Chilean blueberry farmers adapt to challenges of the next campaign

In Chile, lack of labor and difficulty in obtaining the necessary inputs to achieve better yields would complicate the profitability of blueberries during the next season, where obtaining seasonal workers in time to harvest and export the fruit will be crucial to get optimal results from producers.

Carlos Inostroza, president of Araucanía Frutícola, a program sponsored by the Regional Government and executed by Agricultural Research Institute (INIA) that provides specialized support to new fruit producers in the Araucanía region, stressed that Chilean farmers are taking measures to address water deficiency and lack of labor: they have switched to more resistant varieties that will withstand water shortages, and the mechanized harvest to face the lack of agricultural workers.

Inostroza highlighted that the risk of this season's harvest is not complying with the quota of workers needed to harvest blueberries due to political uncertainty and conflicts which often drive away workers from the area.

Ernesto Hühne, the co-owner of Agrícola Hühne and blueberry producer, confirmed that labor shortage could become a problem this season, even though at the moment it is sufficient but a little more expensive than the previous year.

source: blueberriesconsulting.com