China and India are key targets for the supplier’s Southern African fruit amid ongoing market disruption in the Middle East
Global soft fruit giant AgroBerries has its sights set on winning market access for South African blueberries in India and gaining traction for Zimbabwean blueberries in China as the Asian market becomes more important for exports amid continuing instability in the Middle East.
AgroBerries’ commercial manager for Southern Africa, Stefan Viljoen, noted that since the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, Southeast Asian markets have generally been willing to take extra volume.
He explained that for several months it has been impossible to seafreight berries to the Middle East from South Africa due to disruption to ports, shipping and shipping insurance. Meanwhile, airfreight has become incredibly expensive.
Opening up the Chinese and Indian markets to Southern African blueberries would represent a significant opportunity for AgroBerries’ grower partners in the region.
A surge in domestic Chinese production, particularly in Yunnan province, is driving growing demand for premium blueberries. Varieties from Mountain Blue Orchards (MBO) have proven especially popular with Chinese consumers, while Southern Africa is well positioned to help meet this demand when local production is not available, having successfully grown these premium varieties for more than 10 years.
This opportunity is further strengthened by AgroBerries’ presence in the region through its BerryWorld Asia division. Established in 2025, BerryWorld Asia has since expanded the brand’s commercial presence across key Asian markets.
Earlier this year, the company announced that it had secured the rights to grow and market MBO blueberry genetics in China from 2027, extending its long-standing partnership with MBO into one of the world’s most important blueberry markets.
AgroBerries’ Peruvian growers, meanwhile, are reported to have significantly increased their blueberry exports to China in the past year.
