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The Raspberry Industry in BC

The Raspberry Industry Development Council (RIDC) is supported by a ½ ¢ per pound levy on all fresh raspberries grown in BC. The Executive and Directors of the RIDC include producers as well as a processor (1) and a government representative.

The mandate of the Council is to promote raspberries and their use by providing information and educational services to growers as well as to link raspberry product purchasers with producers and processors. The Council also generically promotes raspberries with recipes and information about the industry to the public and other interested parties.

The RIDC Research & Development Committee assesses many research projects each year, with funding of over $50,000 to approved projects.

There are no genetically modified raspberries grown in BC!

The BC Raspberry Growers Association (BCRGA) represents the raspberry growers of BC in regards to municipal, provincial and federal governmental legislation and affairs.

Some quick facts about BC's raspberry industry:

• BC is the largest raspberry producer in Canada, producing 30,455,000 lb. of raspberries in 2000
  
• Total world production for 1999: 530 million pounds. That’s 1.4 oz of raspberries for every person in the world!
  
• Only 3% of raspberries are sold fresh – 97% are processed into jams, jellies, drinks, canned and frozen retail & wholesale packs and bakery products.
  
• The raspberry crop is valued at $31,485,000 (yes - that’s 31½ million dollars!) at the farm gate.
  
• Raspberry production and processing involves growers, farm supply companies, integrated pest management specialists, banks, processors, institutions and restaurants and many more businesses to bring the raspberries fresh from the fields onto your table.
  
• There are about 275 raspberry growers in BC, mainly on small family farms with total raspberry production acreage of 4200 acres.
  
• About 98% of the raspberries in BC are grown in the Fraser Valley; the remainder are grown on Vancouver Island and the Interior.

Significant Aspects of Raspberry Production

• Quality: 
  With the West Coast’s rich soil, plentiful rainfall and sun-filled summer days, BC produces juicy, radiantly red raspberries that really burst with flavour.
  
• Availability: 
  Harvesting of raspberries will begin about the first week of July and peak about July 15th. Raspberries should be available till mid-August. Frozen raspberries are available year round.
  
• Varieties: 
  There are about 10 different varieties of raspberries grown in the Fraser Valley. The most common variety is ‘Meeker’ followed by ‘Willamette’ ‘Qualicum’ and ‘Malahat’. ‘Heritage’ is a variety harvested in fall.

All fresh market raspberries are hand-harvested. Raspberries destined for the process market are hand-harvested or machine harvested.

Raspberries must be picked every 3-4 days throughout the harvesting season. A grower with a 20-acre hand-harvested field will need 80 pickers to pick for about one month to completely harvest the crop. That’s about 20,000 man-hours of work to pick the raspberry crop from one farm.

Where do all the raspberries go?

Fresh raspberries are quickly chilled in plastic and fiber containers, covered and shipped fresh to stores and markets all over North American and the Pacific Rim.

Raspberries destined for processing are washed cleaned and sorted. They are then frozen singly (IQF), in blocks with juice, processed into purees (with or without seeds) or made into juice or juice concentrate. These primary processed products are then packed & frozen in boxes, pails and drums in many sizes. These raspberry products are then shipped all over the world to restaurants, commercial bakeries and processors.

There are seventeen primary processors and packers of raspberries in BC.

Questions?  Mail us here.