The president of Proarándanos, Miguel Bentín, is a well-known player in the Peruvian and international industry and has distinguished himself by reading the behavior of the international market and global production flows very well, which allows him to maintain a very strategic, anticipatory and accurate vision of the different scenarios in which the blueberry industry operates.
Regarding his leadership or industry leadership, Miguel Bentín recalls that he was president of Proarándanos a decade ago, when the organization was formed, and his goal has always been to have a highly collaborative environment among the associates. He maintains that it is very important to have an openness to be able to transfer the know-how to share experiences, so that everyone can raise their standards, in an environment of unity and much transparency.

– What is your view of the Peruvian industry projected at the end of this decade?
– It seems to me that Peruvian industry, towards the end of this decade, will enter a stage of greater maturity. After years of rapid growth, I think we will begin to see a slowdown in the growth of volume and activity, something natural in industries that have had such rapid development.
The most important thing is that the minimum quality standards, the quality “floors”, will be raised. We will see a much more consistent product, with varietal mixes that incorporate new generations of varieties, always focused on improving the average quality standard. This evolution is in line with what we now consider the most critical factors for the success of the product in the markets.

– What is your view of the global blueberry industry and especially its competition in the near future?
– As I have been mentioning, the global blueberry industry will continue to have consistency in quality and the search for a product with better characteristics as its main drivers.

As for competition between producing origins, I think we are all going to have to follow the same path: focus on improving product quality to complement the different global offerings. This is key to generating consistent demand in the markets.
On the other hand, if we talk about Peru's capabilities as a competitor, our position in the global industry is very well consolidated. This is due, first of all, to natural comparative advantages for production, which we have been able to convert into competitive advantages. Today, Peru is a very important player, not only because of the volume of supply we provide to the world, but also because of the growing consistency in average quality and reliability in supply.

– Can we talk about Peruvian know-how regarding blueberry cultivation?
– Yes, we can talk about Peruvian know-how regarding blueberry cultivation, a knowledge that has evolved over the years. What is interesting about the Peruvian case is that the know-how that has been required to build has been very specific, even at the level of each plantation.

The variety of conditions we have on the Peruvian coast, from one end to the other, has required the development of very specific knowledge to adapt to different realities, because conditions vary significantly from region to region. This has led to the generation of a very large volume of knowledge over time, knowledge that has not only remained in each region, but is exchanged between them.
Current season
The Peruvian industry's projection for the current campaign is around 310 thousand tons, thereby regaining its absolute leadership position as the main blueberry exporting country. To this we must add that this fruit is of much better quality than in previous years, due to the timely and permanent varietal replacement carried out by Peruvian producers, which is yielding results, providing them with a more consistent fruit supply, with larger sizes, better flavor and more resilient to pests, water shortages or climatic threats, among other factors.
This note is a fragment of an extensive interview with the leader of the Peruvian blueberry industry that will be published in the Blue Magazine, and will be distributed in the XXXIV International Blueberry Seminar to be carried out this 12 and 13 March in the Lima Convention Center and in which Miguel Bentín is the main guest.

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