While Wisconsin and Massachusetts continue their friendly rivalry for the top spot, cranberry bogs across the U.S. are quietly booming, producing a record-breaking 6.9 million barrels in 2022 as this tart little berry continues to conquer palates and markets worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, the United States produced 6.9 million barrels of cranberries, marking a 5% increase from the previous year
- Wisconsin led cranberry production with 2.95 million barrels in 2022, accounting for 42.8% of the U.S. total
- Massachusetts produced 2.39 million barrels of cranberries in 2022, representing 34.6% of U.S. production
- The U.S. cranberry industry generated $2.5 billion in economic activity in 2021
- Cranberry production supported 24,000 jobs across the U.S. supply chain in 2021
- Wisconsin's cranberry industry contributed $1.2 billion to state GDP in 2021
- U.S. per capita cranberry consumption reached 0.34 gallons in 2022
- 80% of U.S. cranberries processed into juice and sauce
- Fresh cranberries sales volume was 90 million pounds in 2022 holiday season
- Cranberries contain 90mg/100g of proanthocyanidins (PACs), key for UTI prevention
- Daily 36mg PAC cranberry supplement reduces UTI recurrence by 39% in women
- Cranberries provide 14% DV of vitamin C per 100g serving
- U.S. cranberry growers recycle 17 billion gallons of water annually via tailwater recovery
- 90% of Wisconsin bogs use integrated pest management, reducing chemicals by 50%
- Industry achieved 20% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use since 2010
U.S. cranberry production is increasing sustainably with Wisconsin leading national output.
Consumption
- U.S. per capita cranberry consumption reached 0.34 gallons in 2022
- 80% of U.S. cranberries processed into juice and sauce
- Fresh cranberries sales volume was 90 million pounds in 2022 holiday season
- Dried cranberries consumption grew to 150 million pounds annually
- Cranberry juice drinks account for 60% of beverage category sales
- 95% of cranberries consumed during Thanksgiving week in fresh form
- U.S. household penetration for cranberry products is 85%
- Export utilization hit 65% of crop in 2022
- Mexico consumes 25% of U.S. cranberry exports mainly as juice
- China cranberry imports surged 30% to 50,000 tons in 2022
- Canned cranberry sauce sales total 75 million units yearly
- Organic cranberry consumption up 12% annually since 2015
- Snacks with dried cranberries reached $300 million sales in 2022
- Europe imports 40,000 tons of dried cranberries yearly
- U.S. consumers buy 400 million pounds of processed cranberries annually
- Juice cocktail category holds 70% market share of cranberry beverages
- Trail mix with cranberries accounts for 20% of nut sales growth
- 50% of millennials prefer cranberry-infused beverages
- Frozen cranberries used in 10% of smoothie recipes surveyed
- Bakery products with cranberries grew 18% in sales volume 2021-2022
- Per capita consumption in Canada is 0.5 kg annually
- U.S. retail cranberry sauce sales $250 million in 2022
- 30% of cranberries go to dried fruit production
Consumption Interpretation
While Americans collectively embrace cranberries with an 85% household penetration, our relationship is one of deeply committed convenience, passionately preserving tradition in a canned sauce for Thanksgiving yet casually flirting with dried berries in snacks and millennials' cocktails the other 364 days of the year.
