Agronometrics in graphs:

Blueberries shine as Mexican berry exports outpace beer and tequila

In this installment of the Agronometrics in Graphics series, Sarah Ilyas studies the state of the Mexican blueberry industry. Each week the series looks at a different horticultural product, focusing on a specific origin or theme and visualizing the market factors that are driving change.

Red fruits dominated exports of agri-food products from Mexico in January 2023, surpassing beer and tequila exports, which usually lead this market. According to the Bank of Mexico (Banxico) and the Grupo Consultor de Mercados Agrícolas (GCMA), exports of berries (including strawberries, raspberries and blueberries) from the country totaled 374 million dollars in January. Beer exports fell to 348 million dollars while those of tequila totaled 292 million dollars.

Mexico is picking up volume and you are seeing an increase in arrivals, although overall the market remains tight. While there has been blueberry production in Mexico since the fall, spring is where most of the season is. “Right now it is in Jalisco and the weather is very good and the volumes are increasing and good quality is being seen in the constant arrivals.”says Luciano Fiszman of Gourmet Trading Co..

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

What is also being seen right now is a two-tier market for blueberries. “The Chilean product has a price, while the Mexican fruit has a higher price,” says Fiszman. “It is the product that you picked up that week from Mexico compared to the Chilean product that will have been picked up almost a month ago. There's nothing wrong with ocean produce, but you pay for freshness."

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Regarding the demand, analyzes the appearance of “superusers” of the berry. “These people eat blueberries every day, and they will eat more blueberries than a handful of families who are casual buyers,” he says. “They are motivated by their health and if you have a sweet and crunchy fruit, that is a great combination.” In short, this means that supply and demand are in good shape.

“Historically, Mexico peaks in imports during the late-March-early-April window and we expect close to 180 million pounds to come in.” said Powell regarding his forecast for this year's season. According to Powell, Mexican fruit is more attractive to retailers as it is only three days from market, compared to three weeks for fruit from other growers. This season, all imports from Mexico have exceeded quality expectations and the supply has been constant and constant.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics. (Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

The Mexican blueberry industry is constantly implementing environmental and social responsibility programs and has made it a priority to become a pioneer of green industries. This involves installing technology that aims to maximize and limit the use of natural resources, as well as campaigns built aroundthe farm worker. Another important aspect to consider is the growing acceptance of blueberries in the national market. In recent years, the National Association of Berry Exporters (Aneberries) and its 37 members have developed marketing initiatives aimed at Mexican buyers in an effort to increase blueberry consumption in Mexico. In addition to continuing to meet global demand and expanding market presence, the next challenges for the Mexican sector will be to increase the availability of workers and maximize social responsibility.

In our 'In Charts' series, we work to tell some of the stories that are moving the industry. Feel free to take a look at the other items on by clicking here.

All prices for US domestic produce represent the spot market at the point of shipment (ie, packinghouse/climate-controlled warehouse, etc.). For imported fruit, the price data represents the spot market at the port of entry.

You can keep track of the markets daily through Agronometrics, a data visualization tool created to help the industry make sense of the vast amounts of data professionals need to access to make informed decisions. If you found the information and charts in this article helpful, please feel free to visit us at www.agronometrics.com where you can easily access these same charts or explore the other 21 commodities we currently track.

Continuing with the World Blueberry Tour, Blueberries Consulting perform the International Blueberry Seminars most important in the main producing countries of the world, do not miss the opportunity to be part of these meetings with the main players in the industry and international speakers.

Get your ticket of the XXV International Seminar on Blueberries & Cherries Chile 2023 to be done on Thursday April 13 in the Conference Center Hotel Monticello to see the program enter HERE.

Get your ticket of the XXVI International Blueberry Seminar Mexico 2023 to be done on Wednesday May 31 and Thursday June 01 in the Hard Rock Hotel Guadalajara The program will be available soon, for more information about the event enter HERE.

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