Weather changes takes toll on blueberry crop

BURGAW, NC (WWAY) — Did you know southeastern North Carolina makes up 95% of the blueberry crop in the state? That is a lot, but unfortunately Mother Nature threw a few curve balls making this season not a very good one.

A mild winter caused the blooming process to begin weeks ahead of schedule.

“Strawberries were significantly early, blueberries were 10 days early, and blackberries were about 10 days early,” Cal Lewis, Lewis Farms owner, said.

In mid March, a stretch of cold temperatures took its toll on the blueberries.

“It took out a significant portion of the North Carolina crop probably about 45 to 55%, somewhere in that range,” Lewis said.

Lewis said his early varieties saw the biggest hit while mid and late varieties did okay.

“Increase prices made up for some of the revenue loss by growers but not all of it,” Lewis said.

He is a Pender County native, and despite a tough season, he says this county is the heart of blueberries in North Carolina.

“The blueberry festival brings attention to what growers do here and what they work a lifetime to produce,” Lewis said.

The typical season is from May to June with the peak around Memorial Day weekend. So as the harvest process wraps up for the season, the hard work doesn’t just end.

“As soon as the last pickers comes through on these bushes, we come in and trim them by mowing them, and then in the winter we cultivate and prune, and of course later part of summer we have to fertilize the blueberries to grow the vegetative part of it, and we have to herbicide the middle to get rid of the grass and weeds,” Lewis said.

The Ogden stand closes Saturday, June 17. Lewis says they normally don’t close for the season until July 4 weekend, but since the crop was early that has forced them to close earlier than normal.