Freshly picked blueberries are seen at Emma Lea Farms in Ladner, B.C., in this 2014 file photo.DARRYL DYCK/The Canadian Press
After almost a decade spent trying to tap into the Chinese market, fresh British Columbia blueberries are heading there this season – following a deal the provincial government says could lead to $65-million in exports each year.
The federal government announced an agreement last year that cleared the way for Canadian high-bush – non-wild – blueberries to be exported to China. A small amount of blueberries were shipped to China last year to be inspected by Chinese officials, and this year will mark the first full season of exports.
The industry says China is a tough market, and securing access isn't cheap or easy. The country's standards and regulations are highly specific – making them both expensive and challenging for local growers and packers in the province to implement, said Debbie Etsell, executive director of the B.C. Blueberry Council.
"It's going to cost money and it's going to cost time in [implementing] these protocols that have to be followed," Ms. Etsell said. "But it is a place where there is a market that wants our fruit and we're able to ship it to them."
She thinks, after all the work, the agreement will be worth it for B.C. growers.
British Columbia produces 96 per cent of the country's cultivated, high-bush blueberries, and production has been growing. The province produced more than 70,000 tonnes last year, up from about 58,000 in 2012, according to data collected by Statistics Canada. B.C. blueberry exports are estimated to be worth more than $200-million a year. Other provinces that grow blueberries, such as Quebec and those in the Maritimes, tend to grow mostly wild, or low-bush, blueberries.
There are now 10 packing companies and 19 production facilities in British Columbia that have been registered and are allowed to export to China, none from anywhere else in the country. B.C.'s Ministry of Agriculture says that 2016 is still a "trial" year and that market access after that is "to be determined."
Ms. Etsell said the United States, one of the world's other major blueberry producers, does not have access to ship fresh blueberries there.
But under the terms of the agreement, only Canadian producers that have adhered to strict protocols – including having an integrated pest consultant, filing weekly paperwork and adhering to rigorous monitoring – will have access to the new market.
Protocols exist not just for farmers, but for packing and shipping companies, as well.
A test-run happened last summer, with a small number of blueberries shipped to China and checked to make sure the packaging and shipping standards were in keeping with those outlined by the two countries.
Berry Haven Farm in Abbotsford participated in the trial last year. The farm just sent out its first shipment to China of this season.
"Last year was a lost cause, but we did it. This year, we just hope to break even, or come close … and next year hopefully it is of benefit to the company," said David Mutz, export and operations manager at the farm.
He says his company has had to spend more than $10,000 on monitoring this year alone to meet the requirements. "It's a long-term investment, not a get-rich-quick thing."
However, the blueberry season in British Columbia started early this year, which Mr. Mutz said is not ideal for exporting to China, since that country is still producing its own berries.
"It is only worth doing when there is no domestic product in China – typically, the season to ship to China will begin in mid-to-late July," Mr. Mutz said.
Another barrier is the duty added to Canadian berries shipped to China, which he said is currently 43 per cent.
"Until we get that duty lowered, we can't be competitive with their own production," said Mr. Mutz, who hopes Canada can negotiate a lower rate.
The province hopes to make agri-foods into an industry worth $15-billion annually within the next four years and says that gaining access to new markets is one of the province's priorities.