China's blueberry surge sparks price war and legal battle over protected varieties
China has overtaken the United States as the top blueberry producer, flooding the market with cheap fruit, driving prices down and prompting disputes over illegal farms and protected strains.
Chinese blueberry production has exploded since 2010, growing twenty-fivefold and surpassing the United States as the world’s largest producer by 2021, with output expected to be double that of the U.S. by 2025. The surge has driven prices down sharply, from $45 per kilogram in 2021 to about $15 now, and has drawn both large investors like Jack Ču of Lanxing Agriculture and small entrepreneurs such as Čche Č’-chan who have built high-tech farms.
The rapid expansion has also triggered a fierce price war and raised alarms about illegal plantations and the unauthorized use of protected varieties. Western companies, including Driscoll’s and Spain’s Planasa, have launched investigations, using DNA testing that in some cases confirmed illegal propagation. Chinese growers are increasingly refusing to provide samples and are blending protected strains with other plants, complicating enforcement. The controversy underscores China’s broader push to dominate global agricultural markets while challenging intellectual-property norms.
Why it matters
The dispute illustrates how China's fast-growing agriculture can reshape global fruit markets and strain IP protections.
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