Why have Peru's volumes dropped this season?
Magami attributes this difference in luck to having blueberry varieties that adapt well to the warmer climate. About 70% of Peru's blueberry fields are planted with the Beloxi and Ventura varieties, which are fighting the warmer climate.

“Genetics remains fundamental. The Peruvian industry is going to fall a lot this season because the varietal genetics are not aligned with that microclimate. Only 20% of our plantations are in Ventura. We don't have Beloxi. We are happy with our season. Prices are certainly helping to offset the volume shortage. We are seeing a great opportunity for others to see that in the long term it is better to replace old varieties with new ones, to help grow markets. We are driving markets, showing consumers what a better product looks like, it's almost a different product. We are happy to drive this from our leadership position and grow this industry. We believe there is a huge opportunity for retailers to grow with us,” explains Magami.

Agrovision is a leading, vertically integrated producer, packer, shipper and marketer of superfruits from Peru, Mexico, Morocco and the United States (Oregon). They export to markets in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America. The company supplies premium superfruits such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and table grapes.

Offering a 52-week supply
As they focus on improving the quality of berries each year, retailers around the world are responding very positively as they move towards the premium category. “Retailers are increasingly seeing that with the rising prices of regular blueberries, they could also purchase premium blueberries. We have seen an acceleration in demand for our premium blueberries. We are in an exciting moment of transition from Peruvian Sekoya to Mexican and American. We will potentially be able to supply our major customers in North America for the first time for 52 weeks of premium, an industry first. Given the quality of the fruit, the value is there, but the price is only slightly higher given the high price of regular blueberries. Consumers convert and become customers for life. We are executing our vision of transforming the lives of the communities where we operate. At the same time, we are empowering consumers to live healthier lives. “We are inspiring parents to buy healthier snacks for their children instead of sweets,” says Magami.

New premium fruit wallet on the way
Looking ahead to Agrovision's immediate future, Magami says: “We have an exciting portfolio of new products including a premium blackberry and, in the future, a premium cherry. This includes a new premium raspberry that we launched earlier this year and sold in Europe; We are now expanding to Mexico for the North American market. We are going to grow cherries in Chile, which we are developing with partners. This is something we plan for 2025. We plan to launch the premium Blackberry in late 2024.”

Technology adoption and future
He says Agrovision is moving forward with partners in artificial intelligence, shelf life extension, automation and robotics as its four pillars that support the company's technology pillar. “We want to be in the leading group of technology adopters in the agricultural industry. We are amazing marketing partners for technology companies. This will unlock an amount of growth and potential in this industry that we have not yet seen. We are doing it successfully with multiple partners. We are evaluating the best in technology. “We think there are a lot of technology companies in the industry that need help.”

Magami concludes by stating that AI prediction will be used to determine the harvest curve, but the use of technology will not replace people. “We use it to optimize the timing of volumes so we can schedule better as an industry. AI will not replace people, employees with AI will replace workers without it. We believe that the implementation of AI will be very important and this industry will benefit greatly from it.”