According to the president of the Association of Blueberry Producers of Peru (Proarándanos), Daniel Bustamante Canny, Peruvian fresh blueberry exports could reach 215,000 tons by the end of the 2023/2024 campaign, i.e. 25% less than the 285,000 tons sent in the previous campaign.
The drop in production is attributed to the lower volume achieved and the delay in some areas due to the high temperatures recorded, especially on the northern Peruvian coast, where the country's main blueberry cultivation areas are located. It's worth noting that this forecast would improve the results obtained up to week 51, in which blueberry exports amounted to 171,500 tons and was 32% lower than by the same week of the previous season.
Regarding prices, Bustamante said that they have increased in the international market. "The demand generated by Peru's lower production has a direct impact on prices in all markets week after week. From week 33 of this campaign to week 42, and even until week 46, there was much less volume than in the 2022/2023 campaign and than in the 2021/2022 campaign. These lower weekly shipments around the world generated a direct impact on international markets. That's what happens when a player like Peru, which is so relevant to the world's blueberry market supply, has issues," he stated.
The new blueberry varieties have responded better to high temperatures and were less affected by it than the traditional varieties, Bustamante stressed. These new varieties, which require zero hours of cold, have demonstrated greater resistance. According to the president of Proarándanos, Peru's blueberry industry is still developing and genetics will be key to mitigating problems related to climate issues in the future.
He also said it was still too early to forecast how the weather would behave in the 2024/2025 campaign. However, in the event of a severe or light El Niño phenomenon, it will be necessary to take precautions and be attentive to the response of the varieties to the different climatic conditions, he warned. In this context, he stressed the importance of selecting varieties that meet multiple requirements -such as adequate productive yields, fruit quality, the ability to withstand long trips, and other essential attributes- to compete efficiently in the world market.
Source: agraria.pe