Apparently it is not yet assumed that the world fruit market has given in to the emergence of a new fruit, surprising consumers, particularly healthy and pleasant to the palate. From time to time voices arise that predict the end of this “fashion”.

What they do not contemplate is that despite the fact that the blueberry is the newest fruit on the international market, the blueberry industry has developed and expanded rapidly throughout the world, managing to consolidate a crop map that covers the five continents and a very wide penetration of its consumption, which is constantly growing.

These negative predictions are not new and focus on the significant increase in production volumes and shipments to international markets.

We asked the main leaders of the Peruvian blueberry industry, a country that leads the international industry and the main protagonist of the increase in the world supply of blueberries.

Do you think the blueberry market is going to collapse?

No way! The product has a very good basis, healthy eating

Daniel Bustamante, president of Proarándanos, answers and adds:

“The market is adjusting to this growth in volume, there are promotional activities that will support this growth. In addition, the concentration in the US market is being reduced, and there are many markets around the world that are in full growth. I believe that the industry is undergoing a period of change, where genetics play a very important role with the new improved varieties. The increase in volume affects the price and this was expected. In the case of Peru, the industry will adapt to more extended campaigns, having quality as a fundamental premise. The different new varieties will allow us to serve the different markets in the world according to the characteristics that each one values ​​the most”, he explains.

Do you think the blueberry market is going to collapse?

No way! The product has a very good basis, healthy eating

improve penetration

We asked the same question to Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of Proarándanos:

“There is still a lot of potential to increase consumption, there is a lot of potential, for example, in the United States, which is the main market (for consumption per capita is the oldest). Even market penetration can improve a lot. Currently, market penetration is 50%, but in 5 years the idea is to take it to 70% and likewise the idea is to boost the frequency of purchases.

Still the percentage of heavy users of frequent buyers of blueberries in the United States is low, so there is a lot of potential to increase consumption in the United States, for example, not to mention other places, such as Europe and China, where consumption per capita it is quite lower.

But to ensure that consumption continues to be promoted, in addition to having fruit available 52 weeks a year – which we already have – it is essential that the availability of fruit is of very good quality.

If we manage to have very good quality fruit, that will help increase the frequency of purchases. If you bring a fruit that is not of good quality, people buy from you once and then they don't buy from you again. This is fundamental, so whether the market is saturated or not, there is still potential, but in order to capitalize on that potential, the market must be supplied with good fruit, which is decisive for the future of blueberries in the markets.

I think that is the most concrete answer I can give you, market penetration is at 50%, you should take it to 70% and also increase the percentage of heavy users of blueberries If we manage to do that, we will be on the right track”, she concluded.

consolidated industry

The demand for blueberries is mainly focused on fresh fruit, but it is increasingly expanding towards frozen ones, juices, jams or pastes for different applications. On the other hand, the nutraceutical qualities of the fruit have caused the requirement for blueberries to diversify in the pharmacological industry, the cosmetic market and the functional food market, among many other uses.

The blueberry industry in all its variants has achieved a great commercial presence at an international level, with an important organizational muscle and a good interrelation between its different actors at a global level.

far from collapse

This solidity makes it enjoy a high sustainability index, which guarantees that the blueberry business has an important future projection on the planet, so the blueberry market is far from collapsing.

In addition to these factors, the industry promotes the permanent renewal of its plant genetic resources and the development of new management systems in production, which implies a search for comprehensive growth, with the aim of achieving development in quantitative and qualitative.