“Mexico is consolidating itself as a competitive, innovative and reliable source of fresh blueberries”

The Mexican blueberry industry faces 2026 from a position of strategic maturity. Far from focusing solely on production figures, the sector is moving toward a more sophisticated model: quality, traceability, sustainability, and market diversification. This is explained by Juan José Flores García, Director General of Aneberries, the association that brings together Mexico’s main berry producers and exporters.

The current campaign has been conditioned by a warmer-than-usual winter, which brought forward the production schedule in some regions and raised technical demands in the field and post-harvest. For Flores García, however, the true thermometer of the industry is not the weather, but the sector’s responsiveness. “Through modernization, monitoring, agronomic management, and sustainable practices, the sector strengthens its resilience to sustain firmness, arrival quality, and the competitiveness of Mexican fruit.”

Aneberries estimates a total production of 90,000 tons in 2026, of which approximately 75,000 tons will be destined for global export. Michoacán, Jalisco, Baja California, Guanajuato, and Sinaloa remain the leading regions, although the cultivated acreage recorded a slight reduction last season.

Market Diversification and Varietal Renewal

The U.S. market continues to be the primary destination for Mexican blueberries, sustained by logistical proximity, the spring window, and the ability to supply fruit in optimal condition. Nevertheless, Aneberries is actively working to diversify destinations.

“Europe and Asia represent strategic opportunities for Mexican blueberries in premium segments, especially for fruit differentiated by quality, firmness, flavor, food safety, traceability, and post-harvest shelf life.”

In this regard, Flores points out that the new trade agreement with the European Union could generate favorable opportunities to strengthen the Mexican presence in that market. One of the central pillars of the sector’s evolution is varietal renewal. Traditional varieties like Biloxi are giving way to new genetics and proprietary variety clubs with better commercial attributes: greater firmness, better flavor, longer post-harvest life, and lower rejection rates at destination.

“The market pays for condition and consumer experience. New genetics must help reduce shrinkage and improve resource efficiency,” Flores notes, while also highlighting the sector’s investment in its own varietal research, with specialized researchers and nurseries that have helped differentiate the Mexican origin right from the production base.

Future Challenges and Outlook

The industry is not immune to pressures: rising logistical and labor costs, climate variability, labor shortages, and growing competition from other origins. In response, the sector’s strategy relies on productivity, efficiency, and generating higher value per exported kilo.

For the second half of 2026, the priority is planning for upcoming seasons: adjusting production windows, strengthening commercial programs, and accelerating improvements in quality and traceability. The long-term vision points toward a more technologically advanced, sustainable, and excellence-oriented industry.

“Mexico is consolidating itself as a competitive, innovative, and reliable origin of fresh blueberries, with a value proposition based on export quality, a strategic window, logistical proximity, traceability, food safety, sustainability, and sector collaboration,” he concludes.

Source: FreshPlaza.com / Translate by IBO