The Uruguayan blueberry season has been reviewed as “catastrophic” by the industry.

Growers had planned to export three million kilos throughout the season, but sendings reached just 1.2mkg as a result of hailstones in August and September, freezing temperatures in September and October and excessive rain up to December.

The O’Neal variety was the worst affected by the conditions.

Pedro Dondo, director of blueberry association Uproa, told freshinfo: "It has been catastrophic… I harvested one day out of three, but prices were better than they were last year.”

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