Grower-owned cooperative Ocean Spray has forecast a drop in international cranberry production this year, mainly due to expectations there will be 17% less volume from Wisconsin.

But apart from the Midwest state, other growing regions like Massachusetts, New Jersey, Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Quebec are in for steady seasons.

In North America the harvest kicked off mid-September and will run through to mid-November, while cooperative owners in Chile already delivered 400,000 barrels of cranberries in June.

With Ocean Spray's Canadian and U.S. owners in the mix, production is set to reach 6.6-7 million barrels this year, down slightly from the 7.2 million recorded in 2013. This reduction is roughly in line with the global industry forecast of 11.2-11.6 million barrels, down from 12 million last year.

"With harvest just underway in most of the growing regions, Ocean Spray is prepared to receive, process, and sell the 2014 crop," said VP of cooperative development Dan Crocker.

"Our business remains strong and we are committed to our continued efforts to expand the demand for cranberry through new markets, channels, and products."

At 200,000 barrels, no more than 3% of Ocean Spray's crop will be sold as fresh while the rest will be made into juices, dried cranberries, cranberry sauces and other products.

The release said that out of the 400 million pounds of cranberries consumed in the U.S., one fifth would be consumed during Thanksgiving week.

While three quarters of the cranberry leader's production is consumed in North America, as part of its international expansion efforts it plans to host 'customers, media, and tastemakers' to witness the harvest.

The group's cranberries are featured in more than 1,000 products in more than 90 countries across the globe, with the U.K., Australia, France and Mexico as its top markets. Ocean Spray lists its fastest growing markets as China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Central America.

For its undertakings abroad, this past spring Ocean Spray received the President's "E" award for exports.

The cooperative has been in existence since 1930 and now has more than 700 cranberry and grapefruit grower owners in the United States, Canada and Chile. With more than 2,000 employees, the group notched gross sales of US$2.2 billion in 2013 along with net proceeds of US$380 million.

Related story: U.S.: 'demand for cranberries fairly stagnant', says grower group

Photo: Keith Weller, USDA-ARS, via Wikimedia Commons

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