Andrés Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Blueberry Committee, explained that fresh blueberry shipments closed the 2024-25 season at more than 90 tons, reflecting a 5% increase over the previous season and 12% more than the estimated volume, breaking a downward trend seen in recent seasons.

"The most significant event this season isn't the growth itself, but rather the increased share of new varieties in total shipments. These increased by 50% compared to last season and accounted for 21% of exports. This season clearly demonstrated the adaptation work the Chilean industry is doing in response to increased market competition, making significant progress in renewing plantations," the expert emphasized.

Meanwhile, the volume of blueberries destined for frozen production reached 60 tons, within projections and representing 40% of the total exported worldwide. "Thus, total blueberry exports, including fresh and frozen products, reached 150 tons, a 15% increase compared to last season and 8% more than estimated," Armstrong stated.

Logistics: This season's headache

When analyzing this season's results, Andrés Armstrong didn't hesitate to point out that it was "a difficult year, not only due to increased market competition and the resulting pressure on prices, but also due to seriously complicated logistics."

He explained that the services were overwhelmed by the large volume of fruit, both from Chile (cherries and blueberries) and Peru (blueberries), which caused, for example, significant delays in inspections, resulting in cargo that could not be shipped on the scheduled date and ship. Furthermore, there was a lack of shipping services and containers in adequate condition, as well as Controlled Atmospheres (CA).

Added to this were some storm surges that affected ship departures in several weeks and rescheduling due to the announcement of port shutdowns at US East Coast ports.

"All of this ultimately affected the outcome, as we had the fruit, but lacked the logistics to deliver it all on time, in the required condition and quality. Therefore, it's an issue we're addressing, seeking and evaluating different solutions for the upcoming season," he indicated.

Markets: Greater diversification and growth

This season, Chilean supplies faced greater competition than last season in all markets, especially from Peru, which returned to a more normalized state of shipments after being severely affected by the El Niño phenomenon last year. "This is a reality that continues to pressure our industry to renew itself and improve in all areas of the production and export process," observed the Committee representative.

Andrés Armstrong, executive director of the Chilean Fruit Blueberry Committee

In terms of markets, shipments to Europe continued their growth trend, up 12% compared to last season, giving the region 43% of the total. This is the same share as exports to the US, whose volume remained stable. This is also true for shipments to Asia, where growth in South Korea and decline in China are notable.

"The greatest growth was in Latin America, with 111% more volume and a 1,6% share of total shipments worldwide. Argentina and Brazil were the main markets. Meanwhile, shipments to the Middle East increased by 11%, representing 0,4% of the total," the executive concluded.