Agronometrics in Charts: Emphasis on Quality Will be Paramount for Chilean Blueberries This Season
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| 12 October 2023
In this installment of the ‘Agronometrics In Charts’ series, Sarah Ilyas studies the state of the Chilean blueberry season. Each week the series looks at a different horticultural commodity, focusing on a specific origin or topic visualizing the market factors that are driving change.
According to the initial estimate released by the Chilean Blueberry Committee, ASOEX in collaboration with iQonsulting, it is projected that Chile will experience a 6% reduction in the export of fresh blueberries for the 2023-2024 season in comparison to the preceding year.
This year, Chile has allocated 18,071 hectares for blueberry cultivation, indicating a 2% reduction from the 2022 figures. The reduction in cultivated area is primarily attributed to the removal of 1,164 hectares featuring older blueberry varieties that were characterized by diminished productivity and lower post-harvest longevity. Additionally, 607 hectares have been designated for the cultivation of new blueberry varieties, according to Andrés Armstrong, Executive Director of the Blueberry Committee. He further observed that the newly established hectares with novel varieties now surpass 20% of the total planted area and are anticipated to yield more significant increases in production in the forthcoming seasons.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
With regard to the influence of the El Niño phenomenon, which is already manifesting discernible effects in other South American blueberry-producing regions, such as Peru, Armstrong asserted that it is premature to make a comprehensive assessment. However, he notes that the majority of blueberry-producing regions in Chile had completed their blooming stages prior to the occurrence of the substantial rainfall experienced in August and September.
“The lower accumulation of cold hours, a phenomenon that has strongly affected the production of blueberries in Peru, will have a smaller impact in Chile, since it occurred in regions where blueberry production is not relevant in our country. We’ll be monitoring on a weekly basis the possible impact that the rains, frost, and temperature changes associated with El Niño may have on the volumes to be exported from Chile,” he said. He adds that varieties with good productivity but weaker postharvest characteristics are diverted to the frozen market.
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)
Peru anticipates a postponed peak, a scenario that may closely coincide with the commencement of Chile’s peak. Peru’s peak production period is likely to span weeks 48 to 50, potentially resulting in substantial volumes that align with Chile’s peak in January. Vigilance is essential with respect to the total volume entering the markets, says Isabel Quiroz, executive director of iQonsulting, emphasizing the necessity to export only quantities that are in accordance with the preferences of the global markets.
Nick Wishnatzki of Wish Farms believes that retailers will most certainly be ready and willing to promote Chilean blueberries as soon as the inbound volume allows, given the low volumes from Peru. “The demand for Chilean blueberries could be very interesting this year given the bumpy start to the Peru season,” he said. “The Peru blueberry crop is much lighter than originally forecasted, and if this continues then it could be an opportunity for Chile to regain some traction into the world blueberry market. It will be very important for Chile to focus on quality in order to take advantage of this opportunity,” he added.
In our ‘In Charts’ series, we work to tell some of the stories that are moving the industry. Feel free to take a look at the other articles by clicking here.
All pricing for domestic US produce represents the spot market at Shipping Point (i.e. packing house/climate controlled warehouse, etc.). For imported fruit, the pricing data represents the spot market at Port of Entry.
You can keep track of the markets daily through Agronometrics, a data visualization tool built to help the industry make sense of the huge amounts of data that professionals need to access to make informed decisions. If you found the information and the charts from this article useful, feel free to visit us at www.agronometrics.com where you can easily access these same graphs, or explore the other 21 commodities we currently track.
Written by: Sarah Ilyas
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