According to Fred Douven of abbGrowers (Netherlands), there is a high demand for blueberries. «Most of the blueberries come from Chile. Peruvian supply is also going well. In addition, the first pallets from Morocco are now arriving, but that country is still getting started.

«Prices fell slightly in early January due to pressure from Chilean supply. However, those prices are now rebounding; a trend I expect to continue in February. Supply from central Chile is already shrinking, and due to hail and night frosts in November, supply from that country is declining. In terms of quality, the Chilean season started with slight difficulties, but since then the situation has improved considerably,” continues Fred.

«Peru continues to send, on average, about 95 containers of blueberries to Europe, of which we receive several. That country is supplying, once again, tasty and good quality fruit. There are many problems with products arriving by air, such as green asparagus from Peru, due to the unrest. However, with sea freight things are still going quite well.

Fred says inflation is definitely affecting sales. "But the situation varies significantly depending on the country, and people have become bargain hunters. In the second week, for example, Dutch supermarkets ran many promotions, which worked wonderfully. In Germany, on the other hand, sales have remained more stable, with fewer fluctuations in prices, both high and low.

«In terms of income, it is not the easiest time, in the middle of the transition from South America to North Africa and Southern Europe. However, we can't complain. The Spanish blueberries will not arrive too soon or too late, although there is a lot of concern about whether there will still be enough water for the red fruit harvest in Huelva and surrounding areas," explains Fred.

According to him, the fact that club varieties are increasingly positioning themselves as an important market trend. «Everything round and blue used to be sold as blueberry, but with the entry of certain club varieties, there is more and more differentiation. We are seeing this with the Sekoya-premium program, whose sales are increasing enormously. “Despite the recession, people still have plenty of money to buy tasty berries.”

Another trend has been the takeoff in sales of frozen berries and IQF. “This started during the COVID lockdowns and continues to gain momentum. Consumers have discovered the convenience of frozen products and the convenience of their price,” concludes Fred.