Early-ripening Yunnan blueberries are being mass-marketed, directly competing with Peruvian blueberries.

According to reports from Yunnan media, the new season of Yunnan local blueberries has gradually entered the market. In the Kunming Jinma Zhengchang Fruit Market blueberry trading area, the prices are as follows: Huaxiang blueberries and F6 varieties are priced at 80-110 yuan/kg, and 42 varieties are priced at 90-115 yuan/kg. The current market is dominated by products from Chengjiang, the core production area of Yunnan blueberries, which planted 23,500 acres in 2024 with an annual output of 30,000 tons, mainly supplying Huaxiang varieties.

Local wholesalers introduced that sales usually start in September, but this year the fruits only entered the market in October, with a low initial supply and a slightly sour taste. Bulk purchases only started in November; last year, the "Youruika" variety was the most favored, but this year its supply has significantly decreased, suggesting that consumers prefer sweeter varieties. Currently, the market supply is mainly supported by Huaxiang varieties, while the supply of F6 and 42 varieties has not yet increased.

After the domestic blueberries left the market in summer, imported blueberries dominated the market for a long time. However, with the entry of early Yunnan blueberries, this pattern is gradually changing. Currently, imported blueberries mainly come from Peru, with about 60% being the Magica variety, and Ventura and Sekoyan Pop varieties also having considerable sales. The wholesale price for a 1.5 kg batch of Peruvian Magica blueberries is about 120 yuan (80 yuan per kg), which is on par with the lower-end price of Yunnan Huaxiang varieties. However, their supply peak overlaps with the Yunnan blueberry listing period, creating direct competition.

Price reduction is the key to enhancing the market competitiveness of Yunnan early blueberries. Due to higher rainfall, the sweetness is slightly reduced, and Yunnan Huaxiang blueberries have decreased by 60 yuan per kg compared to last year, while F6 and 42 varieties have decreased by 10-20 yuan per kg, with a significant price drop. The price reduction, combined with the early market capture, has kept Yunnan blueberry daily sales at a high level. According to past market trends, Yunnan blueberries will enter the concentrated listing period in December. After the large-scale entry of facility-planted blueberries from Chengjiang and Honghe production areas, the market supply can increase several times. Among them, the off-season listing period for blueberries in Honghe State is from November to April of the next year, and the local 180,000 acres of planting base has obtained export qualification, which can both guarantee export demand and stabilize domestic market supply. Chengjiang's 5.0 standard planting base is still promoting expansion work, and this year's total blueberry output will achieve steady growth. Meanwhile, the supply of imported blueberries is gradually entering the final stage, and the market dominance is further tilting towards Yunnan blueberries, with a continuous substitution effect. It is expected that in December, the price of Yunnan Huaxiang blueberries will drop below 60 yuan per kg, and with the promotion of high-end early varieties such as L25 and Sekoyan Pop, the demand for imported high-end blueberries will be further diverted.

From a long-term development perspective, Yunnan blueberries have significant advantages: the listing time is about 50 days earlier than other provinces in China, the sugar content and hardness are about 5 percentage points higher, the facility planting cost is 50% lower than that of northern provinces, and the cold chain logistics system can ensure 24-hour direct delivery to first-tier cities, providing profit space even with price declines.

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