When you are a blueberry producer, and you see Brazil in your mirror, remember… “objects in (the) mirror are closer than they appear”

Guest article by Diego Castagnasso, a fresh produce and blueberry industry expert. Loud, opinionated, INFORMED! Diego writes DC’s B-Side’s newsletter as he speaks and speaks as he writes. You can subscribe, under your own peril, to his newsletter here or visit his less fun (for now) website Drip Consulting.

Fruit Attraction has proven yet again to be a great source of business prospects, networking, and valuable information.

I can always do my Market Research from my kitchen table, thanks to Agronometrics, Fresh Plaza, or Blueberry Consulting, but going to Fruit Attraction gives me and you, if you go, better information for excellent Market Intelligence.

What? Is there a difference between these two?

Yes! But you can check it in the PS section

Now for the GOOD STUFF

Remember last week’s graphs?

Let’s take a closer look…

Brazil Blueberry Imports By Partner

Brazil Blueberry Imports By Partner

Brazil is consuming more imported fruit, and that tendency has been growing since 2022.

But are they re-exporting that fruit?

It seems not… they are just consuming more…

Although I wasn’t able to get more data on total consumption, I was able to get juicy info…

Yes! Production-wise, Brazil is, definitely, planning to grow, and they have the government (promotions) to back up this growth.

This means that not only local actors are looking to plant new hectares, but top international actors have already disembarked in Brazil too.

I needed more info and some “confirmation” on the data I was gathering so I got the chance to speak with one of the TOP Nurseries and Breeders in Brazil .

And they told me:

“Currently, the regions of Brazil that are developing in fruit growing are the Northeast and Southeast. The State of São Paulo produces around 1,100 hectares of blueberries for domestic consumption. The Northeast states have 500 hectares seeking exports, already in agreement with players outside of Brazil.”

“Most of the companies are producers and foreign companies that are establishing operations in Brazil.”

“Currently, Brazilian farmers are conducting tests to determine the country’s economic viability. We are responsible for approximately 2,500 hectares, which will be established in three years. We use specific genetics for tropical climates”

WOW! The next few years are going to be INTERESTING, to say the least…

· Peru… Planning to keep on growing, not only in kilos but in around 5000 ha more.

· Colombia… Announcing, “With 650 hectares currently under cultivation, the country is projected to reach between 3,000 and 5,000 hectares by 2026. That’s an increase of 669.23%, based on projections by the Rural Agricultural Planning Unit (UPRA)”

· And now Brazil, with at least 2500 ha in just one of the nurseries in the country.

Don’t forget about the local market…

If the Government promotions help more Brazilians into eating blueberries by “democratizing” the consumption, we are looking at around 204 million consumers… that is 2 million more than the 202 million adding all the other South American countries.

SOUTH AMERICA IS GETTING HOT!!… and not only because of climate change…

What else?

Oh! There is a lot more that I was able to gather, but I think you had more than enough for one edition.

And you know… all that DATA, STRATEGIES, AND MORE are just a CALL away.

Schedule a CALL and enjoy being informed.

Have a GREAT WEEK!!!

And remember, if you liked what you read, send it to a friend, if not unsubscribe…

PS: During the fair, I was asked about my services, specifically why I said that I was doing market research and market intelligence when they seemed to be the same thing. Just in case you have the same doubt…

Market research would be like asking people at the grocery store specifically if they’d buy a punnet of fresh blueberries at a certain price. Market intelligence is more like constantly tracking things like the price of fresh blueberries at different markets, what recipes with fresh blueberries are trending online, and if there are any news stories about a shortage or a bumper crop of fresh blueberries.

The key is that Market Intelligence aims to synthesize information from all available sources, both hard and soft, to build a comprehensive and dynamic understanding of the market. It’s about connecting the dots between structured data points and the more nuanced, qualitative information you gather through your network and ongoing monitoring.

Written by Diego Castagnasso