Originally published August 15 2005
New research sees the sales of blueberries soar
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Because of new research released stating that blueberries contain high quantities of antioxidants, there will be a record crop this year.
Pity the little blueberry, always dwarfed in fruit popularity (and profits) by summer giants peaches and strawberries.
Now what many growers call the "health halo" is helping the U.S. blueberry business enjoy a tremendous surge including what government agriculture analysts say might be a record crop this year.
Thanks to research that shows that blueberries can help protect against some forms of cancer and heart disease, as well as offset some of the effects of aging, consumers have been rushing to add the antioxidant-rich fruit to their diet.
Blueberries might still trail the mighty strawberry in consumption and production, but sales of blueberries -- fresh, frozen and dried -- have exploded in popularity in the past three years.
"All the new research has been a fantastic boon," says Rod Cook, a spokesman for the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, a research group overseen by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The United States and Canada are the world's biggest blueberry producers, with the United States producing more than half of the world's supply.
Maine and Michigan lead the country, followed by New Jersey, Oregon, Georgia, North Carolina and Washington state, according to the USDA.
Last year, the total jumped to 166 million pounds, according to the Blueberry Council.
Last year, even with a loss of 40 million pounds of Maine blueberries to bad weather, production still hit 457 million pounds, Cook says.
This year, farmers are expecting another big crop -- possibly as high as 490 million pounds, according to some industry experts.
For the blueberry industry, the increased demand has been accompanied by an across-the-board shift in how the fruit is consumed.
Traditionally, most of the berries went to the bakery and dairy industries for products such as muffins and flavored yogurt.
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