“So far, the season has been good in terms of prices, and all thanks to volumes, of course. From the beginning of the campaign until the beginning of November, the supply was relatively limited, which led to very high prices. As volume increases, prices fall,” explains Roberto Latorre of Gloria Agro Foods, the Dutch subsidiary of the Peruvian Gloria Group.

The company grows and markets products such as blueberries, avocados, grapes and limes. For the rest of the season, which runs until February, Roberto expects the supply from Peru to remain stable and prices to remain at the current acceptable level. “Then we could consider it a great season.”

Gloria Agro Foods sources its blueberries year-round, mainly from its parent company in Peru. “We also import blueberries from countries such as Spain and Morocco,” explains Roberto. “We want to grow further with new varieties that will soon be planted in Peru. Afterwards, we are considering expanding into Europe or Morocco.”

Labor and logistics
Labour costs remain a major concern. “In Europe, labour is becoming more and more expensive and this is something that blueberry cultivation requires in large numbers, especially during the harvest. So it is crucial to consider regions where labour costs are lower,” adds Roberto. Along with labour costs, the availability of land and water also affects their expansion plans within Europe.

Sales to Asia currently play a small but growing role for the Gloria Group. Latorre believes that the new port in the Peruvian city of Chancay, which is being built under the direction of the Chinese shipping company Cosco, can stimulate this growth. “The new port will reduce the transit time to the Far East to 23 days, which will make trade from South America to Asia more attractive.”

Logistics, however, remain a challenge. Roberto points out that transit time is typically delayed in the second half of the season. “There are often delays of three to five days. We can partially overcome this with tight scheduling, but it is not ideal,” he says.

Packaging and consumer trends
Most of Gloria Agro Foods' blueberries arrive in bulk in the Netherlands. "We pack them mainly in plastic for the retail». They have tried alternative packaging materials such as paper, cellulose and cardboard, but they remain a niche. "These sustainable packages are expensive, and the market segment is still small. In the retail, "Most blueberries are packaged in plastic," says Roberto.

A notable trend is the increase in larger packaging sizes. “Whereas 125 g packages were previously the norm, 300, 400 or even 700 g packages are now more common. This is due to the increase in consumption and production. For both importers and the consumer, retail, "Larger packages tend to be more interesting. I hope this trend continues," concludes Roberto.