Blueberry prices drop amid oversupply in northern NSW

Blueberry prices have plummeted amid an oversupply in northern NSW. But the low prices may not stick around for long. Here’s why.

Blueberry growers in northern NSW have been blessed with an ideal growing season, but retail prices have had to plummet to move the oversupply.

AN ideal growing season has led to an abundance of blueberries and low prices, forcing growers to accept little reward for their labour.

Retail prices for 125g punnets of blueberries are selling for as low as $2.5 at major supermarkets.

And prices are set to remain low until the peak of the season subsides in northern NSW, which may not be until December.

Berries Australia executive officer Rachel Mackenzie said the industry has been “heading to this point” for a number of years but frosts and poor weather has previously put a handbrake on production.

“This means that consumers can access lots of good berries. You have to accept that when supply is good, prices go down,” Ms Mackenzie said.

However she warned the good days may be short lived, as farmers were beginning to feel the pinch of a critical labour shortage given the exodus of backpackers from Australia this year.

“Lots of berries is one thing, but without pickers to remove the crop, there will be flow on effects into supermarkets,” she said.

“Up until now they’ve been able to make do (with pickers) but as the backpackers continue to head home and we’re not getting anyone to replace them, it’s starting to become a challenge. And as more commodities come online, there’s more competition for those remaining pickers.”

Victorian berry group YV Fresh is gearing up for a season not unlike NSW following sympathetic growing conditions this year and sufficient chill hours.

YV Fresh’s national sales manager Jeff Matthews said “everything is pointing to a really good season”.

Picking will begin in January and at this early stage, he said it appeared growers had enough pickers to remove their crop.

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