First grown for sale in 1916, the cranberry is a native North American crop that has grown in popularity with consumers, becoming a coveted commodity in the US market. Its consumption has increased over the years because it is considered a superfood thanks to its nutritional content and the presence of anthocyanins and antioxidants, which give the berry its characteristic color.

Over the course of the last 10 years, the supply of fresh blueberries available for American consumption has multiplied. Furthermore, within this period, the production of strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries in Mexico has tripled from 257,000 metric tons (MT) in 2011 to 754,000 MT in 2020. The total value of Mexican berry exports has quintupled during that time. from US$516 million in 2011 to US$2.400 billion in 2020. Mexico allocates 95% of its production to the United States and Canadian markets. The red fruits are grown in 22 of the 32 states of Mexico, with Michoacán, Jalisco, Guanajuato, Sinaloa and Baja California being the main producing areas. According to the US Census Bureau (USCB 2020), the United States imported 76 million pounds of fresh blueberries in 2019, compared to 0,79 million pounds in 2009.

Mexican production runs from September to June and peaks around February to April. Despite some overlap with the production windows of Chile and Peru, Mexico maintains an advantage in the US market due to its proximity to the country and thus its ability to supply fresh produce. An eight to 10 percent growth in shipments of Mexican berries is expected in 2022, according to a study by Agro-messages Abroad. 

The season peaked around week 15 with volumes of 4,8 thousand tons this year, an increase of 22 percent compared to the previous season. 

The highest prices recorded this season were $24 per pack in weeks 3 and 4. The lowest price was recorded in week 9 at $11,4 per pack. On average, trend prices have been lower compared to the previous season, which saw prices as low as $32 per pack.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

El XXII International Blueberry Seminar which will take place at Expo Guadalajara on May 25 and 26 will be a comprehensive program that will address different facets of the Mexican blueberry industry and continue to discuss the challenges it faces. The Mexican blueberry industry has great potential; This potential can be exploited through the introduction of new varietal alternatives, the diversification of destination markets and by improving the quality of the product to contribute to a more sustainable industry.

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All US domestic farm product prices represent the cash market at the point of shipment (ie, packing house/climate-controlled warehouse, etc.). For imported fruit, price data represents the spot market at the port of entry.

You can track the markets daily through Agronometrics, a data visualization tool created to help the industry make sense of the massive amounts of data professionals need to access to make informed decisions. If you found the information and graphics in this article helpful, please feel free to visit us at www.agronometrics.com , where you can easily access these same charts, or explore the other 21 commodities we currently track.