A new report from Rabobank has focused on the future of the international blueberry business, with further growth forecast for the coming years.

According to the analyst, the blueberry industry is becoming “truly global”, with rapidly growing supply and/or demand on most continents.

Due to rising input costs, labor issues, and logistical challenges, companies are forced to be more productive and efficient, and consistently provide high-quality fruit.

“The blueberry industry has undergone a significant transformation, with the market shifting from regional to multi-regional to global,” explained David Magaña, senior analyst for fresh produce at Rabobank.

“Per capita availability is projected to continue to trend upwards in the US, EU-27 plus UK, China and other markets, driven by continued production expansion,” it said.

Availability in China and the US

The availability of blueberries in the Chinese market has increased 36-fold over the past decade, Rabobank noted.

"The beneficial properties for health combined with the convenience of this fruit have led to increased imports, as well as a significant growth in national production," continued Magaña.

"This growth in China has led Chile and Peru, the main source of blueberry imports in China, to face great challenges in terms of quality and renewal of varieties, due to long shipping times."

In the US, fresh blueberry production has grown and local market availability has expanded, with organic blueberries capturing market share.

Rabobank data showed that since 2016, US imports had consistently outpaced US domestic production as the industry focused on providing reliable year-round availability to US consumers.

On the other hand, US exports had been stable or declining. Going forward, US blueberry imports will continue to grow during the US off-season, the analyst noted.

Export volumes will expand

"We expect world blueberry exports to exceed one million tons by 2025/26," Magaña points out. “Exports from Peru have significant growth potential, while exports from Mexico and South Africa will also show sustained growth. Exports from Chile, Canada and the US are likely to stabilize.”

Magaña also said that as the industry transitioned to greater resilience and sustainability, new cultivars would be key for the industry to become more input efficient and meet higher consumer expectations.

“Elevated costs of fertilizers, agricultural chemicals and other inputs will continue to drive higher quality fruit cultivars, higher yields and input efficiency; in short, better genetics”, he confirmed.

“As labor will continue to be a challenge in the industry, mechanical harvesting and automation will increase,” Magaña added. “Varieties with a long shelf life, which travel well, are desirable as blueberries face stiffer competition in the fruit aisle due to the year-round availability strategy in the fresh produce industry.”