Challenge for Peru is to produce hectares of high quality blueberries

05/03/2015

The challenge for Peru is not to plant a certain amount of hectares of blueberries, which can have a high production, but to cultivate as much of that product with high yield, high quality and with an efficient postharvest system within 5 or 10 years .

This was stated by the international manager of Fall Creek & Nursery, Cort Brazelton, within the framework of the II International Symposium of Super Fruits of Peru - Fruticia 2015, which will be held until tomorrow, Friday, March 6, at the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru , located in the district of La Molina.

"Peru can plant 5 thousand hectares, 6 thousand hectares in the next 5 years and only have 500 hectares of fruit considered competitive, of high quality, or can plant 6 thousand hectares with a wonderful fruit, with good flavor, yield, competitive costs, but this projection and results depends on the Peruvian producers and their work and ability to properly manage their crop", Brazelton said.

To achieve this, the US specialist said that Peru should improve in the technical part, mainly in the management of water and soil with a system that allows to control these two factors. In this regard, he reiterated the lack and need for trained personnel (technicians) to guide farmers to implement knowledge in their crops that will benefit their harvest.

He also indicated the importance of having a large gene bank of plants, in this case of blueberries, in which they are already working; to organize the industry and seek access to new macroeconomic markets, as well as to work on the subject of infrastructure, logistics and, subsequently, product distribution.

On the other hand, mentioned some characteristics that the international market asks to let in a production of blueberries: firmness, size, color, taste, health certification, food safety and a container larger than 200 grams.

Regarding the varieties of this fruit, he said that there are very good varieties in many programs, such as Rocío, Stela Blue, Ventura, among many others, since they exist near 500.

In Peru, blueberry varieties are grown around 12, which currently have a lot of potential. But, the producer, in a few years, can change the variety and start with another one because it has a better yield, quality, harvest costs, greater adaptability to the environment, etc.

Source: Agraria.pe