Future blueberry production and exports all depend on enticing consumers around the world to eat a little bit more of the superfruit, says Luis Miguel Vegas who heads Peru’s industry body Proarandanos. He says Peru, as a world blueberry export leader, with a near 12 month supply of the fruit, should not be seen as competition to local growers, but as a complementary actor helping to grow the category into the world’s favourite fruit to the benefit of all.
Peru’s 2024 season forecast
Speaking to the Peruvian blueberry industry in Trujillo, Peru yesterday Miguel Vegas said the climate brought different scenarios and challenges this season. This includes a delay in some cultivars as well as a shift in the peak of the Peruvian export season, from week 38 to week 40.
Having just returned from the International Blueberry Organisation’s (IBO) conference in Poland, he told the audience gathered in Trujillo that the global industry has to really work together to boost consumption. “The forecast into the future regarding production shows blueberries is growing across the world in different regions and countries. As a global industry we expect to have much bigger supply for the future. This will cause price issues, with more supply if demand is not as fast we will start seeing downward pressure on prices. We in Peru have already seen it over the last couple of seasons. It also creates bigger competition amongst exporters with greater efficiencies in the field needed. Consumer will have more supply and they will get blueberries all year round. The quality is increasing year by year. There’s a bigger offer of varieties, with many new varieties that are built to satisfy the consumer. The fruit can now travel long distances. The more supply the more competition between producers, which is why it is important to help push demand to absorb supply,” he explains.
Key is per capita consumption increase
Miguel Vegas says the important fact to remember is that the consumption forecast varies a lot across markets. “The average kg consumption per capita in the U.S. is 2.5 kg per year while in some parts of Asia there’s a lot of work to be done to increase consumption. Especially where it is a novelty like in China there’s a lot of room to increase consumption. The advantage is that blueberries can compete with other snacks. From the point of view of the consumer, there is now a consistent supply in the market with Peru offering nearly 12 months of supply. This does bring more competition between Peru and other origins. It is important for growers to be aware of the different varieties they might have access to and be more efficient because the margins have gotten smaller. Therefore we need to boost demand and consumption. There was an interesting comment in the IBO summit about buy local – or what is called the regionalisation offer – I ask but why? I’m not really sure buying local is really going to be cheaper for the consumer. What is important is to have fresh blueberries in the market for 52 weeks of the year, that’s what we must have,” he emphasises.
Marketing and sustainability communication key
“Marketing strategies are key for the global blueberry industry because consumers think all the fruit are the same. There’s a big component of educating the consumer that’s needed. We need to have different offers of the premium but also mainstream varieties. We need to escape the commodity trap. Therefore, the blueberry industry needs to work together as a group to boost demand. The goal is to make blueberries the favourite fruit in the world. That’s why we have USBC and IBO. In my view the IBO has to take a more active role and into the future they will do that,” states Miguel Vegas.
Breeding and technical aspects
Miguel Vegas concluded by saying the breeding of new cultivars still has a lot of room for improvement in terms of quality, firmness and flavour while ensuring good grower revenue. “This is translated into higher yield and through labour savings on more easily managed cultivars. Growers have a lot of options regarding the breeding landscape. It is extremely competitive. Supply is growing across the world, there’s more pressure and competition. They have to make fast decisions, or even make replacements sooner. Technology has to assist producers to be more efficient in the field through the application of different innovations.”
For more information:
Luis Miguel Vegas
Proarandanos
Tel.: +51 980 503 363
Email: [email protected]
www.proarandanos.org