Holland: Good harvest of blueberries, but a large supply is coming from several countries

"After a long period with Spanish and Portuguese berries, these seasons have come to a definitive end. Qualitatively, the season is over. Cheap berries will continue to be offered from this corner, but good quality ones are no longer available,” says a Dutch fruit trader. “For 2-3 weeks we have had very good volumes of blueberries from Serbia and Romania. As for the price, we have been at a high level the last few weeks, but in the next few weeks there will be more pressure on the market when Serbia, Romania, Ukraine, Poland, the Netherlands and Germany are all on the market together. It will take some planning right with the retailer to get the volume at the right prices for growers. Dutch growers have beautiful fruit hanging on the bushes at the moment, so let's hope the weather doesn't spoil this year as a result of rain. The next few weeks will show where the blueberries are in the market and whether the volume will build up or continue to perform well. The consumption and the size of the basket will be key in this ".

UK: narrow market with potential supply gaps

The blueberry harvest is underway in the UK, with the early harvest from the tunnels somewhat later than last year. The tunnel blueberries have been sheltered from the elements, but harvest in the open field can be delayed for two weeks, which could lead to a small gap in supply. The growing conditions at the moment are nothing but average. The UK is experiencing some very heavy showers with low light levels and slightly cooler temperatures, but nothing extreme.

The market is relatively tight at the moment with low production in the UK, which is normal at this early stage of the season. There are some Spanish blueberries, but the main Central European berries are not yet on the market. Things will get better in late July / early August as growers move to the main crop in the open field.

Transportation and labor

As always, labor is a concern for most producers, and the SAWS scheme providing a non-European labor supply has been vital as there are very few European workers left in the UK. Transport is also a big concern at the moment, not just in fresh produce, but in every industry in the UK.

One producer commented that there is no longer flexibility in the supply of labor or transportation, so it is very important to follow the plan, which is not easy in the fresh produce industry. Costs have risen and efficiencies must be achieved that increase pressure in all respects.

South Africa: Big increase in blueberry production this season

The blueberry harvest in South Africa has just started, with around 6 tons already exported as the northern hemisphere enters its late season and blueberry growers say they are excited about the harvest and the way volumes are growing. . The estimated production is 36.000 tons and the export estimate is 25.000 tons, a big leap as many young orchards reach full age.

South Africa is not yet a big player, but the industry is interested in expanding the country's footprint. The national blueberry industry has changed a lot in recent years with the entry of many new players and the increasing availability of blueberry varieties outside of a strictly controlled producer-exporter model.

According to the Johannesburg municipal market, the price is currently R92,90 (5,5 euros) per kilogram.

Spain: the season ends on a positive note as demand continues to grow

The Spanish blueberry season is over. The harvest has been quite staggered, without overlaps between varieties and with a sufficient production in each time of the season, with an excess of fruit at the end of May, as it usually happens every year. Due to the influence of the weather, volumes have been similar to last year, as initially expected. However, the consumption of blueberries continues to grow every year. Although prices have been a bit tight at the end of the season, demand is responding and there is continued growth.

Global production is very large and the market is always sourced from various sources, leaving fewer production gaps, facilitating regular consumption throughout the year. This helps the consumer to become more familiar with the product and to consume it more regularly. and all producers in all countries benefit from this. In Spain, the fruit is already on the shelves of all supermarket chains during the 12 months of the year, although in terms of volume it is still far behind other countries in central and northern Europe.

Stable market

This year, the storm Filomena, which crossed the Iberian Peninsula in January, causing a drop in temperatures, delayed the production of the early varieties for more than a month. At the same time, the cold brought forward the production of the late varieties. The main firms in the sector agreed that it was a risky campaign, because at that time it seemed that all the varieties were going to arrive in April, and that both the early and late varieties were going to register production peaks at the same time. However, the temperatures in March and April were very mild, so the expected peak was not finally reached. The outlook was for a year with 40-50% more volume due to the age of the trees, the hectares in production and the varieties planted, especially taking into account past figures, but this has not been the case. There has been a shortage of production and a slow and stable supply, without peaks.

But the most important thing is that prices have remained stable. Although spring temperatures have allowed Huelva's blueberry campaign to avoid the concentration of supply that was feared at the beginning of the year, in the rest of Europe the cold delayed both open field and tunnel production. This allowed Spain to stay in the market for more than an extra month with good programs. in the rest of Europe, the cold delayed both open field and tunnel productions. This allowed Spain to stay in the market for more than an extra month with good programs. in the rest of Europe, the cold delayed both open field and tunnel productions. This allowed Spain to stay in the market for more than an extra month with good programs.