While the Peruvian blueberry season in recent years was dominated by successive growth, this year the cards have been dealt differently. After last spring's floods, El Nino now caused temperatures to rise by an average of 4-5 degrees and the season has slowed down extremely.
"After years in a row during which exports from Peru have grown by 20-30%, the realisation has suddenly dawned on the market that supply may well be lower than last year," Stefan Spanjaard, Managing Director of the European arm of global cultivation company Agrovision, tells us.
"Of course, there are differences per growing area and variety, but it will be a challenging season anyway, because this decrease in volumes will not simply be compensated with a higher price," Stefan says. "Traditionally, September was always a difficult month for blueberries, but with the emergence of Peru, that was no longer an issue in recent years."
"With the season not taking off from Peru, but also from Zimbabwe and South Africa, as we had hoped, the scarcity will continue for some time. Northern European production is really drying up now. I predict that shortages will therefore persist at least until mid-October."
"Consumers will also start to notice these shortages, as blueberries are an increasingly common item on the weekly shopping list," Stefan continues. "Prices are therefore shooting up. I hear of prices ranging from 9 to 11 euros in the day trade, but for the special varieties 12 euros plus is already being paid."
According to Agrovision Europe's managing director, retail customers do understand the situation. "That would have been different if it was a problem of a single growers, but the problem now applies across the board. People will have to shift gears, though. People are used to there always being berries, but they will have to accept that isn't the case this year. So promotions will be 'not done', and they will have to switch back to small packs earlier with packaging."
The European arm of Agrovision Europe has now been operating for two years. Stefan looks back on the past period with satisfaction. "In the first year it was mainly pioneering and we were busy setting up the organisation, but soon we formed an experienced team, with which we were well equipped."
The Agrovion's ambitions are big. Two years ago, for instance, the parent company formulated an ambitious plan to grow to its own production of 5,000 hectares of blueberries worldwide in five years. "We are on track with that, for instance, Agrovision Morocco now has six of its own farms, where the first 30 hectares of premium raspberries have also been planted. This is a new variety from a breeding programme for which we are exclusive licensee. Our vision is to be a world player in berries in the shortest possible time, so we still have plenty of ambitions to further expand the soft fruit portfolio."
Agrovision is an exhibitor at the Fruit Attraction in Madrid: Hall 9 - F14.
See more information:
Stefan Spanjaard 
Agrovision Europe
+31 (0)6 558 133 36
[email protected]
www.agrovisionfresh.com
