By forced control of Lobesia botrana in Maule and Biobio. Big boost of the organic blueberry of the Araucanía to the south
The conventional blueberry in the south presents higher labor costs and higher probability of rains to harvest, among the disadvantages with respect to the central zone; but better and cheaper soils, as well as temperatures more appropriate to the development of the plant, among the advantages. For its part, the main challenges of the organic blueberry are phytosanitary but it is paid almost double the conventional.
Paulina Navarro, sub-production manager of SB BERRIES.
At the beginning, the great development of blueberries occurred in the area of Ñuble (Biobio), based on obsolete varieties and in that area there are still old orchards with very old varieties (some 'rabbit eye', for example). That was the southern border of the Chilean blueberry. However, "at present, the large increase in volumes that has occurred in the last two or three seasons is entirely due to the entry into production or full production of the fields of the Araucanía region to the south. When you look at the statistics, we can see that before we had a very strong peak in December, after which the volume began to decline. Today the level of December remains but the peak of January is much more incident. The one that corresponds to the fields of the Araucanía towards the south ", points out the agronomist Paulina Navarro, sub manager of production of the South Zone (Chillan to Osorno) of SB Berries, company that exports close to 6 million kilos of blueberries.
-What is the profile of blueberry producers in the Araucanía region to the south?
- In general they are producers that have had a shift from traditional southern agriculture to fruit production. But in the case of dairy activity, there is still some complementarity between the dairy and the blueberries, especially in the Osorno area. The fruit trees are seen as a more cost-effective alternative for the use of the soil in relation to traditional crops, which is why today they are planting a lot of cranberry, cherry and European hazel, mainly.
-Being producers without previous experience in fruit growing, with all that this implies in labor management and handling, are very dependent on external technical support, for example from exporters?
-Today there is a greater knowledge, which is also managed by the producers. Farmers are informed and have created very interesting technology transfer groups. Although there is support from some exporters, as is the case with SB Berries, a total dependence is not generated. Nowadays, a farmer who wants to plant and who is not associated with the exporters that provide advice obtains information from private advisers or transfer groups. There is no longer the dependency of before, in that the exporters were the owners of the information.
GREATER COST OF THE WORKMANSHIP OF LA ARAUCANÍA AL SUR
-In terms of fruit quality and prices, is there a difference between cranberry and fruit from further north?
-In terms of quality is a fruit a little more complicated due to weather conditions since it usually rains during the harvest period and this is also an area where there are enough labor problems, unlike what happens in the Maule or in Biobio, where it is not yet a great limitation. When the rain comes together with the difficulty of getting people to harvest, the result is more complicated than the fruit from the north. This also affects the production costs are higher, because the harvest is more expensive. In terms of price, due to the great growth of the southern area, which translates into higher volumes in January, in recent seasons the price has marked downwards in the US. However, commercial opportunities are opening in other markets and today there is the possibility of sending to China so we are all trying to increase shipments to those markets in the month of January in order to raise the returns.
GREAT INTEREST FOR PRODUCING ORGANIC BLUEBERRIES
- Do all exporters develop organic blueberry lines?
-Not all exporters because it is a different product. But all the big ones are in the fight to develop the organic segment (Hortifrut 12-13%, Agroberries 7% and SB Berries 6%). In particular for us it is extremely important because we have to deliver to our customers the complete palette of products. In addition, it is a factor that differentiates us from other actors that do not have the capacity to deliver that product to their customers or that commercial alternative to their producers.
-Can the organic blueberry be considered a trend in the case of the southern zone of Chile, or does it occur in all areas?
-While the compulsory control areas of Lobesia botrana in the Biobio region to the north have been defined, there has been a significant drop in the export of organic cranberry to the US, with a significant increase in relation to the value of the fruit before the restrictions by Lobesia. Thus, there is a great interest of the blueberry producers of the Araucanía regions to the south to enter organic agriculture. In terms of return, the organic segment is now very attractive in relation to what it was before Lobesia since before the largest volumes of organic fruit came from the Maule and Biobio regions.
- Is it more difficult to be organic in the south?
-It presents greater difficulties than in the downtown area. Mainly from the climatic point of view since there is a higher rainfall, which generates an effect on the final quality of the fruit given the higher incidence of rotting (Botrytis, mainly). This is because the battery of control products registered as organic is not as efficient as the conventional one. That is the main drawback because in terms of soil fertility, among other agronomic characteristics, southern conditions are quite advantageous. The problem is mainly phytosanitary, as much by fungi as by insects such as burritos.
- How do you see the future of the blueberry in the south?
-The future is in the renovation. In the renewal of varieties, in optimizing the hectare as a productive unit and in the incorporation of technology, in which an example is the ceilings. New varieties, higher planting densities and, if necessary, protection against inclement weather. If you do what you should, the market will be there and the prices will be there. Today there are new markets that are opening and in commercial terms it is a crop that has shown super important growth and very positive in recent years. It is so that the producer who does not get on the technology bandwagon today is going to be left behind.
-What are the main advantages of growing blueberries in the south?
-A great advantage is the quality of the soil in nutritional terms as well as the lower cost of this. Another aspect is that the crop is not exposed to very high temperatures for very long periods, which allows the plant to develop better.
ESCAPE OF PERU BUT CARED WITH MEXICO
Due to the huge production scale of some Peruvian blueberry players, it is speculated that Peruvian fruit will be present in the markets until December, although with a marked peak in October and November. Then, the area of the Araucanía to the south would be almost free of competition since the earliest variety, Duke, in the south is harvested more or less from the 10 of December, although with moderate volumes, while the last varieties are harvested until near the March 15. However, the ghost of the south is Mexico, a country that begins its harvest in February and whose offer last year affected the tail of the Chilean season.
Source: Agricultural Network
Previous article
They seek to boost the regional production of blueberriesARTÍCULOS RELACIONADOS
