How is the Supply Network Formed in the Chilean Blueberry Industry?

The supply network of blueberry is formed from a small coop consisting of three to five growers that creates their export company. Since no oligopoly exists in the market, there would be a committee of blueberry to provide prices and volume data for export members.

Three to five growers form a small coop that creates their export company if they have enough volume and then acquires packing technologies. Also, there is no oligopoly, but there is a committee of Blueberries with export members that provide prices and volume data. This committee provides research and technological innovation for blueberry plantations. It also deploys technical teams to study each field to develop and study the variety. Its presence is very strong.

There are around 5-10 major companies that are vertically integrated from grower to packhouse to exporter. The most notable are Hortifruit, Alifrut, Fruiticola, Vitafoods. Vitafoods (merger between Hortifrut & Alifruit) is expected to export 14M kg of frozen blueberries for 2021. Unlike Peru (Camposol), however, the big players do not completely dominate the market. Most blueberry producers/exporters (including SMEs) also produce other fruits, mostly berries such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, and cherries.

Revenue of exporters:

The largest exporter gets USD 14 million

2nd: USD 8 million

3rd: USD 4 million

4th ~ 7th: USD 3 million