The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) reported that it is certifying the last shipments of fresh blueberries of the season. The entity projected that shipments abroad will have exceeded 3 tons at the end of the cycle in the Los Lagos Region.

Of the total exported by that area, 38% went to the United States and Canada; 41% to the European Union; 20% to China and other Asian countries; and 1% to South American countries. Shipments have been by sea, leaving mainly from the Port of San Antonio, in the Valparaíso Region, and from the Port of Coronel (Talcahuano), in the Bio Bio Region.

According to Eduardo Monreal, Regional Director of SAG Los Lagos, blueberries were introduced to Chile in the mid-80s, and since then, the plantations have experienced enormous growth in terms of area. “More than 20 thousand hectares are planted between Copiapó and Puerto Montt, the greatest production originates in the Biobío Region. The Los Lagos Region has an approximate area of ​​1327 hectares, distributed mainly in the province of Osorno. The main varieties grown are Legacy, Eliot, Briggite and Duke ”.

The regional authority added that “Chile is the second largest producer of blueberries in the world, and the largest in South America, annually producing about 110 thousand tons, supplying counter-season demand from markets such as the United States, the European Union and Asian countries".

Shipments this season are expected to be similar to the previous one. According to the SAG, during the 2019-2020 season, more than 3.300 tons were shipped in the region, mainly to the United States, followed by the European Union (England and the Netherlands), China, Singapore and Hong Kong. These dispatches were made from the 7 processing and exporting plants that are registered in the SAG los lagos, located in the province of Osorno and which are served by the SAG Offices of Río Negro and Osorno.

“As part of the export process, the orchards must be registered in the SAG and each shipment of fruit must be inspected by the SAG, to verify compliance with the requirements of the countries of destination of the fruit. This season, due to the pandemic, the SAG has also implemented various protocols and taken all the safeguards to ensure compliance with health regulations in establishments in order to protect workers, officials and final consumers of the fruit. "Monreal said.

"The orchards are monitored, in health terms, throughout the year to rule out the presence of quarantine pests, know the production volumes and inquire about the treatments applied to the crop," concluded the Regional Director of SAG.