Economics of Blueberry farming - Part 3

Posted by Sapan Behar

June 24, 2007

Healthy blueberry plant stock

We discussed the pros and cons of buying either bare land or a pre-planted field in Economics of Blueberry farming - Part 2. In case you decided to buy bare land, we will discuss the importance of healthy plant stock for successful blueberry farming in the Fraser Valley. Since blueberry plants are productive for as long as 50 years in some cases and take up to 8 years to mature and be fully productive, it is essential that you start off with a healthy plant stock. Replacing unproductive blueberry plants is neither easy nor does it make sense financially for the above reasons.Cost of procuring healthy blueberry plants is high, second only to the cost of land.

Also see: Fraser Valley Blueberry Cultivars

Depending on the variety you choose, you can expect to pay anywhere from CA $2.75 to CA $4.00 per plant for certified virus-free plants. For mechanically harvested fields, you would plant around 1400 plants per acre. So the cost of blueberry plants per acre works out to around CA $3850 to CA $5600 per acre. Realistically, your cost would be around the CA $5600 mark if you buy from a reputable nursery that specializes in blueberry plants.This high cost of plants deters some farmers from buying plants from cheaper sources, typically either other farmers or private sellers. The plants bought from these sources are much cheaper, costing around CA $1.00 per plant. Although these plants are readily available, they are not certified to be virus-free.

Certified Virus-free Plants

Plants certified to be virus-free are just that, virus-free. The nursery selling these plants tests them for viruses. Any plant leaving the nursery comes with a certificate stating that the plants are virus-free and from a virus-free source. Any nursery selling certified virus-free plants maintain a donor stock from which it either takes cuttings or stem cells. This donor stock is maintained year around in disease free conditions, has regular applications of pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals applied. Workers entering the area where these donor stocks are maintained follow proper disease and pathogen control measures.You cannot expect a private seller to follow above measures. They do not sell plants that are certified to be virus-free. They do not test their donor stock or the plants they sell for viruses or other diseases. These plants are usually grown from the cuttings discarded when a blueberry field is pruned in the winter. If a virus is present in the blueberry field where the cuttings are taken from, the young plants certainly will be carrying the virus.Once a virus enters a plant, it is there for the life of the plant and will infect other plants, primarily though aphids. If you buy plants that are infected with virus, in a few years your entire field will carry the virus, resulting in dead plants, or diseased plants with much less vigour and production.As you can see, the mere CA $3000 per acre that you saved by buying uncertified plants may cause you several thousands more per acre in lost production.

Sources of Certified plants

For Fraser Valley blueberry farmers, there are a few local nurseries that sell certified blueberry plants. Here are some of the local nurseries:

Sidhu and Sons Nursery, Mission, B.C.
JRT Farms and Nursery, Abbotsford, BC
Morgan Creek Tropicals, Surrey, BC

The above are three of the main suppliers of blueberry plants for the Fraser Valley, although this list is not exhaustive. I have personal experience with Sidhu and Sons Nursery and Morgan Creek Tropicals. I would recommend either of these nurseries if you are looking to start a blueberry farm in the Fraser Valley. However, my first preference is and always will be Fall Creek Farm and Nursery in Willamette Valley, Oregon. You are looking at about a two year wait for the popular varieties such as Duke or Bluecrop, and their plants cost more than others. However, if you are looking for the best plant stock, they can’t be beat.

In conclusion, if you are serious about starting a blueberry farm, after land, your next most important decision would be plant stock. Sure you can buy and save on cheaper plants, but long term those plants are going to cost you a lot more. Most people that develop blueberry farms with the intent to sell them as soon as possible, usually go this route. So if you are a buyer thinking about buying a pre-planted blueberry farm, be sure to ask the seller about the source of the plants. If you need assistance with a blueberry farm purchase in the Fraser Valley, you can always contact me at (604) 767-4841 or use the contact form to email me. I will be more than happy to assist you.

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