Agronometrics Shorts: Peruvian blueberry season projects to close with a cumulative drop of 25% in exported volumes

17/01/2024

Peruvian exports of fresh blueberries for the current 2023/2024 campaign are projected to reach 215.000 tons, which represents a reduction of 25% compared to the solid 285.000 tons of the previous campaign. Daniel Bustamante Canny, president of Proarándanos, attributes this drop to lower production volumes and delays in certain regions as a result of the El Niño phenomenon, mainly along the northern Peruvian coast, where key growing areas are located. From week 18 to week 51, Peru exported 171.500 tons of fresh blueberries, which reflects a significant reduction of 32% compared to the same weeks of the previous campaign.

Daniel Bustamante Canny

International market prices reached record levels this year, impacted by Peru's important role as the world's leading exporter of blueberries. The US market witnessed peak prices between weeks 41 and 43, at $12.87 per kilo, more than double the average price recorded during the same period in 2022. Bustamante emphasizes the fundamental role of genetics in mitigating challenges, noting that new Blueberry varieties, without chilling hour requirements, demonstrated resistance to high temperatures, particularly on the north coast.

According to Bustamante, a variety must meet numerous attributes and it is an undeniable reality that competitiveness in the global market depends on delivering a product of exceptional standards. Consistency of quality over multiple seasons is specifically achieved through genetic programs. About the next campaign (2024/2025).

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics

Bustamante said that it is too early to know how the weather will unfold this year; The possible appearance of a severe El Niño episode continues to be a factor that will influence the results, depending on regional manifestations and the adaptability of existing varieties. “It is still a moment where we must take many precautions, very careful, to see how our plants will react,” he concluded.