Frutas de Chile's Blueberry Committee published its second forecast for the 2025-2026 season, projecting a 1% rise in fresh blueberry shipments over the previous season. This confirms the ongoing recovery that began in 2024-2025, when volumes grew by 5% after four years of decline.
The key change, once again, is the shift in varietal composition. "We expect exports of protected varieties to increase by 67%, and that of traditional varieties to decrease by 17%. Consequently, replacement or protected varieties will account for 35% of total shipments, up from 21% last season," explained Andrés Armstrong, the Committee's executive director.
According to Armstrong, this shift addresses the industry's need to compete more effectively on the international stage. The industry is focusing on offering "fruit that has better flavor, quality, and consistency, supported by new post-harvest technologies and logistics that ensure faster, better delivery to key markets," he said.
Shipment trends show a slight increase in early production zones, with peak exports expected between weeks 51 and 3, within Chile's typical export window.
The frozen blueberry segment continues to grow strongly, driven by increased demand following the pandemic. This channel has become a strategic outlet for producers, especially for marketing traditional varieties that are less competitive in the fresh market.
The Committee forecasts that the country will export more than 161,000 tons of frozen blueberries in the 2025-2026 season, representing a 2% increase from the previous season and accounting for a record 43% of total shipments.
Souce: frutasdechile.cl
