Leading berry grower-packer Naturipe Farms this year expects to see the biggest and best blueberry crop on record.

“After Pantone named 2020’s color of the year classic blue, and Firmenich announced 2020’s flavor of the year classic blueberry, we knew this year was going to be special,” said CarrieAnn Arias, vice president of marketing at the U.S.-headquartered organization.

“What’s even more exciting is that Mother Nature is joining the celebration, allowing us to confidently predict 2020 as our largest blueberry production ever.”

This year, almost 750 million pounds of fresh blueberries are expected to be supplied industry-wide, the company said.

It added that Naturipe would play a significant role in this forecast as the largest fresh blueberry supplier in the world.   

“It’s a drastic increase we’ve been planning in response to growing consumer demand,” added CarrieAnn.

“So, whether you prefer a yogurt parfait, blueberry pie, or a handful of straight berries, we’ll be here all year long to help you celebrate the year of the blueberry with Mother Nature herself.”

Naturipe has accurately predicted the size of its blueberry harvest over the years thanks to its thorough understanding of historical production, new plantings and significant farms that have joined the Naturipe family.

“We are always in pursuit of the very best growers in the world who are willing to innovate and leverage technology to bring the tastiest berries to our consumers. These traits have the added benefit of helping us accurately estimate the size of our harvest,” said Brian Bocock, vice president of product management.

“For example, many of our growers are moving their bushes under tunnels which helps moderate weather, producing better fruit and making forecast and yields more dependable. We’re also making major moves to improve our varieties by helping our growers carefully selecting the best varieties for their growing region and conditions.

"In doing so, we can consistently yield better results both in terms of volume, but most important to us, taste.”

This announcement comes right after Naturipe kicked off its Blue Year celebration. The Blue Year started with a Blue Year Celebration and countdown to 2020, and now this announcement on Naturipe’s Instagram account.

Consumers are encouraged to continue to follow along with Naturipe on Instagram for more blueberry news, along with berry and avocado facts and recipes all year long. Follow Naturipe on Instagram @Naturipe.