“Peru’s blueberry surge will stabilize prices by July”

Overview of blueberries from India and Peru in the U.S. market, complemented by charts from Agronometrics. Original published on June 25, 2025.

India’s blueberry market is navigating a transitional phase as import seasons shift. Traders face limited supply, high freight costs, and evolving consumer preferences, according to Gagan Khosla, CEO of NGK Trading Co.

“The availability is limited as we are between seasons,” Gagan notes. “Peru is ramping up, and I expect a good volume of blueberry arrivals from Week 28. Peru holds the largest market share, followed by Chile and the USA, favored for consistent supply and quality. These origins drive consumer demand, though seasonal gaps challenge year-round access.”

Meanwhile, pricing is elevated due to low volumes. “Prices are quite high, but once volume starts arriving, we will be in line with past seasons,” Gagan predicts. “Peruvian supply from July should stabilize costs, aligning with historical trends.”

Source: Global Trade Data

Source: Global Trade Data

As for exports, the brand has stable, realiable market demand in Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Australia. Gipe-Stewart said “India represents a promising emerging market with growing demand potential, and in contrast exports to China have declined significantly in recent years, largely due to ongoing tariff-related trade challenges.”

As for how they’re managing labor in lieu of labor shortages across agriculture industries, the brand is now using the AI-powered sorting system, TOMRA LUCAi, for their cherry sorting lines. 

“We’ve been using TOMRA LUCAi for our apple sorting for the last two years, and is transforming how we manage labor and quality on the packing line,” Gipe-stewart explained. “LUCAi uses deep learning and advanced imaging, capturing over 3.2 million images per minute when sorting cherries, to identify defects with unmatched accuracy. It gives operators full control to fine tune grading standards, offering far more flexibility than traditional binary based systems.”

She said the technology has “significantly reduced our reliance on manual sorting, helping offset rising labor costs and seasonal labor shortages, and since implementation, we have boosted our throughput by 30 percent.”

She added that they’re proud to be among the first in Washington to adopt LUCAi and that, although the investment required a “complete server overhaul, essentially installing mini supercomputers to power the system, the payoff is clear.”

This NW cherry season has just begun, and Northwest cherry growers reported shipments have reached 3.3 million boxes and they “are seeing large red and yellow cherries that are uniform in color and outstanding in flavor.”

So far, the Northwest industry has shipped 234,534 15 lb. equivalent boxes of Rainier yellow cherries, a 42% increase compared to last year, and the 2025 yellow cherry crop is estimated at about 1.8 million 15 lb. boxes.

Although we’re just in the midst of the season, the Director added that blueberries are next in Superfresh Growers’ repertoire.

In collaboration with trusted family-owned farms, they grow over 700 acres of blueberries throughout the Pacific Northwest, with fields located in Oregon’s Umpqua Valley and Washington’s Skagit Valley. 

Although is too early to get into quality, she said so far weather has been all-around favorable for the crop.

“Our Umpqua Valley farms typically lead the season, with berries ripening about a week earlier than those in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the region’s cool coastal influence helps moderate temperatures, supporting steady ripening and excellent flavor,” she explained. “Our Skagit Valley farms benefit from a mild, maritime climate that protects the fruit from heat stress and the Skagit region produces consistently high-quality blueberries. Both growing areas are also naturally acidic, ideal conditions for growing flavorful, vibrant fruit.”

Gagan emphasized that import requirements prioritize quality. “Eating quality, size, and consistent availability are important,” he states. “Consumer preferences are shifting toward premiumization, with some buyers paying for larger, better-tasting fruit.” He also stated that larger pack sizes, like 200-gram tubes, could soon be gaining traction, reflecting a change in retail preferences.

“While branding and consistent quality are what will set the best growers apart, traders balancing cost, quality, and market access will influence the import landscape, positioning the fruit for wider reach in India,” Gagan

The News in Charts is a collection of stories from the industry complemented by charts from Agronometrics to help better tell their story.

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