mi-press-releases News Release NR-12-68 September 28, 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director Fruit Inventory Results for Blueberries Results from the 2011 Michigan Fruit Acreage Inventory have been compiled for blueberries. There were 600 commercial blueberry farms at the end of the 2011 season, according to Jay Johnson, Director of the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. This is a 4 percent increase from the 2006 inventory. There were 20,900 acres of blueberries at the conclusion of 2011, up 1,600 acres since 2006. There were 2,020 acres of blueberries planted from 2006 through 2011. The top three counties in blueberry acres, Van Buren, Ottawa, and Allegan, accounted for 82 percent of all acres. The three most common varieties were Jersey, Bluecrop, and Elliott. They accounted for 74 percent of the total acres. All tables on blueberries are available through the NASS home page at www.nass.usda.gov. Select Michigan under Statistics by State to access the Michigan internet page. In the list of Michigan Publications, choose Michigan Rotational Surveys to find the Fruit Inventory 2011-2012 information. Blueberries: Number of farms and acres by county and district ------------------------------------------------------------ : Farms : Acres County and :--------------------------------------- district : 2006 : 2011 : 2006 : 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------ Northwest : 12 16 30 35 : Muskegon : 20 21 1,040 1,100 Oceana 1/ : 7 630 Ottawa : 103 101 5,550 5,950 Other counties : 28 21 410 420 West Central : 151 150 7,000 8,100 : Allegan : 70 70 2,800 2,750 Berrien : 64 64 1,190 1,070 Van Buren : 191 209 7,850 8,500 Other counties : 5 6 30 30 Southwest : 330 349 11,870 12,350 : East : 82 85 400 415 : Michigan : 575 600 19,300 20,900 ------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Included in Other counties in 2006. Blueberries: Acres and percent of total by variety -------------------------------------------------------------------- : 2006 : 2011 Variety :----------------------------------------------- : Acres : Percent : Acres : Percent -------------------------------------------------------------------- Aurora : 70 0.4 180 0.9 Berkeley : 135 0.7 110 0.5 Bluecrop : 5,350 27.7 5,500 26.3 Bluejay : 270 1.4 290 1.4 Blueray : 440 2.3 445 2.1 Bluetta : 165 0.9 155 0.7 Brigitta : 70 0.4 70 0.3 Burlington : 175 0.9 165 0.8 Collins : 65 0.3 65 0.3 Draper : 45 0.2 210 1.0 Duke : 560 2.9 725 3.5 Earliblue : 80 0.4 80 0.4 Elliott : 2,800 14.5 3,450 16.5 Jersey : 6,650 34.5 6,600 31.6 Liberty : 95 0.5 440 2.1 Nelson : 105 0.5 165 0.8 Northland : 140 0.7 150 0.7 Rancocas : 145 0.7 135 0.6 Rubel : 1,520 7.9 1,500 7.2 Spartan : 75 0.4 75 0.4 Other : 345 1.8 390 1.9 : Michigan : 19,300 100.0 20,900 100.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------