The blueberry market is currently very fragile, according to Fred Douven of the Dutch company abbGrowers. «There are not enough workers available, not only for productions in Spain, but also in Morocco. “This is having an impact on supermarket product supply and program delivery.”

«We finished the Chilean season satisfactorily this spring, but when the coronavirus crisis broke out, the Spanish and Moroccan seasons were greatly affected. Producers with several crops, such as strawberries and blueberries, choose to harvest the product that pays the best. The price of transportation also rose, although it has now stabilized quite a bit,” says Fred.

«The problem is not the demand, which is currently quite high. In all the countries of northwestern Europe, attempts are being made to make promotions for blueberries, but due to the uncertainty it is difficult to plan them. Therefore, I predict that uncertainty in the market will cause prices, which are now at a reasonable level, to rise even further. The entire market has become a kind of spot market. Furthermore, the weather in Spain is not entirely suitable for the cultivation of berries right now," says Fred.

At the moment, the supply still comes from the southern countries. As of week 23, abbGrowers will continue the growing season berries with productions from Serbia, followed by those from the Netherlands and Poland. “I hope the same harvest problems do not occur in these countries,” concludes Fred.