At the opening of Blueberry Convention Paracas 2026, Proarándanos president Miguel Bentín reviewed the development of Peru's blueberry sector and highlighted the role of Ica in the early stages of coastal production.
Speaking during the event, Bentín said Ica may have hosted the first commercial blueberry hectares on the Peruvian coast.
"It's possible, it's not 100% confirmed, but it's very likely that the first commercial hectares on the Peruvian coast originated here," he said.
Bentín described the early years of the blueberry industry in Peru as uncertain, with limited clarity on how the crop would develop commercially on the coast.
According to him, the current scale of the industry was not anticipated during the initial years of cultivation. He linked the development of blueberries with earlier Peruvian agro-export crops such as asparagus and table grapes, which also faced skepticism during their expansion phases.
"I am very proud to be part of this sector, which demonstrates who we are: how we overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges and how we have been able to build our own knowledge," Bentín said.
During his presentation, Bentín also referred to the adaptation process required for blueberry production on the Peruvian coast. He explained that existing international production information often did not match local growing conditions.
"We don't have the information. We have to write our own manuals," he said.
According to Bentín, farms located within 50 kilometers of each other could experience different production challenges, making standardised management approaches difficult.
He said much of the industry's technical development came through field-level observation, management adjustments, and locally generated production knowledge.
Bentín also noted that market conditions have changed compared with the industry's earlier years, when lower global supply supported commercial growth with limited differentiation requirements.
Today, he said blueberry markets are more segmented and require greater competitiveness in both production and commercial strategy.
"The fruit market is becoming more segmented. It has to be competitive both in terms of production and sales. Markets are more knowledgeable and know what they want," he stated.
Towards the end of his speech, Bentín highlighted that Ica currently has 3,600 hectares of blueberry production.
Although northern regions such as La Libertad and Lambayeque have larger planted areas, Bentín said Ica continues to play a role in the sector's development.
"We're not the biggest, but we expect to continue growing competitively and sustainably," he said.
Source: Blueberries Consulting
