Introduction to the Chilean Blueberry Market
Chile has emerged as a significant player in the blueberry sector as the leading provider of fresh fruit for the northern hemisphere during the off-season. BLUEBERRY EXPORTS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY from US$ 30 million (about 4,000 tons) in 2000 to US$ 380 million (94,000 tons) in 2011. The acreage, varieties, management techniques, lengthening of the harvest season, and soil and climatic conditions of the four main blueberry-growing regions—North, Central, South-central, and South—are discussed. The majority of fruit is from highbush types, hand-picked, and shipped fresh to the United States via boat. The bulk of fruit exports occur between mid-December and late January when prices are at their lowest. With 5,075 hectares (51.1% of the area planted), the south-central region (latitudes 34o50′ to 38o15′ S) was the most significant in 2007.
Chilean blueberry exports
In Chile, most of the blueberry crop is produced from November through March of the following year. According to projections made by the Chilean Blueberry Committee, shipments will total around 98,000 tons in 2022–2023, an 8% decline from the previous season.
According to the committee, this is primarily due to the Chilean blueberry industry’s tremendous concentration on offering only the highest quality blueberries to its export markets. As part of the industry’s thorough variety renewal, several varieties are being modified for frozen exports and other industrial uses.
The fruit will arrive with Chilean blueberries’ distinctive flavor and sweetness since growers are growing new varieties with superior post-harvesting conditions.
The season’s unpredictable weather has impacted some of the types.
Andres Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, claims the decline mainly stems from the industry’s continual variety replacement. “Growers replaced 1,164 hectares of old types with 607 hectares of new kinds, which have better postharvest life and higher production. Even if our current quantity of 18,071 hectares is two per cent smaller than in 2022, the sector dramatically benefits from the shift toward new types.
Twenty per cent of the planted area is made up of newly planted types, and Armstrong continued, “We anticipate that this percentage will only rise in the upcoming years.” He continues by saying that some growers find the frozen market to be an appealing alternative for productive but weaker postharvest types.
According to Armstrong, the Blueberry Committee and its affiliated businesses have established a strategy to create more effective production management, logistical services, and renewing types. This will make reaching the markets easier for fruit of consistently high quality and reasonable price.
Trends in blueberry exports
A significant variety of renewal is occurring in the industry, with certain types moving to frozen exports and other industrial uses. The fruit will arrive with the flavor and sweetness typical of Chilean blueberries since producers are growing new varieties with better postharvest circumstances.
According to Andres Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, “Getting the best blueberries to our worldwide markets is our top objective. The correct types must be planted and exported, but the business is also improving logistics with the help of fresh initiatives like Blueberry Express. Two weeks will pass before this service reaches the U.S. market. It will start in Week 49 and run the 2022–23 season. It ensures that the cold chain is kept up, essential for preserving fruit quality.
The sector expects improved circumstances for the export of fresh blueberries. The fruit quality has improved due to cooler temperatures, and labor is more readily available for logistics, packing, and harvesting tasks—factors that made last season difficult.
With 54% of the entire volume, the U.S. remains Chile’s top fresh blueberry market. Europe comes in second with 34%, Asia comes in third with 11%, and the remaining 2% is split between the Middle East and Latin America. 75% of all fresh organic blueberries produced in Chile are sent to the United States. 22% of the blueberries shipped to the United States during the 2021/22 season were organic, while 78% were conventional.
The U.S. marketing team is collaborating with both large and small retail chains to develop initiatives that will boost sales of Chilean blueberries, with peak arrivals anticipated during the last week of December/first week of January. Trade promotions will start at the beginning of January and go through February.
