Agronometrics in Charts: Peru’s blueberry sector eyes 20% growth in the 2025-26 campaign
Peru’s blueberry sector has wrapped up its 2024-2025 season on a strong note, exporting over 318,000 tons by April. This performance marks a solid rebound from the previous campaign, which was impacted by severe weather conditions that impacted both volume and quality. While the current results have been welcomed by growers and exporters alike, the season also exposed a critical vulnerability: logistics.
Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of ProArándanos, the industry group representing Peru’s top producers and exporters, acknowledged both the success and the strain the season brought. “It has been a good season, with good volumes and good prices for most of the year. However, we suffered great logistical stress,” he said.
The final quarter of the year accounted for over 60% of the total exports, which resulted in significant pressure on market pricing, transportation, and storage. Congestion-plagued significant export locations, including Philadelphia in the United States and Callao in Peru, while the Panama Canal’s delays, which were exacerbated by concurrent export campaigns such as grapes, added to the complications.
Vegas warned that such bottlenecks are unsustainable as the sector looks to expand. “Such a concentration of the supply is a major challenge, both from a commercial and a logistical point of view,” he noted. Despite these issues, ProArándanos is forecasting a 20% growth in the upcoming campaign – making it essential that stakeholders act now to avoid future gridlock.
Backing this projection, the USDA’s 2025 Blueberry Annual Report paints an optimistic picture for Peru’s medium-term future. According to the report, production in the marketing year 2025/2026 is expected to recover strongly, assuming weather conditions normalize. Growth is being driven by a combination of factors: expanded cultivation areas, rising foreign investment, and resilient plant genetics that are helping crops maintain productivity even in the face of erratic weather.
The USDA highlights that Peru’s field consolidation and infrastructure upgrades are starting to pay off, enabling economies of scale that could further boost both yield and export potential. This aligns with ongoing efforts by PromPerú, the country’s export promotion agency, which is pushing for market diversification and improved international logistics to reduce dependency on any single route or destination.
Peru’s current challenge is not merely the cultivation of additional blueberries; it is also ensuring that they are delivered to the appropriate markets at the appropriate time without overtaxing the system. With a strategic mix of planning, investment, and international collaboration, the country is poised to hold its place as one of the world’s leading blueberry exporters.
29-05-2025
Source: freshfruitportal.com
