EastFruit team continues to analyze the global blueberry market. After covering the general global blueberry trends, we looked into the situation among the market giants: Peru, Chile, Mexio and Spain but also reviewed the new aggressive exporters. Today we will provide a detailed overview of Serbia – another country which has just graduated from the newcomers. It remains rather small but is already rather influential with rapidly growing export volumes.
Serbia has quietly become a notable player in the blueberry world, despite its relatively modest scale. The country has around 2,500 hectares planted with blueberries and an annual output of roughly 6,000–7,000 tons in recent years as estimated by various sources. Serbia’s season runs from early June through October for late varieties, with peak exports in mid-summer.
While Serbia’s production volume is much smaller than Spain or Poland, it punches above its weight in export significance because domestic consumption is limited, and Serbia exports a large share of what it grows. By 2023, Serbia was counted among the top 10 global blueberry exporters – a testament to its focus on export markets. In fact, Serbia led growth rates among top exporters over the past five years, alongside Mexico and Morocco.
Read also: Georgia, Zimbabwe, and Ukraine – The Rise of New Blueberry Giants
In 2023, Serbia faced a tough season quality-wise. Total production was about 6,500 tons, roughly on par with previous years, but an unprecedented level of fruit rejection occurred due to poor quality according to A Look at Serbia’s 2023 Blueberry Season | Agronometrics Stories. Exporters typically see only 2–4% of fruit rejected, but in 2023 rejection spiked to ~14% with some farms seeing up to 30% rejected according to the same source. The culprit was extremely rainy weather in May 2023, right before harvest, which caused softer fruit and more defects. The industry had to adapt, diverting lower-quality fruit to frozen processing or local sales. Nonetheless, by moving past the quality issues, Serbia’s exporters have maintained stability in volume.
Serbia’s main markets include the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, Poland, and the UK – a mix of EU neighbors and regional partners. The presence of the Netherlands and Germany indicates integration into EU supply chains. Serbian fresh berries are often sold to distributors in Rotterdam, etc., then forwarded across Europe and beyond. Russia has also historically been a destination for Serbian berries, leveraging political ties and Serbia’s non-EU status to trade with Russia despite EU sanctions. However, due to low predictability of the Russian market, issues with logistics and payments, as well as purchasing power, Serbia has been shifting away from Russia towards more stable markets recently. As of late 2023, Serbia achieved market access to China as well, which could provide future growth avenues.
A key issue for Serbia moving forward is labor and costs. With Serbia’s economy improving, local labor is harder to retain on farms – many workers seek higher wages in Western Europe. As a result, Serbia is now grappling with rising labor costs and even bringing in seasonal labor from abroad to pick fruit. The daily wage for pickers has gone up, increasing production costs. Additionally, most Serbian farms are relatively small or mid-sized; to scale up, more investment is needed. If Serbia can attract investment (potentially from international berry marketers), it could expand hectarage and introduce high-tech cultivation to boost yields.
Through 2030, Serbia likely aims to grow its production moderately to perhaps 10,000+ tons per year. Its export-centric approach means nearly all additional output would go to the global market, cementing Serbia’s place in the top 10 exporters. The country’s reputation for good berry quality aside from weather hiccups and its strategic early-mid summer timing are advantages. Serbia fills a supply window in July between the end of Spain’s crop and the peak of Poland’s, which European buyers appreciate.
If mechanization and improved varieties take hold, Serbia could improve efficiency. All in all, Serbia is an emerging exporter that has essentially emerged – it is now on the map and will continue to contribute to Europe’s blueberry supply, with gradual growth and continuing focus on export markets.
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