As of last July, Fall creek^® expanded its capacity in Cañete, Peru, increasing its production level from 12 to 15 million plants to supply the market, not only in the season of greatest demand, but also to ensure supply in other months.

"We have increased five hectares in our nursery, which puts us in an excellent position to provide growers with an expanded service throughout the year, beyond the period between July and January, which is normally when they prefer to plant," Ricardo said. Polis, Regional Director of Fall creek^® for South America.

Ricardo Polis, Fall Creek® Regional Director for South America

In recent years, Peru has emerged as a key player in the global blueberry market, thanks to the growth of cultivation areas, favorable climatic conditions, and fertile soils. The country has witnessed exponential growth in its production and has taken great steps to consolidate its position as the leading exporter of blueberries in the region and in the world.

"Peru is today the leading exporter of blueberries in the global arena. Even though just 10 years ago there were almost no blueberry plantations in the country, it has proven to be an ideal environment for this crop and today it produces with excellent levels of quality and quantity”, he affirmed.

The country has been able to take advantage of a window of opportunity in the market –a space between the North American and Chilean campaigns– and has built its reputation based on its quality, profitability and high productivity.

New genetics, new varieties

At the beginning, the tree Peruano was primarily farmed on Biloxi, an ancient variety of blueberry. Later, Fall Creek^® presented Ventura, a more efficient strain that allowed to reduce production costs.

Today, these varieties continue to make up the majority of blueberry hectares in the country: 18 from Biloxi and XNUMX from Ventura, out of a total of XNUMX.

However, in recent years new strains have been developed, significantly different from the previous ones. In the case of Fall Creek^®, Fall Creek varieties^® Collection, such as AtlasBlue™ 'FCM12-045', AzraBlue™ 'FCM14-031', and BiancaBlue^® 'FCM12-087', as well as the Sekoya platform^® with its Sekoya Pop varieties^® 'FCM14-052' and Sekoya Beauty^® 'FCM12-097', have proven time and time again their high quality and profitability.

"These varieties are much better: with a better flavor –sweeter, less acidic– and more crunchy. Some have aromas that are different from the traditional blueberry, and for the producer they are more attractive due to their larger size and because they are highly productive," stated Ricardo.

In addition, they are firm and ideal travelers during transport, a quality of great value to the nations in the southern hemisphere:

"Countries like Peru, Chile, South Africa, Australia and not only must we offer good quality fruit, but also must have the ability to travel more than 30 days to reach key markets, such as the United States and Europe, and be 15 days more on shelf This is a very important condition, not only for blueberries, but also for other fruit varieties."

"Growers are adopting the new strains quickly, and it is very likely that we will see the complete replacement of the previous varieties in the short or medium term," said the official.

long term commitment

Fall creek^® continues to invest in research and development to improve the quality and productivity of crops and optimize the use of resources. As a result, the company expects to present a new variety at the end of the current year, followed by one more towards the last quarter of 2024.

“We are contributing to a more sustainable and efficient supply chain, in which the new genetics give rise to a revolution in the industry. This has already happened in the case of grapes and mandarins, for example, where the new varieties totally replaced the old ones”, he explained.

The Peruvian blueberry industry has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, meeting the growing demand for high-quality, healthy, antioxidant-rich fruit products.

In addition, the cultivation of blueberries has created employment opportunities and stimulated economic growth in rural areas, promoting their sustainable development.

"It gives me great satisfaction to say that the recent expansion of the nursery also meant a 10 percent growth in our workforce, which, without a doubt, represents a very positive impact on our community in Cañete," said Ricardo.

“As a leading company in the industry in Peru,” he added, “in Fall creek^® We are committed to continue promoting innovation and tracing the roadmap for the growth and sustained success of the blueberry industry in the country”.