in digital/e-commerce channels through strategic collaborations with several major retailers across the country.
For the first quarter, our retail promotions were focused on encouraging both new and existing blueberry consumers to consider adding frozen blueberries to their carts as they’re thinking of ways to improve their health and wellness at the start of the year. Creative assets encouraged shoppers to stock up on frozen berries as a simple and healthy way to kick off the year or to celebrate Heart Health Month in February.
Participating retailers included Giant Eagle, Giant Martin’s, H-E-B, Meijer, Schnucks and Wakefern/ShopRite, Kroger, Raley’s, Food Lion, HyVee, United Supermarket and more, executing promotions such as custom point-of-sale (POS) materials, registered dietitian-endorsed recipes and features, digital ads and newsletters promoting the health benefits of blueberries. While the total impact of Q1 shopper marketing promotions is still being calculated as the quarter is wrapping up, initial results are showing a significant increase in units moved year over year.
Stay tuned as we continue to report on our planned efforts and results throughout the year, and reach out to the team at [email protected] if you’re interested in collaborating.
USDA Extends Response Deadline for the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) has extended the deadline to submit the 2024 Census of Horticultural Specialties to April 18, 2025. This survey, conducted once every five years, is the only source of detailed production and sales data for specialty crops.
Submissions can be completed online at agcounts.usda.gov or by mail.
Leadership Class Spotlight: Meet Stephanie Kleiner
Class 3 of the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program is in full swing, and we’re excited to introduce you to a fellow from the class each month in Behind the Blue.
When Stephanie Kleiner, director of blueberry business management for Driscoll’s, heard about the Blueberry Industry Leadership Program, she couldn’t wait to apply. After all, the USHBC had been fundamental to her development and understanding of the blueberry world, first through attending USHBC events and, more recently, through her participation on the Foodservice Subcommittee and BerrySmart Insights Fresh Task Force.
So, when the opportunity to apply for the program arose, she was excited to dive even deeper into the industry. And after hearing positive feedback about the program, she was excited to get out of her comfort zone and try something new.
“I’m motivated by a passion for the blueberry industry and I joined the Blueberry Leadership Program to expand my impact beyond my company,” Kleiner said. “Through the program, I’m committed to addressing shared challenges within the industry, fostering collaboration and finding innovative ways to boost demand for blueberries on a broader scale.”
Kleiner earned a bachelor’s degree in applied economics and food industry management from Cornell University. Prior to her current role, Kleiner spent four years in retail customer sales and analytics at Driscoll’s where she leveraged data-driven strategies to support the company’s retail relationships.
“The leadership program is a unique opportunity to challenge us to look both inward and outward. One value of the program has been on personal development, exploring how we present ourselves and interact with others in our day-to-day work,” Kleiner shared. “At the same time, we’re looking outside of ourselves and outside of our respective companies to learn more about the blueberry industry, gain industry relationships and test our ability to solve a few real-world challenges.”