"75% of our blueberry production is protected by tunnels"

Integrity S.A. is a company that provides services to the Chilean fruit export market. Its business is focused in three areas: cooling, with more than 30 cold stores in Chile and Argentina; packaging, with plastic packaging made from recycled PET and manufactured in Santiago de Chile and Lima, Peru; and agriculture, with 82 hectares of blueberries and 30 hectares of citrus fruits in the province of Entre Rios, Argentina.

Gabriel Fonzo Schlesinger, president of Integrity, explains that his company was a pioneer in the planting of blueberries and mandarins in Argentina. "In December 2002, during the country's economic crisis, we acquired 180 hectares in the region of Concordia, Entre Rios." Despite the difficulties, he said to be very satisfied with the results, which encouraged him to also build a packaging, refrigeration and brominating plant in the region to cover the needs of their own fruit and that of its exclusive client, AgroBerry.

Integrity chose Argentina for this project because its harvest period falls right between the end of the harvest in the northern hemisphere and the start of the Chilean season, as well as because of the climate, the great fertility of the soil and the low cost of labour during the recession period.

The blueberry production reached 600 tonnes in 2015 and Fonzo expected it to continue growing over the coming years. "We currently have 82 hectares devoted to blueberries and 30 hectares to citrus fruits, although some of this space will be used to replant blueberries soon," he explains. Prices in 2015 have also been higher than in previous years, because of increased demand and a lower supply.

Its traditional markets are the United States and Europe, but it also has plans to expand into Asia.

During the spring of 2015, bad weather hit several blueberry fields, but Fonzo explains that its plantations are protected under tunnel greenhouses, which prevented damage and even allowed the harvest to start earlier. Fonzo considers this the biggest advantage over other producers in the region. "We have 75% of the fruit protected by tunnels, allowing us to produce regardless of the weather conditions, be it wind, rain, hail or frost. Furthermore, we obtain a higher quality fruit and enjoy better market conditions for the final product."

His goals for the future are for 100% of the production to be covered by tunnel greenhouses, to continue growing in the region and to improve the productivity. The main objective is to be able to harvest 850 tonnes in the next season and 1,300 tonnes in 2017.