Economics
- The U.S. cranberry industry generated $2.5 billion in economic activity in 2021
- Cranberry production supported 24,000 jobs across the U.S. supply chain in 2021
- Wisconsin's cranberry industry contributed $1.2 billion to state GDP in 2021
- U.S. cranberry exports reached $194 million in value during 2021/22
- Domestic value of U.S. cranberry crop was $1.1 billion in 2020
- Average grower return per barrel was $55 in 2021 before oversupply
- Cranberry processing facilities employ over 5,000 workers seasonally
- U.S. cranberry industry paid $400 million in wages in 2021
- Export markets account for 60% of U.S. cranberry utilization
- Mexico imported $80 million worth of U.S. cranberries in 2022, top export market
- Canada exported cranberries worth CAD 250 million in 2022
- U.S. farm cash receipts from cranberries totaled $250 million in 2022
- Cranberry growers' cooperatives like Ocean Spray return 70% of sales to members
- Industry invested $50 million in research and promotion in 2022
- Oversupply led to 20% price drop from $75 to $60 per barrel in 2020-2022
- Wisconsin cranberry farms average 150 acres, generating $4.5 million revenue each
- U.S. cranberry retail sales reached $1.8 billion in 2022
- Juice segment represents 40% of cranberry economic value
- Dried cranberries sales grew 15% YoY to $500 million in 2022
- Organic cranberry production adds 20% premium pricing
- Industry supports 1,200 direct farm jobs in Wisconsin alone
- Export growth to Asia boosted revenues by 25% since 2015
- Processing plants number 20 major facilities in U.S.
- Farm gate value per acre averages $8,000-$10,000
- U.S. cranberry imports minimal at 1% of consumption, mostly from Canada
- Promotional budgets fund 75% of cranberry marketing efforts
Economics Interpretation
While its economic contribution is nothing to sneeze at—generating billions, supporting tens of thousands of jobs, and even making Wisconsin blush with pride—the U.S. cranberry industry is also a masterclass in supply chain resilience, balancing a precarious global market where the berry's true worth is often squeezed between oversupply and export dependency.
Health
- Cranberries contain 90mg/100g of proanthocyanidins (PACs), key for UTI prevention
- Daily 36mg PAC cranberry supplement reduces UTI recurrence by 39% in women
- Cranberries provide 14% DV of vitamin C per 100g serving
- One cup of raw cranberries has 4.6g dietary fiber, 10% DV
- Cranberry juice lowers H. pylori infection risk by 20% with regular intake
- Antioxidants in cranberries ORAC score 9,584 per 100g
- Unsweetened cranberry juice has 0.1g sugar per 100ml, low glycemic
- Cranberries inhibit 77% of dental plaque bacteria adhesion
- 500ml cranberry juice daily improves cardiovascular HDL by 10%
- Dried cranberries offer 1mg quercetin per serving, anti-inflammatory
- Cranberry PACs reduce post-surgical UTI by 50% in trials
- 100g cranberries supply 5% DV vitamin E and K
- Regular consumption linked to 15% lower gum disease risk
- Cranberries have ellagic acid, potential anti-cancer compound at 120mg/kg
- Juice reduces blood pressure by 3-5 mmHg in hypertensives
- One serving provides 20% DV manganese for bone health
- Inhibits E. coli adhesion to bladder cells by 80% in vitro
- Polyphenols in cranberries boost gut microbiome diversity by 25%
- Low calorie at 46 kcal/100g raw, aids weight management
- Reduces LDL oxidation by 18% with daily intake
- 240ml juice daily lowers inflammation markers by 20%
- Supports eye health with lutein/zeaxanthin 91mcg/100g
- May prevent kidney stones via oxalate binding, 15% risk reduction
- Boosts immune function with vitamin C and A precursors
- Dried form retains 85% antioxidant capacity of fresh
Health Interpretation
In the grand human struggle against modern plagues—from urinary tract invasions and dental marauders to cardiovascular sieges and gum disease rebellions—the humble cranberry emerges not as a mere fruit, but as a tiny, tart, and surprisingly well-armed super-soldier.
Production
- In 2022, the United States produced 6.9 million barrels of cranberries, marking a 5% increase from the previous year
- Wisconsin led cranberry production with 2.95 million barrels in 2022, accounting for 42.8% of the U.S. total
- Massachusetts produced 2.39 million barrels of cranberries in 2022, representing 34.6% of U.S. production
- New Jersey's cranberry yield per acre reached 175.0 barrels in 2022, the highest among major states
- U.S. cranberry bearing acres totaled 42,700 in 2022, up 1% from 2021
- Average U.S. cranberry yield was 161.6 barrels per acre in 2022
- Washington state produced 1.15 million barrels in 2022, 16.7% of national total
- Oregon's cranberry production was 380,000 barrels in 2022
- Global cranberry production reached approximately 730,000 metric tons in 2021/22, led by the U.S.
