In a country where three-quarters of fresh fruit is imported, a new agritech company is working to change how Canada produces and consumes berries. Based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, BeriTech is developing controlled environment systems to grow premium blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries during the off-season, aiming to close a billion-dollar import gap and strengthen national food security.
"It all started with a discussion about an identified market gap and how technological enablement via a multidisciplinary approach could address it," explains Rodrigo Santana, CEO. "Canada has a seasonal climate with growing season constraints. Our berry production is seasonal, but consumption is year-round. On average, 75 percent of all fresh fruits consumed in Canada are imported, and the import value of berries alone is around 1.5 billion dollars per year."
© BeriTech
The BeriTech team
Founding a multi-berry vision
Santana co-founded BeriTech with Dr Eric Gerbrandt, a plant scientist and leading berry horticulturalist, to explore whether the right combination of genetics, horticultural methods, and precision-controlled environments could make off-season berry production commercially viable.
"By leveraging our previous experience in controlled environment agriculture and berry plant science, we believed the solution lay in integrating and developing technologies within berry physiology, genetics, CEA, and a go-to-market niche strategy," he says. "The desired outcome was a multi-berry indoor farming system that could minimize CapEx and OpEx while fully leveraging the genetic potential of selected or developed plant varieties able to produce premium fruits."
The company's approach builds on Canada's established greenhouse expertise in vegetables and strawberries, but applies to berries that have traditionally been field-grown and imported for much of the year.
Filling the gap between local fields and imported fruit
Gerbrandt describes Canada's dependence on imported berries as a growing vulnerability. "Our berry season runs from July to September. For the rest of the year, we import nearly one billion dollars of blueberries and raspberries from Mexico, Peru, and Chile. These berries are more expensive, they don't taste as good, and they're not as nutritious or as fresh as local fruit. They're also vulnerable to shipping delays and other supply-chain issues that can result in spoilage and shortages."
BeriTech's solution is to provide a consistent, domestic supply of "Made in Canada" berries for consumers, retailers, and growers alike. "For our direct customers, the local field berry farmers, our system creates off-season revenue streams and better use of capital infrastructure," Santana explains. "We envision greenhouses built beside Canadian berry field farms. For consumers, it's about premium, fresh, and flavorful berries produced with sustainable practices. And for retailers, it means a reliable, year-round supply of local fruit that's fresher, more flavorful, and more sustainable than imports", says Santana.
© BeriTech
BeriTech founders, Rodrigo Santana (left) and Dr Eric Gerbrandt (right)
Why blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries
"Canadian consumer tastes are evolving," Santana says. "Blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are among the top five fruit imports by value in Canada, driven by demand for fresh 'superfoods' that are high in antioxidants and soluble fiber while low in calories and carbohydrates. That context creates opportunities to innovate and build synergies between the field-grown berries already produced here and the strong Canadian greenhouse industry."
The company's system is designed to complement Canada's outdoor berry sector. "We're not competing with local field farmers. We're extending their season and helping them use labour and infrastructure more efficiently throughout the year."
From idea to implementation
Supported by funding from the BC Centre for Agritech Innovation (BCCAI) and the Weston Family Foundation's Homegrown Innovation Challenge, BeriTech is now moving from concept to commercial demonstration. Proof-of-concept trials have identified superior berry varieties and growth methods suited to precision control, paving the way for full-scale pilot systems in collaboration with research institutions and growers.
"Our mission is to provide Canadian consumers with local, premium off-season berries while supporting local berry farmers to extend their season, better utilizing labour and infrastructure."
For more information:
BeriTech 
Rodrigo Santana, CEO
[email protected]
www.beritech.ca
