How the southern blueberry season ends in Chile and Argentina

The southern blueberry season in Chile and Argentina is coming to an end, and the president of the Argentine Blueberry Exporters Chamber (ABC), Jorge Pazos, has offered an analysis of the 2023-2024 campaign.

 

In Argentina, the last shipments were made in January of this year, and Pazos noted that it was a positive season in terms of prices. Weather difficulties in Peru, with a 40% drop in production, opened up opportunities for Argentina, which experienced good demand. Of the 15,000 tons exported, 6,700 tons were exported by air, while the rest went to the frozen industry.

 

On the other hand, in Chile, the Chilean Blueberry Fruit Committee reported that exports will end up around 86,000 tons, an increase over the initial projection but slightly lower than the previous season.

 

Andrés Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Fruit Committee, noted that, although there was an initial estimate of 82,300 tons, the final volume was higher due to the expectation of higher prices. However, the season ended with some challenges, such as heat waves and rains, affecting the quality of the fruit and generating a higher supply in the market due to the recovery of Peru.

 

The main destinations for Chilean blueberries were the United States, the Netherlands and England. Armstrong noted a significant increase in air shipments, driven by demand in the United States, while ocean shipments decreased slightly.