Chile officially kicks off the 2025-2026 blueberry season

The Chilean industry officially welcomed the 2025-2026 blueberry season with a strategic focus on quality and diversification, amid a more competitive global market scenario. 

The launch took place during Blueberry Day 2025 in the Ñuble Region of southern Chile. There, industry leaders expressed optimism, driven by the successful growth in shipments of new varieties during the previous campaign.

“Last season, the five percent growth in fresh blueberry exports was driven by a key 49 percent increase in our new varieties, which already make up for 21 percent of our total exports,” explained Andrés Armstrong, Executive Director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee of Frutas de Chile.

As host of Blueberry Day, Cristóbal Alessandrini, Country Manager for Prize Blueberries, was optimistic: “This 2025-26 season looks promising, with the first harvests already underway.” He also emphasized the potential of the Ñuble region as “a very relevant” area for organic blueberries, representing a comparative advantage “that must be safeguarded.”

Chilean blueberries—Onwards and upwards

For this new season, the Chilean blueberry industry is betting on frozen fruit, a category poised to become a growing and strategic opportunity for the country. 

Gonzalo Bachelet, President of Chilealimentos, explained that blueberries are already the main frozen fruit among berry exports. The category accounts for 41.6 percent of the total volume, equivalent to $166 million. This up-and-coming industry, he said, is growing at a 13 percent rate and is consolidating as an excellent alternative for varieties that are losing ground in the competitive fresh market.

Rabobank experts, David Magaña and Gonzalo Salinas, were in charge of the closing remarks at Chile’s Blueberry Day. The specialists addressed the challenges posed by the US market and the new American trade policy. 

Magaña and Salinas stated that although tariffs on Chilean exports will impact the local blueberry industry, the key is to compete fearlessly through quality and efficiency. This, they said, is Chile’s best chance to stand out, as its main competitors face the same barriers. 

The general conclusion was that the local industry is experiencing renewed momentum, driven by a commitment to develop better varieties and diversify supply by investing in the frozen fruit category. This, experts said, is the formula for facing a more complex global scenario.

09-05-2025

Source: Freshfruitportal.com