According to global industry data, blueberry exports have grown considerably since the last decade, with figures exceeding experts' expectations.

For example, from 316.000 tons exported in 2016, the figure grew to 747.000 tons exported in 2023, in a sustained growth trend that continues over time and is projected to increase, driven by the growing demand for blueberries in different world markets.

Peruvian industry

Of these figures, Peru grew from 30.817 tons exported in 2016, corresponding to 10% of the world total, to 224.888 tons in 2023, equivalent to 30% of the total.

This 30% share of the Peruvian industry in blueberry exports is even more remarkable when it comes to economic returns, since Peruvian production has not only grown exponentially, but has diversified its markets and achieved better prices than the average of its competitors.

Revenue

The revenues of exporting countries from the sale of blueberries on the world market grew almost threefold from 2016 to 2023, exactly from USD1,949 million to USD5,113 million. In this framework, the Peruvian industry grew from USD225 million, corresponding to 13% of the total in 2016, to USD1.733 million in 2023, corresponding to 34% of total world sales.

The trend is recovering

Last season alone, the supply of fresh blueberries in world markets decreased, breaking the trend of constant growth projected for decades, due to the fact that the Peruvian blueberry industry was impacted by the El Niño meteorological phenomenon, which affected Peruvian production, reducing production volumes and slowing down the season. However, the Peruvian industry's blueberry exports so far in the 2024/2025 campaign not only show that this industry has recovered its high production levels, but that it does so with a supply of much better quality fruit and more productive fields due to the replacement of its varietal genetics, and with a more robust and extended market presence over time, covering a large part of the 52 weeks.

The numbers

In total, according to data from Proarándanos, as of week 45, 196.699 tons of blueberries have been sent to different markets around the world, which represents 56% of what was sent in the 2023/2024 campaign.

Of this total shipment, 175.397 tons correspond to conventional fruit, which means 56% over the 2023/2024 season and 9% more than what was recently projected in October. In organic fruit, 21.302 tons were shipped, which corresponds to 54% more than in the previous campaign.

How much?

According to the data, the growth trend of Peruvian blueberry exports remains projected towards a result of shipments well above 300 thousand tons for the current campaign and also above the most optimistic projections.

The question that arises is: how much growth will it take? And in the search for answers to this question, many other questions will arise that the industry must take the time to reflect on and analyze in order to maintain the commercial sustainability of the industry.

Meeting in Lima

A good opportunity to discuss this and other issues related to the successful Peruvian blueberry industry will be the Upcoming International Blueberry Seminar which will take place on March 12 and 13 at the Lima Convention Center, an annual meeting where Peruvian and foreign producers and exporters meet together with the main leaders of the industry, related international companies, and the most important specialists, to analyze, debate and increase knowledge about the crop.

How much growth will be achieved is a question directly linked to the opportunities that exist to do so, and from this perspective the future looks promising. There is already talk of a “new wave of consumption” worldwide, which is why the plant genetics industry has also diversified its plant offering exponentially, introducing blueberry varieties with superior productivity and yield qualities, much more resilient to water scarcity, pests or climatic stress, among other adverse conditions.

In this context, in the case of the Peruvian industry, we are not only talking about growth in terms of volumes, but also about higher quality fruit as a result of the new varietal offering, which ensures that this industry continues to opt for the best prices and a sustained supply in the markets.