The expansion of cranberry: From Chile to Colombia?
Have you heard of blueberry crops in Colombia? For 8 years, the Colberries company from Colombia has been importing plant material from Chile to start commercial crop trials in the tropical country, which could in the near future be a new player in the berry industry.
Luis Felipe Lasso, commercial manager of Colberries Agronegocios Ltda. Commented that the blueberry planting project was born from his son, Luis Alejandro Lasso, who is an agronomist specialized in soils and nutrition. The idea started 10 years ago, as a result of an investigation that he developed during his university studies.
Colberries blueberries
"We are pioneers here in Colombia along with another company that also imports plants but they from the US, we have done all this time importing plant material from Chile."
"We do not sell the plants, but we sell blueberry production projects, that is, we sell an integral project, the plants to the producer together with technical assistance".
Lasso says that technical assistance is provided in conjunction with professionals from Argentina. "We traveled to Concordia to see the extensive blueberry plantations in that country, we talked about 400 hectares with our own laboratories for plant propagation, but since in Colombia the phytosanitary requirements are very strict and Argentina has not yet been admissible, we decided import from Chile. "
According to Lasso, only the US and Chile are eligible to enter plants in Colombia, but in a limited manner and under very demanding standards.
"We, together with the other company, are the only ones that currently comply with the requirements that ICA demands. For example, we have an agronomic evaluation unit for blueberry material, where we study the different varieties, substrates, soils, thermal floors and areas that could be suitable for the cultivation of these berries in Colombia ".
Varieties and growing areas in Colombia
Lasso says that 4 or 5 varieties have entered Colombia, of which only 2 are being used massively, Biloxi and Legacy.
"We had tests with 'Duke', but it was lousy, from 5.000 plants that we imported none is currently alive. We are also testing with 'Misty', it is from the USA, but it has not yet been tested, there are no results of production, of adaptability, still nothing. "
Regarding the weather conditions of Colombia for the cultivation of blueberries, Lasso says that the tropical country has excellent conditions and can provide a production of 360 days a year.
"We have so many microclimates and thermal floors that we just have to select well which variety best suits what conditions. For this reason, our evaluation units are so important. "
Lasso says that currently most of the commercial plantations are in the departments of Cundinamarca and Boyacá, but some tests are also starting in Antioquia.
While the number of hectares is very low - Lasso estimates that there should only be 50 ha., Of which 30 should not have more than 6 months - which are already starting to produce.
"Many plants have entered, at least for 100 hectares, but many of them have died, for different reasons like for example that the projects were not done well, the lands were not well adapted, etc."
Although Lasso says that initially the production was going to be destined to the local market, there is already a company that is exporting to the US, Ocati.
On the projections of blueberry cultivation in Colombia, Lasso says that the massive expansion is not far away.
"We could talk about that in 3 more years we would already be in a major development of the crop. In fact it is so much the interest that exists on the part of the local producers and even foreign investors, that we are thinking about setting up our own laboratory of propagation of plants, since the main problem that we have is the little availability of plants ".
In search of new suppliers
Although Colberries has been working with suppliers of plant material from Chile all these years, Lasso says that complex situations have arisen that are forcing them to look for new suppliers from the USA. and soon, Argentina.
"We have had some problems with plant quality and compliance by our suppliers in Chile. We have been rotating suppliers, and not all of us have failed, but we want to try plants from the USA. and Argentina. "
For Argentina, Lasso expects that the established protocols will be ready by the end of this year or the beginning of 2017. "The other option is the US, in fact most of the plants currently in Colombia come from Fall Creek Farm & Nursery."
Source: Fruit Portal
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