IBO Report Highlight: Production Survey Reveals Stable Last Season Shaped by Strong Demand and Currency Headwinds

The 2026 IBO Report’s Production Survey records broadly stable sentiment across the global blueberry industry. Based on 246 respondents, the overall global average edged up from 4.96 in 2024/25 to 4.99 in 2025/26, on a 10-point scale. The survey measures how producers rate the factors shaping their season, from market conditions to input costs.

Beneath this stable average, some factors moved sharply. Political Stability recorded the largest improvement of any factor, climbing from 4.47 to 5.38 as some of the geopolitical uncertainty of the previous season eased. Growth in Demand also posted a strong gain, rising from 6.33 to 7.09 to become the highest-rated factor globally, underscoring producers’ confidence in sustained demand growth.

Exchange Rate moved the other way, recording the sharpest decline of any factor, from 5.24 to 4.28. Currency volatility squeezed export margins across Latin American origins, with Mexico among the most affected. Rising input and logistics costs, together with growing concern over trade policy, added further pressure on producer margins.

Explore the 2026 IBO Report for the full Production Survey findings, including country-level analysis of the factors affecting production in each origin.