Perspectives of the blueberry industry worldwide
The demand for blueberries is growing worldwide. This “super fruit” enchants consumers around the world and markets such as China are not left out given the attractive sale price that the fruit can obtain in relation to the markets of the United States and Europe.
This was revealed by a representative survey of the players in the sector carried out by the Fruit Portal and Yentzen Consulting, to more than 500 representatives of the industry among producers, exporters, importers, researchers, suppliers of inputs, advisers and marketers of the Southern Hemisphere.
Among the results obtained, a favorable future for the industry coincides with an incipient industry, where optimism justifies investments. This is how an 77% of the respondents in Mexico see the blueberry's future in their country as favorable, while those in Peru reach an optimism of 87%.
In Uruguay, the 69% believes that the future of the industry will be stable, without significant changes. This is probably because the industry is stable and difficult to grow, added to the competition with Argentina, Chile and Peru that would hinder their own growth.
In the case of Argentina and Chile, countries with a history in the production and export of fruit, the sector in general is optimistic about the future. In the case of the Argentine market, more than 50% of respondents see the future of the industry as favorable, a figure that in Chile reaches only 44%. In both countries, an unfavorable look of the future reaches 14%.
Despite the different scenarios per country, at a general level, the blueberry industry is quite optimistic, not only because the 58% of all respondents see the favorable future, but because the 32% believes that the current scenario will be maintained . In this way, the 90% of the surveyed industry believes that the current condition of the business will be maintained or improved.
The opening of new markets and the increase in demand are presented as the two main reasons why the cranberry industry of Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Peru rely on a favorable scenario.
The sector would be confident that the promotions made around the fruit increase its consumption around the world, especially in Asia, where the best prospects are glimpsed.
In the case of Uruguay, the 29% of respondents focus a favorable scenario for the country in the incorporation of new varieties, one of the industry's objectives to extend the season and increase exports to Europe.
In Argentina, the bet is on increasing demand and opening new markets along with new varieties, factors that are repeated among the causes of a favorable scenario for the future.
In the incipient Peruvian industry, the respondents see in the first two reasons, both with an 18%, the north of the business.
On the other hand, the two main causes of an unfavorable scenario at a general level are related to the fall in sales prices and the increase in supply, which could have a higher rate than the growth of consumption.
"We believe that in Peru they see that the incorporation of great actors at a national and international level reflects a potential distrust of the future of the sector. The great fear of the Peruvian industry is the entrance of more actors"Commented Yentzen.
Peru and Chile, with 18% and 16% respectively, are the most relevant players in the future of the industry, an importance that lies in the fact that they are counter-season suppliers to the main consumption centers such as the United States and Europe.
Further back, the United States and China are located, with 15% and 12% respectively, markets where a strong increase in fresh consumption is expected, which has stimulated the growth of the Southern Hemisphere industry.
"We believe that Mexico is not among the most relevant countries due to the lack of knowledge of the growth of the Latin American industry, even though they show high confidence"Yentzen said.
In the case of the Chinese market, an 75% of the respondents qualifies it as a very relevant actor in the future of the blueberry. This evaluation was influenced by factors such as the size of the market and the increase in demand. But despite the attractiveness of this market, the 25% of the exporters are not interested in exporting to China, as well as the 65% of the producers surveyed.
In the case of exporters, they are likely to feel limited by the logistics and condition of the fruit upon arrival after long shipping. While among producers, it may be due to a topic of market misinformation.
Among the eight most important changes mentioned by the respondents are: improving the quality of products, strengthening infrastructure, optimizing logistics processes, deepening and involvement in markets and improving the regulatory framework of the players in that industry.
To this list, they are added with less relevance: better access to financing, having better information for decision-making, developing a system of quality standards and regulation of supply, greater internal planning, improving human capital competencies and promoting the associativity between companies of the sector.
Source: Agrimundo
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