The supply of Chilean blueberries has begun to decrease significantly. “Our Chilean volume was practically cut in half and others in the industry almost stopped,” says Joshua Minton of Frank Donio Inc. “Chile got too hot and growing conditions got worse for the fruit.”

In the past, Chile has gone as late as the third week of March, although it has been inconsistent: some years, it almost skipped February and shipped sizable volumes in March. “We are already 90 percent done with the Chilean season and we are on a downward trajectory. In three weeks, it will be primarily a Mexican and Peruvian driven market,” adds Minton.

Although Peru is likely to arrive as late as the first week of April with arrivals as late as the last week of March, some Mexican blueberries are already being shipped across the country.

Blueberry advertising shopping

Meanwhile, demand faces inflationary times. “Any retailer that is buying ads has done very well and the movement has been excellent,” says Minton, noting that blueberries still see a “halo of health” in the minds of consumers. “Everyone has had announcements on and off for the last six weeks because so much volume has come in. The ad pull has been really nice.”

That means pricing has been aggressive and deals can be found. “If you have a big stack and a bigger stack is coming in, you can undercut the market based on your own aggression. We have seen it with Chile and Peru in recent years. Once they get their volume, they can undercut the market by $2, for example,” Minton says, noting that it's also a trade-off to maintain good returns for the producer.

Looking ahead, he predicts an active market with blueberries that will continue to do well. “The supply line will be limited to Peru and Mexico and we will see Peruvian quality,” says Minton.

Even further out is the start of the Florida blueberry harvest, which should start around April 15. “It could be sooner and most people are excited to get back to the domestic crop. We're also a New Jersey grower, so we're hoping to start around June 15,” she says.