ProArandanos GM analyses logistical and commercial pressure points the industry faces in 2025/26
The Peruvian blueberry industry needs to develop new strategies to avoid market saturation, improve logistics, and diversify destinations as it eases into what is shaping up to be its biggest export season yet. So says Luis Miguel Vegas, general manager of industry association ProArandanos, who warns that the speed at which production has increased is placing considerable strain on both the country’s infrastructure and the international market.
Speaking at a webinar organised by consulting firm Fluctuante, Vegas said Peru is on course to ship more than 400,000 tonnes of blueberries in 2025/26 campaign, an increase of 25 per cent on last year’s total.
“Growth has been sustained at an average annual rate of 30 per cent since 2016. This season is shaping up to be one of high production and good quality, with healthy plants and abundant fruit,” he said.
The Peruvian industry has shown great resilience after extreme weather events. In 2023, for example, El Niño slashed export volumes by more than 40 per cent – although Vegas noted that had a corrective effect on prices, which doubled in some markets.
Last year, Peru managed to recoup some of this lost volume, albeit with a later peak harvest due to delayed pruning following El Niño. Vegas said this demonstrates that seasonality and volume concentration continue to be a structural problem that puts pressure on both prices and logistics.
For three consecutive weeks last season, weekly exports topped 24,000 tonnes, putting significant stress on the country’s logistics and highlighting the need for more trucks, refrigerated containers, operators, and infrastructure, Vegas explained.
“Last season, the concentration of volume caused bottlenecks in transportation, availability of packaging materials, and phytosanitary certifications. If we continue to grow without diversifying our harvest windows, this stress will be unsustainable,” he said.
On the subject of Peru’s varietal offer, Vegas noted that “one of the keys to maintaining the industry’s competitiveness will be to flatten the peak production and extend the campaign over more weeks of the year. To achieve this, varietal replacement is essential.
“Traditional varieties such as Ventura and Biloxi – the historical basis for growth – are giving way to new, more elastic and resilient genetics, such as Sekoya Pop and Magica. This will not only help distribute volume but also help better adapt to extreme weather conditions.”
Currently, new varieties represent almost 60 per cent of the hectares planted in Peru.
Regarding markets, the US remains the main destination for Peruvian blueberries, taking more than 55 per cent of exports. However, ProArandanos said it is focusing on China, whose market share is projected to increase by 6 per cent points thanks to logistical improvements, including the use of the new port of Chancay, which reduces transit to Asia by 10 days.
Vegas added that the industry is seeing a push toward alternative ports, both at origin and destination, to reduce risks such as those experienced with congestion at the Port of Callao or the strike in Philadelphia. “Diversification of destinations and ports is as important as genetics,” he said.
He pointed out that one of the greatest risks of accelerated growth is the downward pressure this exerts on international prices, observing that Peruvian blueberries need more investment in international promotion to increase per capita consumption and maintain attractive prices.
“We’re growing at 30 per cent annually in volume, but consumption in markets like the US is growing at less than 10 per cent,” Vegas said. “We urgently need to promote consumption in new markets and strengthen our country brand.”