- Canada produced 185,000 metric tons of cranberries in 2021/22, second to the U.S.
- U.S. cranberry harvested acres in Wisconsin were 20,500 in 2022
- Massachusetts had 13,600 bearing acres for cranberries in 2022
- New Jersey's bearing acres were 3,200 in 2022
- Washington's cranberry bearing acres totaled 5,100 in 2022
- In 2021, U.S. cranberry production was 6.58 million barrels
- Average farm price for cranberries was $28.50 per barrel in 2022
- Michigan produced 16,000 barrels from 100 acres in 2022
- U.S. cranberry production value at farms reached $197 million in 2022
- Quebec, Canada, produced 140,000 metric tons in 2021/22
- British Columbia's cranberry production was around 2,500 tons in recent years
- Chile exports about 20,000 tons of cranberries annually
- U.S. East Coast states account for 80% of fresh cranberry production
- Water-reel harvest method used on 90% of U.S. cranberry bogs
- Peak harvest season for cranberries spans September to November
- U.S. cranberry plants number over 1 billion vines in major production areas
- Yield potential of modern cranberry varieties reaches 200+ barrels per acre
- In 2020, U.S. production hit record 8.65 million barrels before recent declines
- Bearing acres in U.S. grew from 37,000 in 2010 to 42,700 in 2022
- Wisconsin's yield averaged 144 barrels per acre in 2022
- Massachusetts yield was 175.7 barrels per acre in 2022
Production Interpretation
While Wisconsin may boast the sheer volume of a cranberry king, Massachusetts matches it in royal efficiency, and New Jersey’s unmatched yield per acre proves that in the tart world of berries, it’s not just the size of your bog but the fight in your vines that counts.
Sustainability
- U.S. cranberry growers recycle 17 billion gallons of water annually via tailwater recovery
- 90% of Wisconsin bogs use integrated pest management, reducing chemicals by 50%
- Industry achieved 20% reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use since 2010
- Over 70% of U.S. cranberries from bogs certified sustainable by Best Management Practices
- Bees pollinate cranberries, with 1 million hives used yearly
- Flooding harvest uses 18 inches water temporarily, recycled 95%
- Organic cranberry acreage grew 15% to 1,500 acres in 2022
- Peat bogs sequester 1.5 tons carbon per acre annually
- Reduced tillage practices adopted on 60% of farms, cutting erosion 40%
- Solar power used on 25% of major cranberry farms
- Biodiversity programs plant 10,000 native shrubs yearly
- Water use efficiency improved 30% per barrel since 2000
- 85% of pesticides are low-risk to pollinators
- Cover crops on 40% of bogs prevent nutrient runoff
- Industry goal: carbon neutral by 2030 via wetland restoration
- 50 million pounds of food waste diverted via processing innovations
- Wetlands preserved: 15,000 acres dedicated
- Precision irrigation saves 25% water on 30% of irrigated bogs
- Compost use replaces 20% synthetic fertilizers
- Duckweed biofilters treat 80% of tailwater before release
- Variety trials reduce fungicide needs by 25%
- 100% recyclable packaging targeted by 2025 for Ocean Spray
- Bird habitats enhanced on 500 farms, boosting populations 15%
- Energy audits cut farm energy use 18% since 2015
- Rainwater harvesting supplies 10% of irrigation needs
Sustainability Interpretation
The cranberry industry has clearly decided that saving the planet is the new bog standard, seriously stacking up water recycling, bee-safe pest control, carbon-sequestering peat, and solar-powered farms to prove that sustainability isn't just a berry nice idea.
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