Agronometrics in Charts: Organic blueberries from Mexico are slowly but steadily gaining popularity
The cultivation of Mexican blueberries has shown great growth in recent years, both in terms of cultivation area and in terms of production. 89.7% of the area is concentrated in 3 states: Jalisco, Michoacán and Sinaloa. Organic production is becoming increasingly relevant globally, with 15 percent of the blueberry area in Mexico currently producing organically.. The harvest window covers a large part of the year, with volumes peaking during the months of December, April, and June, and the lowest volumes recorded between August and October. Blueberry production reaches its lowest point at the beginning of the year, with a modest increase in April, a first peak in June and then falls to its lowest levels between August and October. Thereafter it increases again until reaching its maximum peak in December. Currently, around 97 percent of the production is exported to 31 destinations, the main market being the USA..
Mexican blueberry volumes this season, in week 36, stood at approximately 140 tons, showing an increase of 24 percent compared to the same period of the previous season. The last season saw volumes peaking at 4,8K tonnes. This season's volumes will largely depend on weather viability and the extent to which challenges such as labor shortages, water shortages and phytosanitary issues affect the industry.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Generally, when larger volumes arrive from Peru, Chile and the US, prices tend to drop. Prices this season have been highly variable, with prices down approximately 44% between weeks 29 and 32. In week 36, prices reached $20,89 per pack, after having dropped approximately 20 % compared to the previous season.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
In Mexico, 18% of the production is currently dedicated to organic blueberries, so there is a growth opportunity for those farmers who want to work under an organic production system as consumers become more aware of the benefits for the health of consuming organic blueberries.
Mexico has the potential for sustained growth; you can take advantage of windows during the year that are not currently being fully exploited. In addition to starting exports to more countries, work can be done to extend exports until the summer, since they experience drastic drops during the months of June, July and August.
Source: USDA Market News via by Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
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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.
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