Last year people were unable to eat out and retail sales of blueberries increased significantly. “Currently there is no additional movement yet. Despite the fact that restaurants in the Netherlands have to close earlier. The demand, however, is still good”, says Roberto Latorre of CarSol Europe. “There is plenty of fruit available. Peru, for example, has shipped ten percent more product so far. But those volumes are now drastically declining.”

“In contrast, South Africa is in the market with higher volumes. The first containers of Chilean blueberries have been loaded. We look forward to seeing you in week 51, just before Christmas. Chilean volumes will dominate the market thereafter. Spring had good growing conditions. However, it has been a bit cooler. That has delayed the start of the season a bit.”

Chilean cultivation.

The consumption of blueberries has been increasing for years around the world. And every year more of these red berries are grown. Peru, for example, harvested around 35% more this year than last season. Some of those additional amounts go to Europe. Some go to new markets that are being exploited, especially in the Far East. But Roberto knows that most still go to the United States. Peru exported 45% more product this year. In Europe, consumption has increased by around ten percent.

Directed pruning

CarSol received its first Peruvian blueberries at the end of August. Most exporters stop arrivals in Europe at the end of December. This company, based in the Netherlands, however, continues until the end of February. That equates to just under seven months. “We are in a different growing area, Piura. Thanks to the favorable climate there, we can stretch the season. But we plan the cultivation carefully on our 500-hectare acreage. By performing selective pruning, you can distribute the harvest very well, “says Roberto.

Stable sale prices

This season, the sale prices of Peruvian blueberries remained quite stable. “For sales to supermarkets, we work with seasonal and weekly prices. We also sell a little on the open market. Prices have remained reasonably stable. Although it is difficult to pass through the rising costs of, say, labor in the country of origin. Or the rise in the price of transport and raw materials for packaging in the chain. In our sector, the market situation determines the prices”.

The optical sorter further improves the cality

“Fruit importers and exporters around the world are facing a growing demand for reefer containers. That in addition to the increase in the prices of many basic products. But our blueberries still ship on time. In Peru, for now, there are relatively few problems getting containers. When the blueberries arrive at the port of Rotterdam, they go to the packing station. There the fruit goes through our optical sorters and is packaged according to the customer's specifications”, explains Roberto.

Less plastic in France and elsewhere

CarSol not only classifies the blueberries they receive in 3,5 kg packages. This distributor also offers a tailor-made product. They pack the blueberries in a format specific to the customer. And they deliver the final product as quickly as possible. And that has to be done with less and less plastic. In France, this is already regulated by law. But, in the Netherlands and also in other countries, the market has few options.

It must respond to consumer demand for more environmentally friendly products. Less plastic in small fruits will undoubtedly be one of the great challenges for the entire chain. That is for both importers and end customers. But it is possible, as the organic segment shows. They already have more types of packaging available than conventional berries. These include cartons or cartons with sleeves or heat-sealed with Mono-PET film.

In recent months, CarSol has shipped the majority of its organic blueberries from Argentina. Container shipping is improving and will be available until mid-December. Blueberries take a little longer to arrive from Argentina than those from Chile. That's because there are fewer connections.

And with the current delays, a voyage sometimes takes longer than 30 days instead of 25-26. That has to be taken into account. “So sometimes we have to dispose of some of those berries, even though they are transported in controlled atmosphere containers,” says Roelant Komen, organic specialist at CarSol.

Organic produce is growing well, but conventional is doing even better.

The organic blueberry market is growing, just like the conventional one. “The organic amounts, however, remain modest. We make approximately 85% conventional products and 15% organic products. Most organic berries go to supermarkets. And, of course, we sell in organic stores”. Currently, there is little cultivation of organic blueberries in Peru. “But if that sector develops, Peru could represent a threat to Argentine producers. They have the disadvantage of higher logistics costs and longer transit times,” concludes Roelant.