Blueberries and strawberries in battle for Australia's most valuable berry crop

Blueberries may soon overtake strawberries as Australia's most valuable berry crop and — for a few months each year — its most popular berry purchase.

It has not yet published last financial year's numbers, but trends suggest the national blueberry crop is on track to overtake strawberries in farm-gate value after having almost tripled in value since 2013.

However, blueberry grower and marketer Josh McGuiness said he did not expect they would overtake strawberries soon.

"In the next few weeks, blueberries will take over as the number one berry for Australia when strawberries start to slow down for the Queensland growers," Mr McGuiness said.

He said he had seen this pattern for two years, driven by a wide availability of blueberries coinciding with a lull in strawberries during spring and summer.

"Right now, blueberries are at their peak so we're seeing good supply and value for our customers," a Woolworths spokesperson said.

"There is a small period in January/February where we import blueberries from New Zealand, but within 10 years I suspect this window will shut considerably as retailers and consumers prefer locally grown," Mr McGuiness said.

"In Australia, we can grow blueberries 52 weeks a year, fresh. I think we were the first [country to do it].".

As the International Blueberry Organisation (IBO) said in its 2021 report, "what Australia lacks in blueberry volume, it makes up for in its contribution to the sector's innovation globally, [helping] fuel the exponential rise in low-chill genetics around the world".

Regardless, blueberries' production growth is not slowing and with strawberries remaining relatively unchanged in their growing and genetics, they could very well lose their place as Australia's most valuable berry crop