The Current Status of Red Raspberry Cultivars in the United States and Canada

Abstract

The red raspberry is a unique fruit, with a distinctive flavor and dessert quality that has enabled it to maintain its position in the marketplace. Red raspberries can be found in nearly every State in the United States and Province in Canada. Although the total acreage over the past half century has declined, for example 12,000 acres in New York in 1900 to less than 2,000 in 1970 (8), the red raspberry has a brighter future. This future will be greatly determined by the new cultivars now being evaluated and by new cultivars yet to be released. Marketing by U-pick or local fresh sales has expanded greatly throughout the nation in the past 10 years and has resulted in expanded acreage. The mechanized harvest of the commercial red raspberry industry in the Pacific Northwest has stimulated interest in new cultivars and new plantings.