Cort Brazelton, Co-CEO of FallCreek Farm & Nursery is one of most recognizable figures in the international blueberry industry. In a recent interview published in the 6th edition of BlueMagazine 2021, Brazelton talked about his 2019 assertion that the blueberry market was entering a new paradigm, and that it would no longer be the supply that would sustain the industry. He claimed then that the quality of the fruit would be the determining factor for demand and consumption.
In the recent interview he was asked whether he would have to make adjustments to his theory that in 2020 a “paradigm shift” would begin in the blueberry industry, due to the current pandemic.
Brazelton: “Curiously in appearance there are no changes in trends, only the acceleration rate changes. For example, there have been significant supply chain disruptions, such as logistics delays, but the demand for quality has only increased. In fact, as the risk of shrinkage has increased with supply chain disruptions, the focus on the durability of the fruit has grown, as has the focus on the impact of quality on movement within the category. Meanwhile, consumers are going to the supermarket more than ever, paying more attention to their health and looking to buy healthier, higher-quality products.”
Source: blueberriesconsulting.com