According to the general manager of Proarándanos, Luis Miguel Vegas, Peruvian blueberry exports are expected to increase by 30% this season to a total of 287,000 tons. The United States is the main destination for the fruit, he added.
“In this campaign, Peru has exported fresh blueberries to 33 destinations. 53% of shipments have been sent to the United States, 31% to Europe; 13% to China, and 2% to other places," he stated.
Vegas highlighted the slowdown with which new blueberry plantations evolve in the country, as the surface area, which had been growing at an average of 3,000 hectares per year, only increased by 1,600 hectares last year. However, he stated, there is a greater varietal development.
“Peru has more and more blueberry varieties. It's true that the increase in volume puts downward pressure on prices. However, one must also consider that, since there is a greater supply of varieties, there is a greater range in prices. In 2016 Peru had 13 registered varieties and at the end of last year we had more than 60 varieties," he noted.
He also highlighted the appearance of new blueberry-producing regions, such as Moquegua, and the growth of others, such as Ancash, Lima, and ICA, which increased their area by more than 100% compared to 2016.
Losses in the campaign
According to the spokesperson for Proarándanos, last year's strikes affected more than 2,000 tons of this fruit. In some cases, the production was completely lost, in other cases, the fruit was dispatched later, which led to a decrease in quality and prices, he stated.
“Approximately 150 containers were affected by the different stoppage events last year. The protests in December didn't affect the sector that much because almost 50% of the product is exported between September and October,” he said.
Source: gestion.pe