The blueberry industry, in addition to being the newest in the international fruit market, is one of the most global. It is an industry that stands out for its permanent development in all its areas, standing out for its rapid adaptation to technological change, applying it from genetic improvement to the anchoring of the plant on the farm, which has practically left the ground and is produced in inert substrates, in a concept of sustainable and precision agriculture.

It is a pragmatic industry that has not hesitated to collaboratively face the multiple obstacles that have been thrown its way and has become a sustainable and profitable economic activity, successfully overcoming the challenges that have arisen as a result of the pandemic, the economic , war or climate change, among other threats.

The facts

But this strength of the blueberry industry is not a coincidence, nor is it the product of good luck. It is a large organizational structure that has been built step by step in a collaborative collective process.

As in any field, the reasons to explain a successful phenomenon are multiple and of a diverse nature, and in the case of the blueberry industry this is no different, although there are always predominant factors to highlight, and in this case they are the factor of communications and the training and formation of its actors, which partly explains the surprising achievements that this productive activity has reached.

Vocation for development

Jorge Esquivel, an agronomist and Master in plant nutrition and soil chemistry, as well as a producer and international consultant in multiple blueberry production agricultural projects, is a recognized manager of various communication tools that have contributed significantly to the development of the blueberry industry. such as the International Blueberry Seminars, which began in Chile a decade ago and currently spans three continents, projecting to have a presence in the 10 main blueberry-producing countries in 2025.

The International Blueberry Seminars have made it possible to distribute information and knowledge regarding the cultivation of blueberries to different countries and regions of the world, which, due to this, have been incorporated into the production of blueberries in a professional manner and thereby converting the blueberry industry blueberry in a global and competitive reality.

“You have to collect the information and knowledge that exists to share it and level the industry to obtain similar results globally. This information is on the farm, in public and private research centers and in the university academy. Producers, technicians, researchers, academics and specialists have it, so we have to gather them, listen to them, share their experiences and then apply them to our own realities”, he assures.

Promoter of continuous training

Jorge Esquivel is not only a pioneer in communications, maintaining for more than a decade the most important Spanish-speaking web portal dedicated exclusively to everything related to the cultivation and market of blueberries, creating and distributing BlueMagazine throughout the world and promoting the permanent realization of the International Blueberry Seminars in the main producing countries, among other dissemination platforms, but it is a promoter and leader of important training activities for the players of the blueberry industry at different levels.

Through Blueberries Consulting or Agricultural Seminars, he has organized numerous training activities, diplomas, or higher level courses, associated with international Universities and Training Centers, regarding the different aspects of cultivation and modern agriculture in general. Always with the aim of developing the industry by enriching the knowledge of human resources at all levels, including producers, technicians, professionals and agricultural entrepreneurs.

A global reality

Jorge Esquivel Manterola maintains that the information and knowledge acquired by people raises standards at all levels. "The greater demands of consumers and the urgent need for sustainability of the activity are elements that challenge our industry and if we do not constantly promote changes we can lose the privileged positions we enjoy in the world," he warns.

The expert reiterates that the development of the industry and its actors must be continuous and permanent. “You have to acquire more and more knowledge regarding the crop to remain competitive. The demand demands more product quality and more responsibility in the production process, ”he emphasizes.

permanent offer

“Currently blueberries are a product that is on the market for 52 weeks. A few years ago, there was only the American offer in the US, then there were two or three months without supply and then the Chilean offer came, which covered another 2 or 3 months, and those were the sales periods. Today there is Mexico, which covers the late part of Chile, and there is Peru, which covers the early part of Chile. There are practically no windows. In Europe, the same thing happens with Morocco and Spain, anyway. In the world there is a stable supply during the 52 weeks, which obviously is not good for some, but it is good for the industry in general. The exclusivity situations are over and this is an undeniable reality that is not going to change ”, he assures.

global industry

Esquivel takes a holistic view of the industry and warns that we are facing a changing and uncertain world – but highly interconnected – in which any unforeseen event affects us globally. The past US-China crisis, Covid-19, the war in Ukraine or climate change are clear examples of this finding, which is why he emphasizes the globality of the industry and the globality of knowledge and information. as main development tools.

sustainable industry

In this context, Jorge Esquivel argues that the first stage of the industry is coming to an end, and it is now necessary to move on to a higher stage. “The crop has been installed in the world, both in its production and in its consumption. We have an industry and we have a market. The future lies in the safety of the production process. As long as the blueberry preserves its healthy and pleasant qualities, and the industry associates itself with a sustainable, clean, technological and professional activity throughout its production chain, the future of this industry is assured”, he concludes.