SALEM, Ore. — The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council brought Oregon growers together Feb. 21 to discuss a potential assessment increase, but debate erupted over protectionism and the organization’s international membership.

“This is the United Nations blueberry council,” exclaimed Mike Townsend, president of Townsend Farms in Fairview, Ore.

He added that most of the organization’s assessment funding now comes from offshore.

“They’re doing a good job for the people they’re representing. They’ve done a great job marketing berries for the other countries,” Townsend said.

In an aside, he said the organization should be disbanded as it has failed U.S. farmers.

Raised rates

The council is looking to increase its assessment from $18 per ton to $50 per ton for fresh blueberries and $30 per ton for processed fruit.

“It’s a big, big step. It’s a significant economic step,” said Tom Avinelis, treasurer of the North American Blueberry Council and owner of Quiet Meadows Farm near Jefferson, Ore.

“When this first came out, I was overwhelmed with the change. But I realized we had to do something,” he said.

If the industry doesn’t grow demand and bring in new consumers, it will stagnate, Avinelis added.

Boosting demand, prices

The additional funding would increase marketing for the overall blueberry industry with the goal of boosting demand and prices.

According to the organization, supply will continue to outstrip demand over the years as production volume increases, most notably from Peru, but also domestically.

“All signs point to producers taking a hit in profits per pound — soon, and as much as 30 cents on average by 2033,” states a council handout.

Kasey Cronquist, USHBC president, said there’s still tremendous opportunities to push consumption higher as many residents eat blueberries, but not very often.

He added that the council’s marketing efforts try to lift the entire category and that would help American growers.

If the council approved the assessment this spring, domestic growers wouldn’t experience the higher rates until 2027 and 2028 would be the first full budget year with increased funding.

Grower dissension

Troy Sinn, general manager of Cascade Fruit Growers in Salem, said he couldn’t support any amount of assessment because it was supporting foreign berries.

“I’m not getting the benefit of it,” he added.

His brother Nelson Finn, finance manager for Cascade Fruit Growers, worried the industry would be creating demand for another growing region to fill.

Billy Townsend of Townsend Farms, Mike Townsend’s son, wanted extra funding to go toward lobbyists to help with problems such as rising costs.

“We’re seeing the same prices we were back in the ’90s on processed. We’re getting destroyed on fresh,” he said.

Cronquist responded that the USHBC, a research and promotion program under the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, couldn’t lobby. The North American Blueberry Council, a voluntary organization that he also leads, can perform those duties, however.

Accountability, benchmarks

Gage Thompson, CFO of Norris Farms near Roseburg, Ore., asked about accountability with the extra funding and how to monitor marketing efforts.

Doug Krahmer, Oregon’s representative on the USHBC, said subcommittees, committees and the council, all of which include growers, will regularly check benchmarks, providing multiple layers of scrutiny.

He hopes to have the guidance of the Oregon Blueberry Commission before he votes on the assessment.

The USHBC will hold another outreach meeting in California in March.

Near the end of the meeting, Krahmer told growers to consider the proposal and communicate their thoughts.

“If we have a problem, what do we think is the answer?” he asked.