Oregon and Washington produce more blueberries than any other region in the world. In Oregon alone, growers harvest approximately 150 million pounds annually, with a farmgate value exceeding $120 million. A large share of this fruit is destined for the fresh market, which requires high-quality, unbruised berries.
The technology offers a scalable solution for reducing reliance on hand labor while maintaining high fruit quality for domestic and export markets.
However, harvesting for the fresh market remains labor-intensive and costly — ranging from $6,000 to $12,000 per acre. Rising labor costs and limited availability of workers are making it increasingly difficult for Pacific Northwest growers to remain competitive.
Mechanical harvesting has long been used for processed blueberries, but traditional over-the-row (OTR) machines cause bruising and reduce shelf life, making them unsuitable for fresh-market fruit. To address this challenge, Wei Qiang Yang, professor and district berry Extension agent with the Oregon State University Extension Service, has led a collaborative effort with U.S. Department of Agriculture researchers, the University of Georgia and OTR harvester manufacturer OXBO International.
The team developed and tested soft catch harvesting systems, beginning with hand-held shakers and advancing to full-scale OTR machines. These modified machines replace traditional hard plastic catch surfaces with soft fabric materials, significantly reducing impact force and internal bruise damage. The upgraded harvesters were tested over several seasons in commercial blueberry fields in Oregon, Washington and California. Fruit harvested with the soft catch systems was processed through commercial packing lines and evaluated for firmness, internal quality and shelf life.
Results show that the new system preserves fruit quality suitable for the fresh market and reduces harvest costs by more than 75% — from $0.60 per pound for hand harvesting to $0.15 per pound for machine harvesting. In Oregon alone, machine harvesting with soft catch technology is projected to have an annual economic benefit of $10 million, based on 25 million pounds of fresh blueberries harvested mechanically.
Commercial adoption has already begun. Two Oregon companies recently purchased the first three commercial OXBO 7440 harvesters equipped with the soft catch system. The technology offers a scalable solution for reducing reliance on hand labor while maintaining high fruit quality for domestic and export markets.
Yang continues to refine the system for improved sanitation and efficiency. His work supports the long-term sustainability of Oregon’s blueberry industry, ensuring that growers can meet rising demand while managing production costs and labor challenges.
