Expansion into berry category follows successful foray into table grapes
Following the success of its table grape operations, Vanguard Group International has announced its expansion into the berry category with its first harvest of blueberries underway in Peru.
“Having reached a production scale in grapes that reliably supplies major global markets, we recognised a unique opportunity to channel new efforts into developing a fully compliant, vertically integrated operation from the ground up,” the group said in a release.
The new farm, which is located in Pisco, is just a few kilometres north of its table grape production in Villacurí, Ica. The initial planting covers 550ha of carefully selected genetics with 900ha secured for future plantings.
“Our primary variety is Fall Creek’s Apex, a strong competitor to Sekoya Pop that is already generating excellent feedback,” the company said. “The remaining fields feature MegaEarly, MegaCrisp, and MegaGem from IQ Berries, varieties that are also showing outstanding traits and receiving great reviews.”
All four varieties consistently yield sizes of 18mm or larger for 60 –70 per cent of the crop, according to Vanguard, which will allow it to comfortably fulfil both traditional and jumbo SKUs for major retailers.
The inaugural Peruvian harvest began in June and will provide availability through late-December. As plantings mature, Vanguard expects the harvest window to expand further, running from mid-May to early-February.
Sales and distribution will flow through the company’s established channels – Vanguard Direct for the US and Canada, and Vanguard International for all other global markets – with initial air freight planned for late-June arrivals into Asia and shipments to the US scheduled to begin arriving in late-July.
“While US retailers generally focus on domestic supply through August, our early start offers a premium, reliable sourcing alternative should local volumes fall short,” Vanguard explained.
“As our fields reach full production, our late-season harvests will keep Peruvian blueberries on shelves until Mexican supply takes over, ultimately eliminating the need to bridge the gap with fruit from other origins.”
However, the company does expect the majority of its harvest to supply its core retail partners in the Americas and Europe, alongside strategic shipments to the Middle East and Asia during peak demand windows.
“This expansion into blueberries is a milestone we are incredibly proud of, as it creates year-round employment and development opportunities for our local communities,” Vanguard said.
“We are excited to share this new premium harvest with the world.”
