B.C. blueberries bound for China in $65M deal

Blueberries from British Columbia maysoon be shipped to China thanks toa deal worth up to $65 million a year, expected to be finalized this fall.

International Trade Minister Ed FastFast announced the deal alongsideB.C. Agriculture MinisterNormLetnick on the edge of a blueberry field at WestberryFarms in Abbotsford, B.C. on Wednesday.

"This isgreat news for B.C.'s world-class blueberries,"said Fast, noting that China isthe most populous country in the world.

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The summer fruit is already a $110-million business in British Columbia,whichis the largestblueberryregion in the world, stretching from Richmond toAgassiz.

Rapidly growing economies

Letnicksaid thedeal is important because fresh berries fetch a higher price than the frozen variety, and there's potential for more trade withChina, asone ofthe world's fastest growing economies.

"It's important for us to be in the right market and the right time," Letnicksaid. "We will continue to try to expand the Chinese market."

But the province and the federal government have bigger plans for the crop. Fast said they also hope to introduce B.C. blueberries to India and Southeast Asia.

"These are rapidly growing economies," Fast said, referring to Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam.

"I was just in Philippines, and they are very interested in opening up their market to our products, especially blueberries," he said.

Last year, B.C. produced about 65,500 tonnesof the berries, which are Canada's largest fruit export in terms of value and volume.