The popularity of blueberries has grown considerably in recent years. Blueberry sales in supermarkets in 2017 increased by more than 250% compared to 2013. Agricultural acreage and imports of these berries have also grown. The price of blueberries in the supermarket has hardly changed in this period. This is according to the CBS.
Sales of blueberries in supermarkets
Blueberry sales have been climbing for a number of years in a row. This trend continued in the first half of 2018. During this period, supermarkets sold eight per cent more of these berries than in the same time in 2017. Consumers usually buy the most blueberries in the month of May.
Increased acreage and imports
Fruit growers are responding to the increased demand for soft, small fruits. These include blueberries, black and red currants, blackberries, and raspberries. The cultivation area for small fruit grows year on year. In 2018, the acreage increased to 1.930 hectares, a growth of eleven per cent compared to a year earlier. This concerns only the area of open field small fruit. The acreage under glass was not taken into account in this article.
Of all the small fruit varieties, blueberries are the most popular. Its acreage increased by 17% in one year to 970 hectares in 2018. The total acreage used to cultivate these berries has grown by two-thirds since 2013. The number of farmers increased slower during this period, from 110 to 130.
Healthy image
Blueberries are, along with pears and apples, the third most cultivated fruit variety in the Netherlands. The cultivation of blueberries is also on the rise in other European countries. In 2016, the Netherlands was among the top five European countries with the largest acreage under blueberries. The Netherlands, with its 780 hectares, trailed Poland (5.040 hectares), Germany (2.710 hectares), Spain (2.260 hectares), and Portugal (1.520 hectares). This increase is due, in part, to the healthy image consumers have of blueberries.
Blueberry imports have almost tripled
Not only has the cultivation of these berries grown in recent years, but so has the import of them. In 2017, 9,8 million kg of fresh blueberries were imported. This is almost three times as much as in 2013. In 2017 about 40% of these imported fruits were destined for re-export. In 2013, a third of the blueberries were imported from South America. Two-thirds were from Europe. In that year, most of the blueberries came from Spain (29%) and Chile (27%).
The distribution of countries from which blueberries are imported has changed compared to 2013. In 2013 and 2014, the majority of the imported blueberries came from two countries, Spain and Chile. In 2015 and 2016, a significant proportion came, not from Chile, but from Peru, with 19% from Chile and 31% from Peru. Chilean imports fell from 915.000 kg in 2013 to 331.000 kg last year. From 2015, there were more imports from Africa. In 2017, 745.000 kg (7,6% of the total imports) came from this continent. Last year, almost 60% of the blueberries came from Southern Europe (Spain, 51% and Portugal, 8%).
Source: CBS