The latest forecasts by the association of Blueberry Producers of Peru (Proarandanos) shows that Peru is world’s leading exporter of blueberries and continues to grow.
Luis Miguel Vegas, the general manager of Proarandanos, estimates the volume of organic blueberry exports will double during the 2021-2022 campaign, as reported by Gestion.
Total blueberry exports are estimated to total more than 200,000 tons with organic exports reaching 14,000-15,000 tons, up from 7,500 tons last season.
On another hand, the Association of Exporters (ADEX) has projected organic blueberry exports will increase 220 percent, as this projection considers shipments for last season standing at 4,000 tons.
With the estimated growth rate, Peru would export 12,800 tons, while Vegas stated that export items don’t distinguish between organic and conventional, making it difficult to have a reliable record. The only way to have a reliable record is to gather information company by company, he said.
According to Proarandanos, the growth in both conventional and organic blueberry exports is due to the productivity, increase in the cultivated area in which they increased by 2,500 hectares, for a total of 15,500 hectares now, and demand for the fruit for its antioxidant properties.
Peru’s blueberry harvest began in May and will conclude in March 2022, with the largest volumes being harvested from August to December.
