Peru and climate problems complicate cranberry
After the phenomenon of the last season in which the harvest was advanced four weeks and met with increasing productions of the southern hemisphere, with the consequent fall in prices, the industry studies formulas to reinvent itself, such as developing predictive models, protecting crops and improving offer.
"Last year in Chillán we had 41 degrees in November ... It's unthinkable. Something is happening“says Luis Zenteno, adviser to blueberry producers from a company that supplies agricultural supplies.
It refers to the heat waves recorded last season, which again showed weather anomalies with serious consequences.
The 2016 / 2017 was a season that could have been celebrations, after the volumes of blueberries exported exceeded 100 thousand tons, a historical record that also marked milestones in the three most important markets, the United States, Europe and China. However, the advance in harvests in almost four weeks, plus the high production in general of the southern hemisphere, caused prices to plummet and, in the Chilean case, become half of what was obtained on average by the southern hemisphere in the 52 week, the one that showed the most difference in the US
"The main factor that marked last season was the advance at the start of Chile's peak weeks. Additionally, there was also an impact of the growing production of other countries; There is a lot of talk about Peru, but there is also an increase from Mexico, Morocco, South Africa and Spain. All to a greater or lesser extent coincide in some of the weeks in which Chile is in the market, especially at the beginning and at the end of our season. The other factor was the lower price of frozen products, due to the high stock in the United States, which somehow defines prices in this market“says Andrés Armstrong, executive director of the Blueberry Committee.
Peru's offer is remarkable, because it had a considerable increase again. In the 2015 / 2016 campaign their shipments grew four times and in the 2016 / 2017 season doubled the shipments reaching 26.776 tons counted until April, according to the iQonsulting Blueberry Yearbook.
Thus, a record volume season with 103 thousand 401 tonnes dispatched and a significant price drop that had its greatest impact in the United States was closed, despite the fact that the record of the 2012 / 2013 season in volume was not exceeded. was from 65.517 ton versus 64.725 from the current one. This is due to the work done by the committee in terms of diversifying markets and achieving sustained growth in shipments to Europe and Asia, which today represent 22% and 12%, respectively, while in 2012-2013 Europe was the 17 % and Asia only 5%.
"The biggest impact on prices was due to the advancement of production, which found markets without sufficient promotional activity and a growing supply from other countries“emphasizes Armstrong.
An amount of fruit was generated that was not expected in the markets and, therefore, could not be mobilized properly.
"The promotions were not prepared and that is why the demand was weak and the fruit began to stab, because time passed and continued to arrive more and the sellers were not prepared, which generated that it began to spoil and, therefore, , the price will go down and down to historical levels“, highlights Isabel Quiroz, executive director of iQonsulting.
Thus, these market situations and the continuous fluctuations of the climate, characterized by heat in recent seasons, but also by frosts and rains out of season, are posing greater challenges to this industry, which is already 25 years since the cultivation of blueberries It was introduced to the country. After having paid the novitiate in the process of plantations, choice of varieties, places of plantation, opening and conquest of the market, it is now other growth problems that force this industry to make a new effort focused on the competitiveness and quality of the product, pose experts who see in the climatic variations a structural issue, as well as the growing production of other competitors that must be attacked.
Four factors for change
Predictive model
There are always differences in the periods in which the harvest starts and ends, they point out in the Blueberry Committee. Hence, make constant estimates and monitoring of the harvests to inform the markets what the period of each season will be. But the climatic variations this year prevented having a complete idea of what was coming. Hence the conclusion is to advance in the improvement of predictive models.
"In the last season in Chile we did not know how to estimate the progress that took place, which was historic. It was a month throughout the first part of the season. While we had some signs it was very difficult to believe that we were going to get ahead like that. You always believe that nature has its regulatory systems and finally it is two weeks before or two later, but one month is too much“, says Isabel Quiroz, executive director of iQonsulting, who points out that the phenomenon caught everyone by surprise and even acknowledges that as a committee advisor she did not foresee it.
For that, it was decided to study the development of a predictive model, which the committee commissioned Fernando Santibáñez, an expert on climate change at the University of Chile. It is about establishing how varieties behave in the face of major climatic alterations, since in recent seasons the heat generated a lower quality fruit and this year the advance also resulted in smaller and less consistent fruit.
Crop protection
As the high temperatures arrived to stay, the proposal is to learn to work with them and lower the temperature of the plant. This is what Luis Zenteno, producer advisor as zonal VIII Compo Region.
"I am not referring only to the temperature of the pulp of the fruit, but even to the plants in post-harvest time, because in summer it is when the yolks are being induced for the next season; So, there you have to have a stress-free plant ... The heat waves we have had in February and January are becoming very repetitive, temperatures over 35 to 38 degrees are already very common, and for that I think the producers are not prepared . You have to make a switch change", He says.
He proposes to explore the installation of plastic covers or the application of post-harvest sunblocks, for example, especially in the early varieties that are the most affected and which should be grown in summer to produce their yolks for the next season. For example, duke, which is very affected by heat and grows very little, generates little yolk or yolk of poor quality and even growth without yolk.
"We have to start working on it now, and not keep going around the same thing, but quickly take the current issues, such as the effects of heat“, he says, while adding that he has even been working on how to lower the temperature of the roots, since with the use of black plastic mulch they become very dehydrated, which also affects the induction of buds for the following season. And in various fields they are painting the white mulch with some cheap product as sunscreen.
External competence
Faced with the growing production of other countries, the executive director of the Blueberry Committee points out that competitiveness and quality will be key to compete.
This is because until now the subject had been more focused on the periods in which there is less world supply; This is at the beginning and at the end of the Chilean season, in which there have been windows without much supply. That is now changing and practically those windows no longer exist, due to the growing supply of other countries. In the future, says the manager, it is expected that once that value is captured in those periods, there will be more competition throughout the national season.
"Until now, for an important period, we have been quite alone and competing among ourselves. We will have to be very efficient when producing, processing and transporting our blueberries and with a clear focus on qualitysays Armstrong.
It refers to the Chilean offer has been very important to generate presence of the fresh product in contrast. The next step is to make this offer more stable throughout the year, which could also mean more stable prices for consumers. That is, it would be a factor that will benefit the growth of consumption.
Consistent offer
For Armstrong, the first challenge is to reach the markets in consistent quantity and quality and with competitive costs. This will allow us to continue with the development of consumption in all markets.
"This year we achieved access to India and will begin the work of consumer development. In the other markets we continue to work with the support of ProChile to promote the Chilean blueberry and increase consumption", He says.
In fact, the committee announced an adjustment in the quality regulations. In the next season 2017 / 2018 the quality standard for exports will consider a minimum caliber of 12 mm and not the 10 mm that were required so far from the companies associated with the committee.
For Andrés Armstrong, the change seeks to adapt to the reality of the market, since practically today fruit with a caliber under 12 mm is not commercialized.
"Our standard only aims to guarantee a minimum of quality, as companies normally offer superior conditions according to the requirements of consumers".
GENERAL INFORMATION
-12.500 tons were shipped to Asia, with 55% growth.
-48, the week of 2016 in which Chile's peak of exports occurred last season.
-24% more in export volume registered the southern hemisphere until April of 2017, with more than 154.000 tons.
Source: Economy and business
ARTÍCULOS RELACIONADOS
