The new blueberry varieties and the lessons learned from a couple of difficult years as a result of the El Niño meteorological phenomenon have allowed the Peruvian blueberry industry to strategically move its point of greatest production. The season has also started slower than last year due to later pruning. Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of ProArándanos explains that "the slow start is due to two factors: the consequences of last year's El Niño and the fact that the Peruvian blueberry industry is preparing to have a shorter peak, distributing the volume throughout more weeks of the year.

Miguel Vegas details the reasons for this slower start to the blueberry season in Peru: «Normally, our season starts in May and lasts until April of the following year. In May and June of this year, we shipped less volume than last year during El Niño, clear evidence that this year the start of the season was slower, mainly due to two factors, namely the consequences of the year's El Niño past and the drop and delay in production due to higher temperatures.

The industry had to prune later than usual. On average, pruning takes place between mid-December and January. This year, it was pruned at least 30 days later than usual, that is, in mid-January. In Peru, from pruning to production takes between 6 and 8 months, which means that all growing cycles have been delayed this year.

Another important factor is that the Peruvian blueberry industry has made the strategic decision to have the peak of the harvest less concentrated, since it aspires to have a more uniform distribution of volumes throughout the export season. «Our objective is for the Peruvian industry to prepare to have a shorter peak and spread the volume over more weeks of the year. Primarily, we are shifting volume from our usual October window in the fourth quarter to the first quarter of the new year.

The forecast is that the peak week will be the 44th. This may change, but it should be around that date. The volumes we expect is to have the total volume between last season and two seasons ago. Traditionally, the third quarter accounted for around 45% of the season's volume, while the first quarter accounted for 10%. Now the third quarter will drop to around 25% of the total volume and the first quarter will account for 20% of the volume. In this new curve we will see that the third quarter volume falls, while the first quarter volume increases; It is a simple way to see what is happening with the Peruvian forecast. We will have a much stronger first quarter than usual, and the Peruvian blueberry industry is preparing to distribute the volume of the fourth quarter. Having such a concentrated peak makes everything more difficult for producers, so we want to achieve a more constant supply to the markets, spacing out the supply," explains Miguel Vegas.

Monthly forecasts

Due to the long harvest period, which lasts almost all year round, Miguel Vegas affirms that the forecasts will be made more regularly. «Our forecasts for this year will be updated monthly. We expect a slow start to the season, with volumes similar to last year through September, so the third quarter will not be much different from last year. The peak of the season now begins partly in November, like last year, while traditionally it took place between the end of September and the beginning of October," says Miguel Vegas.

According to him, the weather in Peru has finally returned to normal, with optimal conditions for cultivation. «From the flowers we see, we hope to have more volumes than last year. Our expectation is to have a good offer of different varieties. In Peru, producers have switched to many new varieties, which is exciting for consumers,” concludes Miguel Vegas.

louis miguel vegas, general manager of Proarándanos