Peruvian Blueberry Guide

Peru has more than 80 producers/exporters of blueberries distributed along the central and northern coasts of Peru. Most of the volume exported is concentrated in two of the main exporters in Peru.

Peru's main blueberry exporters are HORTIFRUT, followed by CAMPOSOL S.A., Agovision, Cerro Prieto, Santa Azul, and others.

HORTIFRUT, with 36%, owns the biggest market share,  while CAMPOSOL follows the lead with a 31% market share.

Following the two biggest export players is a long list of medium/big-sized exporters such as Agovision (14%), Cerro Prieto (10%), Santa Azul (9%), and others.

In 2019, Peru was the top global exporter with an export value of USD 839.62 million (23.4% share). Next was Chile with an export value of USD 572.43 million (15.9%), the Netherlands with an export value of USD 410.50 million (11.4%), Spain with an export value of USD 378.95 million(10.5%), and the United States with an export value of USD 252.61 million (7%).

In terms of region, South America was a blueberry export leader, with an export value of USD 1.74 billion (Peru and Chile as the leading exporters in the South American region). Netherlands and Spain dominate in the European region. The United States, Morocco, Hong Kong, and New Zealand dominate in North America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania, respectively.

The main destination of Peruvian blueberries is the US which bought 52% of the total Peruvian blueberry exports.

The Netherlands, China, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, and Canada are important markets for Peruvian blueberries.

The history of blueberries in Peru is recent and interesting. The fruit was introduced in 2007 and in 2012, only 300 hectares were cultivated. In 2012, Sierra Exportadora established experimental blueberry orchards to promote the production of this crop throughout the country.

Exports began in 2014. La Libertad started in 2011 with shipments of blueberry samples, made by Camposol SA. In 2012, 40 tons were exported, resulting in revenues of almost USD 400,000, with the main destination being the Netherlands. Nowadays, Peru is the biggest exporter of blueberries in the world, exporting 155,600 tons in 2020.

Peruvian berries are produced in the center and the north. 

The coast of Peru has the best climate conditions, with moderate temperatures and no frost.

The main producer region is La Libertad, with 8,000 Hectares planted; the second region is Lambayeque, with 2,800 hectares, followed by Ica with 1,050 hectares. The rest is shared between Lima, Ancash, and Piura.

Peru can produce blueberries the whole year, but it is irrelevant for the moment because the main destination for exports is the US—it makes no difference to export between February to June since the country produces its own berries. In addition, the period is in conjunction with the Chilean season for Europe, and so there is no room for Peruvian berries.

Peruvian season starts in July and extends through January being September, October, and finally November as the peak season where much of the volume is exported (October 2020: USD 241M – 31%)

In the past, Peru grew more traditional varieties, such as Ventura and Biloxi. However, in recent years, varieties such as Mountain Blue, Sekoya, and OZblu have been planted. 

They are large blueberries (+16/+18), with good conditions upon arrival, visible bloom, and good flavor. Precisely the bloom is important for Chinese consumers because the fruit appears fresher and can last longer. Successful new varieties for the Chinese market are sweeter and have a longer shelf life. These include Eureka, Sekoya Pop, Sekoya Beauty, OZ Magica, and OZ Bonita.

In 2016 of the 3,926 hectares, 60% (2,366 ha) were from Biloxi, 12% (475 ha) were Rocio, 10% (409 ha) was Ventura; 6% (255 ha) were Emerald, and other varieties were 11% (421 ha). This panorama can be seen until 2018 when Biloxi concentrated 62% of the blueberry areas (4,747 hectares), but Ventura was already in second place with 16% of the total areas (1,246 hectares).

In 2020, there is already a slight advantage of Biloxi with 5,764 hectares (37% of the total) over Ventura with 5,073 hectares (33%), and this year Ventura has already ranked as the main variety installed with 32% of the total ( 5,354 hectares), followed by Biloxi with 30% (4,980 hectares). Rocío follows it with 7% of the total (1,228 ha), Emerald 6% (938 ha), 25% other 56 varieties (4,066 ha).

The required documents to export blueberries out of Peru are covered in the required documents for fresh fruit exports that are specified in the MIDAGRI official export requirements. 

Documents are as follows: 

1. Commercial Invoice

2. Packing List

3. Phytosanitary Certificate from SENASA.

All production sites and packing houses that process fresh blueberries must be certified by SENASA. SENASA will issue the Phytosanitary Certificate.

All the orchards, as well as the packing houses, cold rooms, and cold treatment facilities wishing to export blueberries, must be registered by SENASA and approved by both the SENASA and AQSIQ.

4. Certificate of Origin - Needed to prove Peruvian origin in the case an FTA enters into place (Used for US, EU, and China).