Blueberry in Fall Creek 2024. Production, and Marketing Challenges and Opportunities

One year more, Fall Creek celebrated the High Chill Field + Forum in Meterik (The Netherlands). This event gathered agricultural producers, marketing experts, and industry leaders to explore the complexities and opportunities in high chill crop production, with a special focus this year on blueberry segmentation.

As a leader in blueberry breeding, Fall Creek has offered attendees the opportunity of attending

One of the key highlights of this year’s forum will be a panel discussion featuring renowned experts Hans Liekens, Value Chain Manager at Sekoya; Harry Hall, Managing Partner Hall Hunter; and Edwin Vels, Managing Partner FMCG Education, Category Management, who will delve into the intricacies of blueberry segmentation and the associated challenges and opportunities in both production and marketing.

Blueberry segmentation

“If we want to stay a profitable category, blueberries should leave the commodity scenario now and focus on the shopper and his/her needs. This will lead to consumption growth through differentiation in assortment”, says Hans Liekens, Value Chain Manager at Sekoya.

Consumers told us blueberries are more than just a blue ball and they expect different characteristics of a blueberry depending on the consumers’ moments and occasions. ‘A supermarket buyer told us: ’We love your Sekoya blueberries as a snack but as breakfast I don’t like them as I have to cut them in 2. This was the start of our Category development with different varieties for different consumer need states. Sounds difficult? Just look at the tomato category and how they developed this category: brilliant!

Challenges and Opportunities in Blueberry Production & Marketing

The High Chill Field + Forum is an annual event dedicated to addressing the specific needs of high chill blueberry producers and marketers. The forum aims to foster innovation, collaboration, and sustainable practices within the industry, ensuring a bright future for high chill blueberry crops across EMEA.