Cancellation of flights complicates the export of blueberries in a pandemic

In the midst of a pandemic and with prospects of entering the “new normal” phase, blueberry producers in Mesopotamia Argentina are already planning the conditions to face the 2020 harvest with new security measures.

Starting in August, the Entre Ríos and Corrientes plantations begin with the harvest of early varieties. To guarantee compliance with the measures imposed by the national government, the producers are already preparing the 2020 harvest protocol together with specialists.

Regarding the commercial panorama for this year, Alejandro Pannunzio, president of the Association of Blueberry Producers of Mesopotamia Argentina (APAMA), stated that the sector faces an unexpected problem, the suspension in the country of flights until September 1 .

"We have the same uncertainty from all sectors added to the fact that we do not have flights until September and we have a harvest of exportable scoop, which goes by plane. The concern is to resolve this issue because otherwise it would be almost impossible to export it, they are small volume shipments and they go on passenger flights, ”explained the producer.

“Most of the cargo goes on passenger flights in the open spaces, as these flights do not occur, it is very difficult to find that place. Also some airlines announce that they are leaving the country and that reduces frequency options, "he added.

Regarding possible solutions, he anticipated that “we are making efforts at all levels but it is difficult to find a solution to this because there is a lack of global knowledge about how this situation will evolve. We are working on an agreement with Aerolineas Argentinas to see if we can collaborate in sending returnee flights that are empty by sending some fruit to our export destinations. ”

Consumption grows due to pandemic

Faced with global uncertainty, there is one certainty: the consumption of fruits in the world grew. The blueberry is being revalued especially in the United States, a country that with 300 million inhabitants registers an average annual consumption of 800 grams per person.

"For the APAMA Conference, which will take place virtually in August, an expert in the California fruit trade confirmed his presence and he already anticipated that the blueberry in the US has an expectation of growth because people value the antioxidant of the fruit . And from Belgium, another of the exhibitors at the conference, Juan González, confirms that fruit consumption has grown 13 percent so far this year. In other words, the market is going to be, now what price the consumer can pay is uncertainty ”, he concluded.

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