As part of the Blueberry Convention Paracas 2026, the panel “Peru Moving Forward” took place, a conversation that brought together Juan Valdivia, Blueberry Agricultural Operations Manager at Danper; Juan Pablo Bentín, Production Manager at Family Farms Peru; José Luis Dibos, General Manager of Surexport Peru Berries; Luis Rodríguez, Operations Manager at Hass Peru SA; and Rabi Hernán Vilela Ríos, Commercial Deputy Manager of Paracas Port. The discussion focused on a question that is currently facing the region: what does Ica need to sustain its growth with profitability, quality, and greater responsiveness to an increasingly demanding market?

Throughout the panel, the conversation shifted from varietal strategy and fruit quality to operational efficiency, infrastructure, labor, and logistics. Rather than dwelling on the idea that Ica continues to expand, the discussions focused on the conditions shaping this new phase and the adjustments that producers and exporters will need to make to maintain competitiveness.

Quality, genetics and varietal strategy

One of the first ideas that emerged was that the market today rewards quality, not just volume. The panel emphasized the need to clearly define production potential, quality targets for each variety, and a commercial strategy tailored to each market and season. “This market is built on quality,” it was noted at the beginning of the session, along with the idea that there is room to supply high-quality fruit throughout the year.

From there, Juan Pablo Bentín steered the conversation toward adaptability. He pointed out that Ica faces a changing climate and that the task involves “overcoming these challenges… not reacting, but anticipating events,” in order to maintain productivity and quality. He also emphasized the importance of having a thorough understanding of genetics so that it adapts to the conditions of each operation and the demands of the market.

From a field perspective, this reading encourages a more thorough review of material selection and management practices. From an export perspective, it reinforces the idea that commercial consistency begins long before shipment and depends on how well each variety performs in the region and the target market.

The “leaks” that erode profitability

One of the most concrete points of the panel came from José Luis Dibos, when he steered the discussion toward the inefficiencies that are often normalized within operations. His point was direct: in addition to seeking highly productive fields, companies must correct a series of "leaks" that drain efficiency and profitability every day.

Among those points, he mentioned untimely harvesting, overripe or overripe fruit, soft fruit, equipment calibration, application volume, and the field layout itself. He was especially emphatic in pointing out that "you have to be very precise with the timing, with the frequency of harvesting," and that even "one or two hours has a huge impact on the fruit's shelf life" when it comes to rapid cooling and its condition upon arrival.

What emerged here was a very concrete business insight: a significant portion of profitability isn't lost due to major errors, but rather to repetitive operational details that ultimately affect condition, lifespan, and commercial return. For producers and exporters, this part of the panel brought competitiveness down to a much more tangible level.

Infrastructure and logistics: a condition for continued growth

The conversation also revealed that Ica's competitiveness depends on more than just its orchards. Luis Rodríguez emphasized the importance of regional infrastructure, stating unequivocally that "infrastructure is absolutely vital." His remarks focused on roads, travel times, and other difficulties that ultimately impact the entry of personnel, the movement of supplies, and the shipment of fruit.

At that regional level, the port's perspective was later added. Rabbi Hernán Vilela Ríos explained that Paracas has been strengthening its role as a logistics facilitator and stated that "today the port is not just a port, it's practically a logistics center." He further detailed that the terminal has integrated container storage and coordination with shipping lines at a single point, with the aim of reducing unnecessary movements and waiting times. He also announced a new phase of infrastructure and equipment expansion planned for 2027.

Both presentations pushed the same idea from different angles: a productive advantage needs a supporting logistics chain. For exporters, this translates into time, coordination, and responsiveness. For producers, it means recognizing that part of the value of what they produce is also generated outside the field.

Labor: an increasingly sensitive issue

Human resource management emerged as another key theme of the panel. José Luis Dibos explicitly stated that recruitment and retention are no longer merely operational issues but have become strategic concerns. In his presentation, he discussed productive areas, smarter compensation models, reducing logistical strain on workers, and developing better team leaders.

Another sensitive issue also emerged: when fruit projections fail, transportation, staffing requirements, and harvesting are disrupted, thereby increasing costs. This observation helped demonstrate that labor cannot be considered in isolation from the rest of the production system.

In Ica, competitiveness is increasingly dependent on how teams are organized and managed. For producers, this means leadership, planning, and productivity. For exporters, it represents a fundamental condition for maintaining continuity and consistency in trade.

More volatile markets, more refined decisions

Towards the end, the conversation returned to the market. Dibos emphasized the need to work with strategic partners at the destination and to adjust the varietal strategy to the demands of each client and each market. He explained that some varieties perform better in China, others in Europe or the United States, and summarized this dynamic with a very graphic phrase: “Markets are constantly changing, and you have to be there.”

That point solidified the panel's commercial perspective. For producers, it means that target variety and quality cannot be defined without considering the market. For exporters, it confirms that future competitiveness will depend as much on efficiency at the source as on a much more precise understanding of each destination.

Grow better

The discussion in Paracas showed that expansion alone is no longer enough. What is beginning to define Ica's position is the ability to connect quality, operations, logistics, and the market with greater precision.

That was the most interesting aspect of the panel. Not in recounting how much the region is growing, but in discussing what kind of coordination producers and exporters will need to sustain that growth in an increasingly demanding industry.

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