Blueberry processing plant coming to Chilliwack
From the Chilliwack Times
With more and more blueberry production coming online in Chilliwack in recent years, Abbotsford-based Berry Hill Foods is building a processing plant in town.
Site preparation for the 35,000-square-foot facility has begun at the Brannick Place property in the Kerr Avenue Food Processing Park. Construction is set to begin in late October with a goal of being operational for the 2016 blueberry season.
Mayor Sharon Gaetz said food processing is an important part of a strong agricultural economy, and she is pleased to see the investment. “Berryhill has a great reputation and will bring many jobs to our community,” Gaetz said.
The blueberry industry in North America has grown to production levels totalling over a billion pounds. British Columbia is the largest producer of cultivated blueberries in North America, with production over 150 million pounds, according to CEPCO.
Growth is expected to reach 200 million pounds in the near future, with about 95 per cent of that production occurring in the Fraser Valley.