There is no doubt that the expansion of the assortment of blueberry varieties under the plant breeding program Sekoya® It is a success story. In 2022, Sekoya varieties were planted in 18 countries on a total area of ​​2.000 hectares, which resulted in sales of 20.000 tons, but according to Hans Liekens, Value Chain and Retail Manager, production will expand even further in the next years. By 2027, Sekoya blueberries will be grown in more than 31 countries with a production of more than 250.000 tons.

«Blueberries continue to be a growing market. Last year, global consumption was 2 million tons and the market is expected to double in 5-7 years. Red fruits represent 28% of the total value of fruits in the retail channel, and are also on track to reach 30%. The value of blueberries is expected to surpass that of bananas in the UK in about three years,” says Hans, who previously worked at Hessing and Chiquita, among other companies.

The Sekoya B2B platform was created to supply crisp, sustainable and tasty blueberries 52 weeks a year. «With our high, medium and low cold need varieties, we can guarantee premium quality 52 weeks a year.

This makes us unique on the market,” explains Hans. The sale is handled by a dozen associate members. "They have the freedom to plant and sell blueberries wherever they want".

Despite the high growth figures, there is no shortage of challenges. «More than 50% of consumer experiences with blueberries are negative and less than 25% match consumer preferences. That's why we started the Livie™ Eating Experience.

Under this quality label is a selection of Sekoya varieties with which we always deliver on our promises in terms of firmness, large size, delicious taste, attractive appearance and long shelf life.

«The essence of this quality label is simple: constant quality. We believe that providing berries of consistent quality 52 weeks a year translates into annual category growth of 11-20%,” explains Hans. Additionally, other moments of consumption offer significant opportunities.

«Currently, blueberries are consumed mainly for breakfast, while the snack category is four times larger. Well, the new Sekoya blueberries seem designed to be taken as a snack, since they are large, crunchy and very tasty.