Until March, the production of Peruvian blueberries is down -22% compared to the 2022 – 2023 campaign

Overview of blueberries from Peru in the U.S. market, complemented by charts from Agronometrics. Original published on March 15, 2024.

The diversification of markets by the Peruvian industry is giving results, since there has been growth in new destinations of 18% compared to the 2022-2023 season.

According to the latest report of Problueberries, the leading industry body Peruvian blueberry, the 2023 – 2024 production campaign in its 10th week (until Sunday, March 10) has reached a total of 221.184 tons, which corresponds to a decrease of – 22% compared to the 2022-2023 campaign and – 30% compared to the first projection of the industry, carried out on July 5, 2023, although only – 2% compared to the last projection made by the industry on January 29.

Breaking down these figures, conventional blueberries reach 198.842 tons, which is equivalent to -21% compared to the previous season, and organic blueberry production reaches 22.342 tons, which implies a decrease of –36% compared to last season.

Source: USDA Market News via Agronometrics.
(Agronometrics users can view this chart with live updates here)

Irregular campaign

The data clearly demonstrate that the 2023-2024 blueberry production season in Peru has been an irregular campaign full of complexities, both climatic and agronomic with respect to the crop, and also commercial, because as a consequence of the lack of fruit in the markets the Prices were very attractive for the industry.

As an example, in week 10, Peruvian shipments of fresh blueberries to international markets were 1.464 tons, a figure that represents a decrease of 25% compared to week 9. However, these volumes are equivalent to an increase of 30% compared to week 10 of the 2022 – 2023 campaign.

U.S.

Or as in the case of the United States, which is the main destination for Peruvian blueberry production, with 55% of the volumes, equivalent to 123.233 tons until week 10, although this figure is -20% below campaign 2022 – 2023. However, in week 10 shipments to the United States registered 1.217 tons, 50% more compared to week 10 of the previous campaign, broken down into 78% that went to the port of Philadelphia, 14 % to the port of Hueneme and 9% to the port of Miami.

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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