Currently the world leader in blueberry export growth rate is a country best known for its record rates of hyperinflation and poverty. However, this country was once very rich and had highly developed agriculture, so its potential should not be underestimated.

There is an investment boom in blueberry farming in Zimbabwe. New plantations are mainly established by investors from neighboring South Africa, who often diversify or even move production to this country due to the very favorable climatic conditions, the availability of high-quality water for irrigation and cheap labor. Additionally, there has recently been an increase in investment from other countries for the development of new blueberry plantations in Zimbabwe.

Since blueberry production in Zimbabwe is mainly developed by investors who already have experience in growing blueberries in similar climatic conditions, the productivity of plantations and the quality of products are quite high. Furthermore, these companies have already established sales channels for blueberries, allowing them to do the same with berries grown in Zimbabwe.

As a result, Zimbabwe's blueberry exports are currently growing faster than those of any other country in the world. “On average over the past five years, Zimbabwe has increased blueberry exports by 63% each year or 1.200 tonnes. In 2022, exports grew by 85% or 2,3 thousand tons and exceeded 5 thousand tons, which allowed the country to enter the top 15 blueberry exporting countries and surpass Serbia in volume,” says Andrij Yarmak, economist at the investment department of the Food Agency and Ministry of Agriculture, UN Organizations (FAO).

It is expected that in 2023 Zimbabwe's blueberry exports could grow by another 30-40% and reach between 6.500 and 7.000 tonnes. Taking into account the high level of blueberry prices due to the poor harvest of this berry in Peru, the country can make a lot of money by exporting blueberries in the new season.

A significant portion of Zimbabwe's blueberries are exported to South Africa, apparently for future re-export. The country also directly exports fresh blueberries to the UK, EU and Middle Eastern countries, as well as Russia.

By the way, Georgia is also among the leaders in blueberry growth rate in the world, with an average annual increase in exports of 50%. In 2023, Georgia's blueberry exports increased by 2,5 times and reached 3,4 thousand tons. It is true that some of these blueberries were grown in Ukraine and re-exported to the Russian market by Georgian traders.

Ukraine itself, despite its leading positions in the world in terms of the rate of increase in the area cultivated with blueberries, is somewhat behind Georgia in terms of the growth rate of exports. However, in 2023, Ukraine's blueberry exports increased significantly, which is partly due to a decrease in the size of the local blueberry market due to population outflow as a result of Russian military aggression.