Is Commercial Blueberry Production Profitable in Florida?
The profitability of blueberry production in Florida for the fresh fruit shipping market is difficult to predict because of: • high variation in production costs and yields from farm to farm; • uncertainty about future market prices; and • uncertain risks from weather, pests, diseases and other forces of nature inherent to any agricultural enterprise. Establishment of a southern highbush blueberry planting in Florida can be expensive (as much as $15,000 per acre not including land cost) depending on plant density, amount of site preparation required, and whether or not overhead irrigation and bird netting are used (Fig. 1). It is possible to plant southern highbush blueberries at conventional spacings on very good soils for less than $10,000 per acre. For conventionally-spaced plantings, micro-sprinkler irrigation can be used in place of overhead sprinklers during the first two years, and bird netting is not needed until plants come into production which is usually the third year after
