«Our harvest of berries In Mexico, it starts around September 15 and runs until July 15, covering almost the entire year. However, we take a productive, but not commercial, break of approximately two months during the summer, because the quality conditions are not optimal during that period," says César Ortiz, CEO of Berries Paradise.

«The company exports approximately 16 million kilos of berries "We export 40% of raspberries, 40% of blueberries, 10% of strawberries and 10% of blackberries per year," explains Ortiz. Although the main market is the United States, which absorbs 80% of its production, Europe and Asia also represent key destinations for its products, especially in the case of raspberries and blackberries, whose shelf life requires air shipments. "We are next to our main market and in 24 hours we can be at the border, reaching the retail in less than 48 hours," says Ortiz, highlighting Mexico's geographical advantage over other global competitors.

Ortiz points to several obstacles that affected last season, including the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which reduced blueberry production in Mexico by 20%, a phenomenon that also affected Peru. In addition, the strengthening of the peso against the dollar and high interest rates in Mexico have caused production and financing costs to increase significantly. “The cost of financing in Mexico has reached historic levels in the last six years, making projects more expensive,” he says.

«On a political level, the imminent elections in the United States are generating uncertainty in the industry. We see two main risks: a possible tax on imports and the temporary closure of the border due to immigration issues,» says Ortiz, who highlights that the industry is facing a crisis of political uncertainty. berries In Mexico, it plays a key role in mitigating migration to the neighboring country to the north, as it generates thousands of jobs in high migration regions.

The company has worked to gain access to the best genetic programs that seek to extend the shelf life of its products, especially in the case of blueberries. In addition, it uses controlled atmosphere bags to prolong freshness in long shipments, especially to Asia. “We use technologies that extract oxygen and inject carbon dioxide, which helps delay the ripening of the fruit,” says Ortiz.

The director of Berries Paradise underlines the importance of adopting sustainable practices, such as the use of 100% recyclable packaging. "We have launched our ecopacking, a completely recycled cardboard packaging, aligning us with the European environmental regulations that will be implemented in 2030.” In addition, the company is committed to the efficient use of water resources in its fields and renewable energy in its cooling centers.

Ortiz concludes that, "although the tree  of the berries In Mexico, this has already happened, the industry continues to grow, driven by the introduction of new genetic varieties. We are in a process of varietal replacement, adopting genetics that produce berries of better quality, greater sweetness and shelf life.

As for opportunities, Berries Paradise sees the expansion in the national market as a positive sign. «The consumption of berries In Mexico, our business has grown double-digit over the past three years, allowing us to sell quality export products in our own country," Ortiz said.

Berries Paradise will be present at the Fruit Attraction fair in Madrid. You can find them in Hall 4, stand 4C24.