At 90,000 metric tons, Washington State is now the biggest producer of blueberries in the world. This converts to 180 million pounds in weight or more than a third of the total national production.

The state is proud of this highly perishable summer fruit as it is native to the American prairies. Americans first cultivated blueberries in 1916. 100 years later in 2016, the country ranked as the biggest global producer of cultivated and heirloom blueberries, totaling 690 million pounds. 

One reason for Washington’s blueberry success is pricing. Wholesale prices of blueberries decreased by $0.22 per kg in the week ending August 2 from those of week 4 of July 2023, to settle at $4.48 per kilo. 

The prices are also lower from those of one of the best years in the blueberry calendar, 2021. Average wholesale price in 2021 for fresh blueberries was $2.16 a pound, whereas today it is roughly $2.04 a pound. 

The U.S. export price for raspberries and blueberries in 2021 of  $7.75 per kilogram was nearly double the wholesale prices above. 

Success also comes from the presence of Punjabi agriculturalists in Washington. They devote 12 to 15 hours of field work daily in the main season. Reports on the family of Amarjit and Mehar Brar describe their work on their 400-acre Kissan Berry Farms in Whatcom County as impressive.

 At the Kissan Berry Farms, production was down in comparison with 2022. The Brar family cites the record summer temperatures as a possible cause for the decline. 

Additional success story for the impressive blueberry run comes from nature. The State of Washington is an all-season cradle for blueberries. Its congenial climate lets farmers grow both Northern and Southern Highbush varieties. Both cultivars are popular with consumers for their sweetness. 

In 2021, the total cultivated blueberry crop amounted to 660 million pounds, without counting the wild variety. The combined value of all blueberries, including processed ones, was $720.2m. 

Peru ranked as the biggest exporter of the crop in the 2019-2020 market year, despite coming behind the United States in production terms.

Washington State led Georgia to emerge as the nation’s blueberry production champ in 2021.