Following the drastic reduction in berry supplies from Peru last year, the effects of El Niño are still being felt this year. “Interestingly, the affected areas this year seem to contrast with those of last year. Last year, the northern region of Lambayeque, where we grow, was the most affected. This year, the production areas of Piura, Lima and Ica are the most affected, while La Libertad is also lagging behind,” explains Stefan Spanjaard from Agrovision Europe. “Our export figures clearly illustrate these regional differences. Our exports from northern Peru have increased by 80% this year, while exports from other regions are lower than last year.”

«Many assumed that once El Niño was over, supply would recover quickly, but nature has shown us otherwise. Our technical managers indicated that the consequences were to be expected, although it is always difficult to predict how they will manifest themselves. The temperature differences between day and night remain extremely low in the most affected areas, which gives Lambayeque a clear advantage.

"In particular, the Ventura variety seems to be maturing more slowly. I would not be surprised if the forecasts for the coming weeks are revised downwards again and part of the planned volume does not materialise," says Stefan.

“The berry harvest in South Africa has also faced significant challenges. Both the Western Cape and Limpopo regions are not producing the expected volumes. This has put pressure on the UK and several European retailers who usually focus on South African produce,” Stefan continues. “As a result, market prices remain high. Daily prices, in particular, are historically high and absurdly high. For the premium Sekoya varieties arriving in Europe, prices range from 15 to 16 euros per kilo. Standard varieties are also priced very high. During our recent visits to stores, we frequently observed empty shelves. However, our available volume continues to grow. As demand increases, we are focusing on optimising the distribution of our berries to ensure constant availability for our partners. We are actively working to increase our supply in response to increased demand.”

«For retailers, this situation requires adaptation. Many supermarkets that normally sell all sizes of packaging, from 150 to 500 grams, are now returning to smaller packages. A 500-gram package is very attractive for families, but if it costs between 10 and 12 euros, it becomes less attractive. Throughout the sector, especially in retail, there is a growing search for redefinition. After all, last year was already quite turbulent for the soft fruit sector, especially during this period leading up to the arrival of Moroccan soft fruits. In my opinion, this redefinition will focus on partnerships, supply chain efficiency and the introduction of brands.»

“At Agrovision, we have been promoting our own brand, Fruitist, in North America since our inception. We firmly believe that this allows us to operate from a position of strength and associate the brand with a high degree of supply chain efficiency,” says Stefan.

“A drawback in Europe remains the small packaging of the berries, which creates additional costs throughout the supply chain. All of our berries sold in North America are packaged in Peru and Mexico. With our brand, we can optimize the supply chain while maintaining flexibility, which will also play an important role in the European market.”

In addition to the numerous blueberry projects around the world, Agrovision has expanded its raspberry projects in Morocco and Mexico. In addition, trials are underway in several other countries to evaluate the development of varieties under the Pinkstar label. “This year, we have also launched a large blueberry cultivation project in Egypt. We expect to see our first berries in January and the outlook is promising,” Stefan concludes.

Agrovision is an exhibitor at Fruit Attraction in Madrid: Hall 9 – stand 14