:quality(85)//cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/7SFYVPQOUFGLHB5ANJ6GKKOSFE.jpg "Peruvian blueberry exports would increase by 30% in the 2022-2023 campaign")
In recent years, the growth of Exports of Peruvian blueberries It has been exponential and continues to highlight its presence as the world’s leading exporter.
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Peru has seen a 16-fold increase in the exported volume of blueberries in less than a decade, from 17,386 tonnes in 2013 to 275,837 tonnes exported in 2022.
In this sense, the Scotiabank Economics Department estimated that for the 2022/23 campaign, exports would reach 285 thousand tons, an increase of around 30% compared to the 2021/22 campaign (216,842 tons).
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“This estimate assumes the greater production that has been driven by the discovery orientation of new, more productive varieties and the larger areas harvested -partly due to the conversion of less profitable crops to blueberries-. It should be noted that the berry comes into production from the second year until it reaches maturity from the eighth or ninth year,” the bank said.
During this time, the average export price recorded a drop to 5.73 USD per Kg (-6.8%) during the 2021/22 campaign. For the 2022/23 campaign, which is about to end, the price would fall below the world average (5.61 USD per Kg in 2021) and would be around 4.90 USD per Kg, mainly due to higher Peruvian export volumes.
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According to statistics from Adex Data Trading, the average price was above USD 5.0 per kg during the months of weakest exports (January-August) and fell below said level in the export window (September-December).
In Peru, the conventional blueberry and lately organic blueberries have been promoted – this is about being more environmentally conscious and implementing organic production strategies. In the previous campaign, the production of organic blueberries represented around 13% of the total production, according to statistics from problueberries.
Consequently, the exported value of blueberries would reach almost 1,400 million USD, 12% more than in the 2021/22 campaign (1,242 million USD).
In 2016, Peru had 13 varieties. Until 2020 there were 46, and by the end of 2022 the number of varieties had increased to more than 60, according to Proarándanos.
In the country, the sector is still young and the validation of new varieties takes time since it is necessary to prove their adaptation to the climate, to the conditions of the valley, attributes prized by other countries (such as China to withstand long journeys ), among others. . In 2016, the main variety was Biloxi, covering 60% of cultivated areas; in 2022, the Biloxi harvest fell to 25% and, currently, the Ventura variety is in the lead with 32% of the area planted. The appearance of new varieties allows a greater range of prices.
In reference to berry productionin 2022, it reached a record 292,584 MT, 28% more than in 2021 (228,160 MT), according to figures from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (Midagri).
Production has grown rapidly, reaching double digits in recent years. Nationally, the harvested area for blueberries stood at 16,041 hectares (ha) in 2021, an increase of 71% from 9,110 ha in 2020, according to estimates collected by the FAO.
According Fresh fruit, in 2022 1,600 new hectares would have been added. Of the 16,000 hectares of the previous campaign, 70% are located in the regions of Lambayeque and La Libertad; while in Lima, Ica and Piura they concentrate 20% of production.
Peru has become the first blueberry exporting country in the worlds fresh in 2019, with an exported value of US$810 million and reached a new high of US$1,392 million in 2022, up 17.4% from 2021 (US$1,186 million) , according to figures from Adex Data Trade. This positive development is essentially based on the increase in the volume exported.
There main trade window for exports blueberry Peruvians in the United States is between October and December. Peru essentially competes with Canada – the main supplier to the United States – during the months of October and November, and with Chile between December and January, according to Midagri.
There is almost no competition with Mexico, because when this country begins its exports, Peru ends its campaign.
The main export destination is the United States, which accounts for 53% of total exports, followed by the Netherlands (23%), Hong Kong (9%), the United Kingdom (6%) and China ( 6%).
Blueberry shipments go through three transport routes: sea, air and road. Most of the blueberry production is sent by air with 99% of the total, while the remaining 1% goes through the remaining two modalities.