This season, blueberry producers in Tucuman will have to -once again- export their product by sea due to the high operating costs of air transport. “It's a shame because we adapted our airport to export blueberries and now we're not using it for this purpose,” lamented producer Francisco Estrada.
There are several factors that do not favor this activity in Argentina, which exports 15,000 tons of blueberries per year, such as logistics issues and the exchange rate, Estrada stated. "Having an exchange rate that only gives producers half of the value they should receive per dollar is the fastest way to make a productive sector that generates more than 15,000 jobs unsustainable. Next year, producers will determine if continuing with his product is worthwhile or not.”
Another factor to be taken into account is the advance of blueberry production in different countries, such as South Africa, Peru, and Chile, which could leave Argentina out of the market because of the difference in production costs, he warned. "The sector asked for a special dollar for our production. It's a shame the government doesn't give us a more competitive exchange rate. We are evaluating some other way to improve this situation, perhaps via a tax refund,” he said.
Source: tucuman.mitelefe.com