Isabel Quiroz, executive director of IQonsulting, faces an issue that will surely continue to be discussed in the industry for some time. We talked to her on the occasion of the launch of the Yearbook 2019/2020 International Blueberry Market that the prestigious consulting firm has made available to all industry players since last May.

We asked the renowned executive on the subject of the leadership of the international blueberry industry and without further ado, using surprising frankness and transparency, she approached the subject directly and without euphemisms:

"I admit that we did not give more thought to the matter and I think we were wrong, in fact, we had to change the Editorial because we received many details, not criticisms, but details, which I considered post-publication. For those who download the Yearbook again they will find that there is a new Editorial. ”

What do these details point to?

• They point out that we said that Peru took the lead, however, if we consider the sum of Chile's fresh exports, which reached approximately 110 thousand tons, and we add what corresponds to frozen exports, which reached 40 thousand tons, we have an approximate volume of 150 thousand tons. Total production in Chile is from 160 to 165 thousand tons.
  If we take the sum of the volumes of Peru in fresh, which exported approximately 120 thousand tons, and in frozen, which reached 3 thousand tons, it gives us an approximate figure of 123 thousand tons exported.
  As for production, Peru does not exceed 130 thousand tons, so there is a difference of 30 thousand to 40 thousand tons of difference in blueberry production with Chile, which corresponds to several years of leadership. 

The prestigious consultant states that listening to the arguments found them reasonable and correct, "since one could not measure only one area of ​​the activity to determine leadership." Indeed, in the fresh area, Peru took the lead, but the presence of Chile as the main exporter of frozen blueberries in the southern hemisphere "gives it a greater leadership than any other producer or exporter," he says.

Comprehensive leadership

Isabel Quiroz continues in her analysis explaining that what is exposed in the volumes is only one of the three or four aspects that must be assessed to determine leadership in the blueberry industry, and as a second element she considers that Chile continues to be very strong in its season, because "if we look at the charts, the competition has grown a lot, but it does so at the extremes of Chilean production", and explains that the competition tries not to get into the moments of Chilean shipments, so as not to lower prices, for a On the other hand, because Chile is very strong at the time, so "in the end, competition is concentrating, because most countries, except Spain, are in areas where they can 'choose' when to produce, and they continue choosing to arrive in the extreme areas of the Chilean weeks ”, he assures. 

The analyst highlights that the competition tries to arrive when the strong offers are not there, "and the strong offers continue to be the United States and Chile, so Chile continues to lead its own season," she stresses. 

Competitiveness   

The IQonsulting executive points out that as a third important element is the replacement of varieties, where she assures that Chile has been the strongest. He explains that, as this replacement is occurring, this stabilization has occurred in volumes, "but with the hectares that have been incorporated with more productive varieties and with higher yields in packing, they allow Chile to also take the lead in capacity of growth of a more competitive offer ”. 

In this same perspective, the adherence of the producers to the programs of the Blueberry Committee stands out, which means that there is an understanding of the participants of the industry on the issue of fruit quality. 

"In summary, you can see the maturity that this industry has reached, which is why I think Chile is strengthening all its competitive capacity," he concludes.