Manuel Alcaino, president of Decofrut: “Peruvians have conditions that we Chileans don't have today”
The founder of Decofrut, Manuel Alcaino, argues that the possibility that the Peruvian industry becomes the main exporter of blueberries in the world, surpassing Chile in a short term, is completely true, because Peruvians have conditions that today Chileans don't have. “They have strips of land from 400, 500 to 1000 hectares with water and that is not found in Chile, they have that virtue, with a rather privileged climate as well, and they have been greatly improving their business capacity. It has been a great leap that they have taken and certainly this year they are going to tie Chile or they will get very close to the Chilean volume, ”he acknowledges.
“The product they have is mostly Biloxi, which is a very large variety, which is very well preserved, which has a good harvest. It does not taste great because it does not have much sugar, and that lowers the perspective a bit, but in a market where the visual is mostly important, as in the US. UU. or in much of Europe, they have a great position, ”explains the expert, but also warns that“ in markets where the consumer looks, and if he likes it he tries it, and if he likes what he tests he buys it, they have less projection , as is the case in China. The Chinese opt for a slightly smaller fruit like the Chilean, which has a better flavor. ”
Alcaino warns that this is something that is focused or based on genetics, and Peruvians are already planting other varieties, and not depending so much on Biloxi, to produce a fruit of good size but better flavor, and then it follows the message of the expert for the Chilean industry, so that it begins to look seriously at the new genetics available. “We have to get out of the varieties that Chile has, which is based on the order of 80% in its production in 4 varieties that are not bad, arrive well, are solid, but they lack size and that is where Chile has to invest”He says.
In the case of Peru, the expert assures that there is a lot of foreign investment to finance new plantations, which allows them to have 1000 hectares of blueberry projects, and more. “In Chile, the largest plantation must be 200 or 300 hectares,” says Alcaino. Of these large Peruvian projects there is not only one, but there are several megaprojects that have that size, which is an undoubted competitive advantage.
At the same time, the blueberry market has been growing. The product is very attractive for its healthy conditions and new consumers have been incorporated. Per capita consumption in the consolidated markets has been increasing steadily, so that new producers have also been incorporated in different parts of the planet, making cranberry a product of global production and consumption.
“Today, blueberry is a product that is on the market for 52 weeks. Before there was the American offer in the US, then there were two or three months without supply, then came the Chilean offer that covered as 2 or 3 more months, and those were the sales periods. Today there is Mexico, which covers the late part of Chile. There is Peru, which covers the early part of Chile in the US, and in Europe the same thing happens with Morocco, with Spain, in short, there is currently an even international supply in the 52 weeks, which obviously does not suit Chile, it suits the industry in general, but the Chilean producer does not suit him. That situation of exclusivity that the Chilean producer had today lost it and that is an undeniable reality that will not change ”concludes Manuel Alcaino.
Manuel Alcaino is the founder of Decofrut, a company that has offices in 15 ports on three continents, dedicated to receiving fruit and quality certification.
Decofrut has the Department of Studies with more experience in the southern hemisphere, publishing reports on the movements of the fruit markets in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
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