In the spacious halls of the monumental Lima Convention Center, more than 600 producers, businessmen, investors and leaders of the blueberry industry gathered, beginning the XXIV International Seminar of Blueberries Consulting, Lima 2023.

Welcome

"When we held our first Seminar in Lima, on June 15, 2015, along with many who are present here, we said: Lima was painted blue...", he recalled in his opening speech. Jorge Esquivel, Director of Blueberries Consulting.

"For us, the current success of the Peruvian industry could be seen in that first Seminar, 8 years ago, when Peru produced about 13 tons and had a surface area of ​​just over 3.500 hectares of blueberries," continued the executive.

"Since that June 15, we have never been separated again and we continue to support the Peruvian industry in all our supports," he stressed to those present who packed the main room.

The executive director of the Association of Agrarian Producers Guilds of Peru (AGAP), gabriel amaro Alzamora, stresses that holding the meeting in Lima demonstrates the importance of the Peruvian industry in the world market. "I remember that in 2012 Peruvian blueberry exports reached one million dollars... today we are around 1.400 million dollars."

the peruvian industry

The meeting began with an analysis of Peru's leadership in the global blueberry industry, reviewing the current state of its industry and its scope and identifying the challenges to be faced in the immediate future, approached from different perspectives, with the businessman Fernando Cilloniz, the general director of Proarándanos, Luis Miguel Vegas, and Ricardo Polis, Regional Director for South America at Fall Creek Farm & Nursery, Inc.

Beginning with the introductions, the engineer Fernando Jose Cilloniz Benavides highlighted the impressive growth of the Peruvian industry. "Dreams fell short, realities far exceed dreams", highlighting the great growth of the Peruvian industry, which reached 300 tons, but drawing attention to the drop in prices.

Then, louis miguel vegas, general director of Proarándanos, within the framework of International Women's Day, highlighted that "Peruvian women have a super important role in the production of blueberries", in fact, the female component in the Peruvian blueberry industry already reaches 50 %, participating in all levels of activity.

Regarding the industry, he emphasized that "blueberries are the main exported product from Peru", and assured with conviction: "This growth will continue", reinforcing this assertion in the round of questions, declaring that "in three years we will come together and surely we will be exporting 500 thousand tons”

Closing the first block of presentations, Ricardo Polís drew attention to the growth of the industry, highlighting the impact of varietal replacement. "What we are experiencing in the blueberry industry is a revolution" "These varieties are not better, they are much better." Regarding the projections of the blueberry industry, he stated that "we are experiencing a second wave of consumption", so the planting, production and export of blueberries in Peru and in the world still have a lot of room to grow.

Photography by Blueberries Consulting

Varied commercial presence

Some fifty stands of the most varied companies linked to the cultivation of blueberries and fruit growing in general are already installed in the extensive facilities, offering their services, tools, machinery, technology, inputs, plant material, and a wide range of related products. , which in the following two days will be visited by hundreds of attendees at the meeting.

In the large commercial hall you can see the high level that this industry has reached in recent years, drawing the attention of large international chains, making use of the most sophisticated technology and promoting the development of science and research at the service of the activity. agricultural.

Logistics, transport and arrival

After the analysis of the Peruvian industry and the global reality of the blueberry industry, in terms of its commercial position and development prospects, there will be a block for logistics, transportation and fruit arrival problems, in charge of the specialists Ignacio Santibanez, CEO of QIMA Produce and Jose Monastery, Quality and Postharvest manager of Frusan SA

The genetic

Subsequently, the varietal offer and its evaluation by zones in Peru will be discussed, by the experts. Julio Zavala, of Fall Creek, and Ricardo Sumar, from Inka's Berries, to continue with María Pérez, from Planasa, Lucia Corbetto, of Osiris and Patricio Muñoz, from the University of Florida, analyzing the same topic from different perspectives.

Closing this first day, John Paul Bentin, production manager of Family Farms Peru, will analyze the profitability and costs associated with the productive and commercial activity of blueberries, focusing on genetics.

The cherry, invited

In addition, this version of the meeting has a guest crop, with a talk: "New varieties of cherry trees: Experience in Chile, opportunities and challenges for Peru", by the manager of ANA Chile, Lorraine Pinto. The specialist will analyze the agronomic feasibility, management and commercial advantages of the cherry for Peruvian producers, in this way the attendees will have the opportunity to know in detail the technical, agronomic and commercial reality of the blueberry and a vision of the cherry, fruit highly demanded and profitable in international markets.

closing first day

The opening day will end with a camaraderie cocktail, which will allow the numerous foreigners in attendance to fraternize with Peruvian producers and businessmen, who have arrived at the Lima Convention Center (LCC), motivated by the good footing in the the Peruvian fruit industry and the growth of world demand, which is expected to grow by over 25% in the United States, 85% in the European region and 130% in China, which makes the blueberry export industry not only in an activity with good projections, but also fully sustainable.

Second day

In the closing day, the foliar applications, the yield and the quality of the fruit will be addressed, which will be dealt with by Lisa DeVetter, academic at the University of Washington. For her part, Matias Viel, founder and CEO of Beeflow, will address the issue of pollination and new technologies.

The Seminar program will end with the study "Monitoring of pests in blueberries: alternatives to reduce costs of phytosanitary programs and increase sustainability", carried out by Eugenio Lopez, from the University of Valparaíso, and the talk by the Mexican specialist Prometheus Sanchez, “Use of biostimulants in blueberries: alternatives to improve the quality attributes of the fruit”.