A new report from Rabobank has focused on the future of the international blueberry business, with further growth forecast for the coming years.

According to the analyst, the blueberry industry is becoming “truly global”, with rapidly growing supply and/or demand on most continents.

Due to rising input costs, labor issues, and logistical challenges, companies are forced to be more productive and efficient, and consistently provide high-quality fruit.

«La industria de los arándanos ha experimentado una transformación significativa, con el mercado cambiando de regional a multirregional a global», explicó David Magaña, analista senior de productos frescos en Rabobank.

“Per capita availability is projected to continue to trend upwards in the US, EU-27 plus UK, China and other markets, driven by continued production expansion,” it said.

Availability in China and the US

The availability of blueberries in the Chinese market has increased 36-fold over the past decade, Rabobank noted.

"The beneficial properties for health combined with the convenience of this fruit have led to increased imports, as well as a significant growth in national production," continued Magaña.

"This growth in China has led Chile and Peru, the main source of blueberry imports in China, to face great challenges in terms of quality and renewal of varieties, due to long shipping times."

In the US, fresh blueberry production has grown and local market availability has expanded, with organic blueberries capturing market share.

Rabobank data showed that since 2016, US imports had consistently outpaced US domestic production as the industry focused on providing reliable year-round availability to US consumers.

On the other hand, US exports had been stable or declining. Going forward, US blueberry imports will continue to grow during the US off-season, the analyst noted.

Export volumes will expand

«Esperamos que las exportaciones mundiales de arándanos superen el millón de toneladas ya en 2025/26», destaca Magaña. “Las exportaciones de Perú tienen un importante potencial de crecimiento, mientras que las exportaciones de México y Sudáfrica también mostrarán un crecimiento sostenido. Es probable que las exportaciones de Chile, Canadá y EE. UU. se estabilicen”.

Magaña also said that as the industry transitioned to greater resilience and sustainability, new cultivars would be key for the industry to become more input efficient and meet higher consumer expectations.

«Los costos elevados de los fertilizantes, los productos químicos agrícolas y otros insumos seguirán impulsando cultivares de frutas de mayor calidad, mayor rendimiento y eficiencia de insumos; en resumen, una mejor genética», confirmó.

“Como la mano de obra seguirá siendo un desafío en la industria, la cosecha mecánica y la automatización aumentarán”, agregó Magaña. «Las variedades con una vida útil prolongada, que viajan bien, son deseables, ya que los arándanos enfrentan una competencia más fuerte en el pasillo de frutas debido a la estrategia de disponibilidad durante todo el año en la industria de productos frescos».