EastFruit analysts draw attention to the sharp decline in blueberry exports from Peru in the current season, which has a huge impact on the global blueberry market. After all, Peru is the global leader in blueberry exports by a huge margin. In 2022 Peru exported 273 thousand tons of fresh blueberries worth more than $1.35 billion US dollars! To put into prospective, in 2022 Ukraine exported a record volume of fresh blueberries – 2.5 thousand tons, i.e. 110 times less!
According to the website Agraria.pe, blueberry exports from Peru this season have more than halved compared to the previous year. So far, only 57.5 thousand tons have been exported. Moreover, the largest reduction in shipments occurred in China – almost 7 times less blueberries were sent to this country than a year earlier. Also, exports to the main market for Peruvian blueberries, the United States, decreased by 2.5 times, and by approximately the same amount to the second most important market, the EU countries.
What are the consequences for the global blueberry market?
As expected, prices for blueberries on the global market began to rise and are now significantly higher than at the same time of 2022. By the way, according to EastFruit, in Ukraine the average price for blueberries in September 2023 was 62% higher than last year, and the main reason for this is the decrease in blueberry exports from Peru! In addition, the price of blueberries in September 2023 in Ukraine increased by 57% compared to August, while a year earlier prices in September and August were approximately the same. Let us remind you that a detailed analysis of the Ukrainian blueberry market for 2023 can be found here.
What are the reasons for the sharp decline in blueberry exports from Peru?
All experts unanimously state that the main reason for the decline in blueberry exports from Peru is a drop in production volumes due to abnormally high air temperatures in production areas in 2023, especially during blueberry flowering. Climate change and the natural phenomenon El Niño, according to local agronomists, have led to excessive stress on blueberry plantations, which is reflected in lower yields of blueberries.
Naturally, production increase cannot be expected this season. Also, no country can replace Peru on the global market, since the world’s second largest blueberry exporter, Chile, exports almost three times less blueberries, and there has been a continuing downward trend in production volumes there.
Will Peruvian blueberry production recover next season?
It is possible that in 2024 the climatic conditions will be more favorable in Peru, and the upward trend in blueberry production will resume. However, experts are cautious that climate change could lead to more of these problems for blueberry growers in Peru, causing many to consider exiting the business.
After all, the profitability of blueberry cultivation in Peru is already at a fairly low level due to continued price pressure. Therefore, sudden changes in blueberry yields, such as in 2023, could lead to significant losses for farmers. Accordingly, in the coming years, this industry will be reviewing the varietal composition of blueberries grown and looking for ways to adapt to climate change.
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