The strategy allows for better microclimate control and earlier availability of fresh fruit
Chilean grower-exporter Prize has kicked off its blueberry campaign in the Valparaíso Region. According to Diario Frutícola, the company picked its first greenhouse-grown blueberries at the end of August, getting a head start on the traditional production window for much of the domestic industry.
The company said the system allows for precise management of the microclimate around the plants and creates favourable conditions for their development, thereby enabling an earlier harvest.
A combination of the area’s agro-climatic characteristics and careful planning and agronomic management allows Prize to extend its production window and offer fresh fruit earlier in the season.
Prize’s product portfolio includes blueberries, cherries, nectarines, plums, and citrus.
According to the Chilean publication, the experience in Valparaíso also reflects a growing trend in fruit growing: adapting production systems to the specific conditions of each region and utilizing infrastructure and technology to shift traditional harvest windows.
“It serves as an early indication of how location, agronomic management, and infrastructure can be transformed into tools for gaining a head start and unlocking new commercial opportunities in the Chilean blueberry business,” it said.
