Agronometrics: A look at the 2023 blueberry season in Serbia

Serbia is one of Europe's leading blueberry producers, with a season that runs from early June to October and an annual production of about 7,000 metric tons. The country's blueberry industry has 23 export markets, including the Netherlands, Russia, Germany, Poland and Great Britain. The Serbian blueberry industry faced a difficult 2023 season, mainly due to major quality issues. Despite these problems, production volume remained in line with previous years, reaching around 6,500 tons. This figure coincides with the country's historical production, which indicates stability in terms of volume. However, the quality of the fruit was problematic, which affected both exporters and the market. The 2023 season saw an unprecedented level of fruit rejected due to quality issues. Typically, Serbian exporters maintain a rejection rate of between 2% and 4%. However, last year, this rate skyrocketed to 14%, with other producers experiencing rejection rates as high as 30%. The fivefold ...