Aussie berries are adhering to global advice that quality will underpin sales into the future.
The overarching theme to emerge from the Global Berry Congress 2016 held in Rotterdam,the Netherlands last month was the need for breeders and growers to deliver a quality eating experience consumers will pay a premium for.
Australia's berry industries appear to be on top of the suggestion already, although concerns linger over quality in years to come as production expands.
Australian Rubus Growers Association (ARGA) CEO Jonathan Eccles said Australia has been in a special position when it came to raspberries and blackberries.
"From our perspective, up until now we've been pretty lucky that consumer demand has been there, greater than production but that's going to change," he said.
He agreed that quality was king but said growers couldn't afford to lose profit margins with the high labour costs an ever-present worry.
Mr Eccles said there was potential to highlight Australia's quality to the rest of the world.
Berries are highly perishable which creates transport concerns, something where Australia could surprisingly have an advantage.
"We have some of the cheapest airfreight in the world," he said.
"The major hurdle we have is quarantine due to Queensland fruit fly."
Mr Eccles said he would like to see some funding go towards research and prevention of spotted wing drosophila which is not currently present in Australia.
"We import berries and that is monitored throughout the regulated pathways but it's the unregulated pathways which have cause for concern," he said.
He also said the different berry groups would do well to work together.
It's an idea that Australian Blueberry Growers' Association president Greg McCulloch has warmed to as well.
He said local blueberry growers have had the importance of high quality fruit drummed into them.
"That's why we have such a high standing in Asia," he said.
Mr McCulloch said he remembers 10 years ago when a representative from a large grocery chain in the United Kingdom declared Australia as having the best blueberries in the world.
