In W21 in the blueberry landscape, it was reported the 2023/2024 Peruvian blueberry campaign is about to start, and it will begin slowly in the earliest region in W22-W23 at the end of May and the beginning of June. The volumes will begin to rise from W31 until reaching a peak in September and October. During the 2022/23 campaign, 287,806 tons were exported with a value of USD 1.4M. Peru estimates an 18% increase in volumes to reach 338,859 tons and USD 1.5M next season. During the 2022-23 campaign, the Peruvian Blueberry Growers & Exporter Association (Proarándanos) highlighted the main destination ports for the global trade of Peruvian blueberries in the United States, the port of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania emerged as the primary point for shipments, accounting for 60% of the total sent to the country. Hueneme in California secured the second position with a 24% share, experiencing a growth of 54%. Miami in Florida ranked third, with an 11% share and a 58% growth in receiving Peruvian blueberries. In Europe, the port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands emerged as the main destination, with 59% of the total Peruvian shipments to the continent, a growth rate of 53%.
In the United States, blueberries and other fruits grown in Texas have recovered from the previous season's heat and drought. Although some early producers were affected by a freeze, later-blooming varieties are expected to be stable. Mississippi's blueberry growers faced disappointment as a late freeze wiped out a significant portion of their crop. The damage was widespread, and only later ripening varieties are expected to have substantial yields. United States officials visited Chile to discuss various trade-related issues regarding fresh fruit, including United States blueberry exports to Chile. In addition, Chile experienced an 18% decline in blueberry exports in the 2022/23 season, marking the second consecutive drop since the record-breaking season of 2020/21. The country dispatched 87,585 tons of fresh blueberries, with an estimated FOB value of USD 412M, with a unit value of USD 4.7/kg (FOB) was the lowest among southern hemisphere suppliers. The Mexican blueberry industry is undergoing a significant repositioning in the global commercial landscape, increasing its presence in the international blueberry market, and it is close to surpassing 100 tons of blueberry exports.
On the other hand, a shipment of fresh blueberries and grapes from Japan to Taiwan was halted and seized at the border due to banned pesticides, the confiscated blueberries contained flubendiamide, a synthetic petrochemical pesticide prohibited in Taiwan. Lastly, the South African 2022/23 blueberry season surpassed the previous season's export volumes by 4.3K MT, albeit the season was challenging for producers in terms of pricing and logistics. The largest market growth was in exports to the Indian Ocean Islands, with a 1,194% increase from 1.5MT in 2021/22 to 19.50MT in the 2022/23 season. Exports to the Middle East increased 48% from 929MT in 2021/22 to 1,375MT in 2022/23. Exports to the Far East and European markets increased by 22% and 16.8%, respectively, while export to the UK increased by 20%, from 5,537MT in 2021/22 to 6,646MT in 2022/23. However, exports to Russia declined significantly by 95%, from 19MT in 2021/22 to 0.97MT in 2022/23.
