"Our berry harvest in Mexico kicks off approximately on September 15 and lasts until July 15, covering almost the entire year. We just take a productive, but not commercial, break of approximately two months during the summer, due to the fact that quality conditions are not optimal during that period," says César Ortiz, CEO of the Mexican firm Berries Paradise.
"The company exports approximately 16 million kilos of berries per year. 40% of that volume corresponds to raspberries, another 40% to blueberries, 10% to strawberries and 10% to blackberries," says Ortiz. Although the main market is the United States, which absorbs 80% of their production, Europe and Asia are also key destinations for their products, especially in the case of raspberries and blackberries, whose shelf life requires them to be shipped by air. "We are next to our main market and our product can cross the border in 24 hours and reach retailers in under 48 hours," says Ortiz, highlighting Mexico's geographical advantage over other global competitors.
Ortiz mentions several obstacles that took a toll last season, including the impact of the El Niño weather phenomenon, which caused Mexico's blueberry production to fall by 20%; a phenomenon that also affected Peru. Besides, the strengthening of the peso against the dollar and high interest rates in Mexico have caused production and financing costs to rise significantly. "The cost of financing in Mexico has reached historic levels in the last six years and made projects more expensive," he says.
"On a political level, the upcoming U.S. elections are generating uncertainty in the industry. We see two main risks: a possible tax on imports and the temporary closure of the border due to the migration issue," says Ortiz, who stresses that the Mexican berry industry plays a key role in mitigating migration to the neighboring country to the north, as it generates thousands of jobs in regions with high migration rates.
The company has worked to have access to the best genetic programs, which seek to extend the shelf life of its products, especially in the case of blueberries. It is also making use of controlled atmosphere bags to preserve the products' freshness in long shipments, especially to Asia. "We use technologies that extract oxygen and inject carbon dioxide, which helps delay the fruit's ripening," says Ortiz.
The CEO of Berries Paradise stresses the importance of adopting sustainable practices, such as the use of 100% recyclable packaging. "We have launched our ecopacking, a fully recycled cardboard packaging format aligned with the European environmental regulations to be implemented in 2030." Moreover, the company is committed to the efficient use of water resources in its fields and of renewable energies in its cooling centers.
"Although Mexico has already had its berry boom, the industry is still growing, driven by the introduction of new genetic varieties. We are in a process of varietal replacement, adopting genetics that produce better quality berries, with greater sweetness and a longer shelf life."
As far as opportunities are concerned, Berries Paradise seeks to expand in the domestic market. "Berry consumption in Mexico has grown by double digits in the last three years, allowing us to sell quality export products in our own country," says Ortiz.
Berries Paradise will attend Fruit Attraction in Madrid. You can find them in Hall 4, stand 4C24.
For more information:
César Ortiz
Berries Paradise
Km 2 Carr San Isidro Mozatepec,
45340, Tala, Jalisco, Mexico
Tel. +52 (384) 733 3200
Tel.: +52 341 122 8068
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.berriesparadise.com