Washington top blueberry state

OLYMPIA – Move over apples and cherries, Washington state is the top blueberry producer in the world, according to the state Department of Agriculture.

“When it comes to blueberries, Washington state can take a bow,” Agriculture officials wrote in news release. “Each berry you enjoy is a product of the state’s dedication to agricultural excellence.”

Farmers in Washington, the nation’s top blueberry-producing state, grow close to 90,000 tons of blueberries annually, according to the Aug. 8 news release.

The state produced 180 million pounds of blueberries valued at $228.4 million in 2021, according to the USDA.

Western Washington grows close to 55% of the state’s blueberry crop, while Eastern Washington grows close to 45%, ag officials said.

The state’s producers of highbush blueberries, which grow taller and bring higher yields than other varieties, generated $464.4 million in economic impact and created more than 4,400 jobs each year as of 2020, according to the California Ag Network.

Oregon produced 150 million pounds of blueberries in 2021, worth $171.7 million, according to the USDA. The state’s highbush producers generated $353.5 million in economic impact and created more than 3,500 jobs each year as of 2020, according to the California Ag Network.

The U.S. grows 95% of blueberries on the planet, according to the news release. The nation’s highbush blueberry growers brought more than $12.7 million flowing into the American economy as of 2020, according to the California Ag Network, creating and sustaining the equivalent of more than 44,500 full time jobs each year.

But the nation is still a net importer of blueberries, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resources Center.

The U.S. imported close to 571.3 million pounds of fresh blueberries in 2021, worth close to $1.6 billion.