Although raspberries and blackberries are grown in many states, three states — Oregon, Washington, and California — account for most of U.S. production for both fresh market wholesale and processing, though commercial blackberry production much increasing in the Southeast and other regions over the last 10 years. However, the caneberry industry is more than that: NARBA’s membership, for example, includes growers and others in the caneberry industry in 35 states, 5 Canadian provinces, and 6 countries (as of June 2017). Many growers produce for local markets and sell their fruit directly to consumers at the farm, at retail markets, as Pick-Your-Own, or to local stores and restaurants. They also process their berries into jams, wines, and other products for direct sale to consumers or wholesale to stores.
In general, growers in cooler climates concentrate on raising raspberries, while blackberries are mostly grown in the Pacific Northwest and the South. Newer varieties and production methods, however, are extending the range of both types.
U.S. Statistics for blackberry and raspberry production and crop value are compiled by the USDA – National Agricultural Statistics Service. The table below summarizes 2015 figures. USDA-NASS reports only information for Oregon, California, and Washington, the major producing states.
|
Crop |
Production |
Area |
Value |
Leading states |
|
Blackberry & hybrids (all) |
51.3 |
6,920 |
38.1 |
1. Oregon* |
|
Red Raspberry |
246.9 |
19,070 |
44.5 |
1. Washington* |
|
Black Raspberry |
9.8 |
2,250 |
5.7 |
1. Oregon* 2. California |
|
All Raspberries |
256.8 |
5,400 |
239.8 |
|
|
* for processing. USDA does not report figures for states other than CA, OR, and WA. 2015 figures. |
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Blackberry production and sales have more than tripled in the last 10 years. The graph below was created from USDA Agricultural Marketing Service information. Here you can see that there is now substantial production in California and the Southeast. Mexico produces more than 75% of blackberries consumed in the U.S., mostly in the winter months. This chart does not include local production for local markets, but only the larger wholesale marketplace. Oregon continues to dominate the production of berries for processing (not included in the chart).
Fresh market blackberry shipments in the United States,1999-2016 The unit shown is 10,000 lbs.
World figures: Raspberries are produced many countries worldwide. According to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) these were the 10 top raspberry producing countries in 2015. Countries with large acreages but lower value of production generally produce primarily for processing. The FAO does not keep records for blackberries.
|
Country |
Production (Tonnes) |
Area Harvested (Hectares) |
Value $ (Millions) |
|
Russian Federation* |
144000 |
16600 |
281.8 |
|
Poland |
125859 |
28272 |
190.6 |
|
United States |
103510 |
7912 |
529.5 |
|
Serbia (2014) |
61715 |
11041 |
119.4 |
|
Mexico |
35627 |
2342 |
105.5 |
|
Ukraine |
30800 |
4900 |
33.6 |
|
United Kingdom |
17765 |
1462 |
104 |
|
Spain |
14307 |
1485 |
79.9 |
|
Canada |
12078 |
1959 |
27.6 |
|
*Unofficial figures: the rest are official data |
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Here’s an overview of world blackberry production, by blackberry breeders John R. Clark and Chad Finn, published in Brazil in 2014.
