According to the ProArándanos association, La Libertad is the main blueberry producing region in Peru, having 46% of its surface planted with this fruit. It is followed by neighboring Lambayeque (29%), Ica (6,8%), Áncash (6,4%), Piura (5,3%) and Moquegua (0,4%). All these regions have in common that they are departments on the Peruvian coast.

The union of the Andes mountain range, which prevents the transfer of rain from the Peruvian Amazon to the coast, and the Humboldt current, which cools the Peruvian sea, generates a desert climate, although humid in winter. This special climate turns the northern regions of Peru into a large greenhouse, as the average temperature ranges between 20 and 26 degrees.

“Consequently, almost all agriculture is done with drip irrigation systems. In other words, it is almost a hydroponic agriculture where you control many of the factors of the plant, and these characteristics make the blueberry find a very suitable environment for its development,” complements the Camposol manager. Furthermore, the relative stability of the climate, interrupted from time to time by the El Niño Phenomena, allows blueberry production to be maintained for 52 weeks of the year.

The results speak for themselves: if in 2010, blueberry exports generated US$32 million in income, by 2023, the large figure of US$1.679 million will be achieved, according to data from the Peruvian Exporters Association (Adex). ).

In this way, blueberries contribute a good percentage to the emerging agro-export sector of the South American country. The impact of the recapitalization of agriculture and free trade agreements has been evident: if in 2000, Peru received US$645 million from agricultural exports; By 2018, it had raised US$6.665 million, according to the National Superintendency of Tax Administration (Sunat).

FROM BILOXI TO “LA CHOLA”

However, as already mentioned, the search for pleasant climates was not the only plan of Camposol and other blueberry producers. From 2009 onwards, the company promoted the introduction of blueberry varieties that adapt to the desert climate of the Chavimochic region, in the department of La Libertad. The chosen one was Biloxi, a type of berry that, in addition to being resistant, had a crunchy consistency.

To expand Biloxi's presence in northern Peru, it signed an agreement with the company Inka's Berries, a pioneer in the production of blueberries in Peru, as well as with the Agrarian University of La Molina, a state educational institution that used its laboratory to reproduce the floors. "Later, other varieties created in nurseries such as Ventura came, but Biloxi was the pioneer and continues to be a very important component in our products to this day," Gómez-Bazán clarifies.

However, Biloxi has been only the first step for the company's most ambitious project: “La Chola”, a variety native to the Peruvian coast. The Camposol team began a process of crossing with other free varieties of blueberries, trying to find the best possible conditions for the climate and preferences of the Peruvian customer.

“We were looking for a plant that is a little more productive, that had a larger berry size and that its flavor is more inclined to sweet than acid,” says the manager. The crunchy consistency was also not left out, which is usually seen as a sign that the fruit is fresh and of good quality.

But the decision was also made for more practical reasons: a variety had to be sought that was more resistant to long boat trips between Peru and distant destinations such as China. Gómez-Bazán assures that every year Camposol will try to develop a new variety that surpasses the previous one.

Along the way, it is expected to position the blueberry as the main snack native of Peru. As in the US, Camposol's ultimate goal is for the fruits to be purchased at gas stations, movie theaters, sporting events, among others. "The blueberries They are foods with organoleptic properties and above all, the antioxidants they have are effective in fighting cancer,” says Gómez-Bazán.

Furthermore, in general terms, the manager asserts that blueberries meet three characteristics that many consumers perceive in ideal foods: they are healthy, fresh and convenient. At an international level, this vision has allowed them to promote marketing campaigns in the US aimed at the educational sector.

The objective is to promote healthy eating in primary schools through the consumption of blueberries. It is an important bet, because the North American power occupies 55% of the Peruvian blueberry market. An achievement that just two decades ago would have been unthinkable.