As its blueberry production shifts into high gear in February, Naturipe Farms says it will launch a “New Era of Berries” with its annual FeBLUEary campaign, highlighting the peak winter season for its conventional and organic blueberries.
The Salinas, Calif.-based producer and marketer says the new era is benchmarked by improved berry quality, ramped-up innovation in breeding, growing and packaging, as well as increased prioritization of sustainability throughout the business.
During FeBLUEary, peak supplies of berries will primarily come from Naturipe growers in Chile and will be supplemented by blueberries from Mexico and Peru, according to a news release. Naturipe said regardless of origin, this year’s blueberry crop has exceptional quality.
“Each year, we celebrate FeBLUEary to mark the first peak of Naturipe’s blueberry growing seasons,” Jim Roberts, president of sales for Naturipe, said in the release. “The heart-health benefits of blueberries are top of mind for people at the beginning of the year and our growers have worked to ensure that when shoppers head into their local grocery store, these delicious and good-for-you berries will be the best fresh fruit they’ll find. Retailers and consumers will be thrilled to celebrate FeBLUEary.”
Retailers can also feature Naturipe strawberries, as they will be coming into promotable volumes of these delicious red berries a little early this year, according to the release. Strawberries are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, and retailers will be able to capitalize on the strong holiday demand for the berries.
FeBLUEary is an excellent opportunity for retailers to take advantage of the peak volumes of berries, Naturipe said. Retailers can use creative signage and blueberry displays, and this year they can complement their displays with the addition of strawberries.
To ramp up incremental sales of these berries, Naturipe recommends retailers activate friendly sales competitions between stores, and use in-store recipe demos with recipe cards available for shoppers to take home. Additionally, retailers can promote FeBLUEary on their social media accounts.
As one of the world’s largest grower of blueberries, Naturipe said operates with the values of high-quality berries, innovative breeding and growing practices and a commitment to sustainability in mind. As part of the New Era of Berries, Naturipe looks forward to bringing more attention to the significant strides it has made in these areas, the release said.
“We’ve been laying the foundation for the New Era of Berries for a long time, and FeBLUEary is the perfect way to formally kick off our efforts with the industry,” Roberts said. “The care that our growers put into their fresh fruit, combined with the commitment to breeding high-quality berries and introducing innovative sustainability practices, is what the new era of berries is all about.”
Naturipe said retailers, their shoppers, and all berry fanatics alike can anticipate strong volumes of blueberries and strawberries from mid-January to late February.