U.S. blueberry growers have doubled their promotion assessment to keep up with a rapidly increasing global supply.

At a virtual board meeting on Oct. 20, the board members of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council voted 16-5 to raise assessments from $18 per ton to $36 for fresh blueberries and to $30 for processed.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, or USHBC, collectively promotes American blueberries under a federal marketing order. The previous rate was set in 2014.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture still must approve the increase, which could take until 2027, according to a hypothetical timeline presented at the meeting. The USHBC would not start collecting the extra money until sometime in 2028. •