Blueberry
Chile: W45 Rains Damage Some Crops of Chilean Cherries and Blueberries (Nov 21)
On the weekend of W45, the main growing areas for cherry and blueberries in Chile that are in the early season faced heavy rains. Some areas close to the Andes mountains from Curico to the South of Chile only faced 10-15mm of rain, but some farms of cherries and blueberries in the Linares area were heavily affected. Linares is in mid-season for cherries in November, and some producers report losses of 50-60% and even 100% of their crop for the year 2022. Countrywide, the estimated loss of cherries is lower than 10%.
Chile: Reduction in the Volume of Fresh Blueberries Exported Is Less Than Projected (Nov 24)
The Office of Agrarian Studies and Policies reports that between January and October of 2022, 90,645 tons of fresh blueberries have been exported from Chile, for a value of USD 360M FOB. Compared to the same period in 2021, the volume decreased by 6% while the value of exported fresh blueberries fell by 26.72%.
Netherlands: The Dutch Blueberry Market in W46 Is Not Recovering Due to the Competitive Price of Peruvian Blueberries (Nov 22)
The blueberry market in the Netherlands is still struggling in W46, despite prices stabilizing after falling below the levels seen in the 2021 season. Although Peru ships less to the EU, since Peru offers blueberries at such low prices, the Dutch blueberry market's prices and demand have not recovered. Peruvian blueberries are only priced at USD 6.16/box (12 x 125g/box), and bulk purchase prices range from USD 3.08–4.10/kg. The blueberry market situation should change in the coming weeks, but Chile is already shipping to the EU, which may have a greater impact on the price.
Peru: Peru Is Once Again the Main Exporter of Blueberries (Nov 21)
The Association of Blueberry Producers of Peru projects that 276,938 tons of blueberries will be shipped from Peru in the 2022-2023 season. In this season's campaign from May to October, the country dispatched 153.2M kg of fresh blueberries for USD 843.7M, an increase of 31% more volume than in the same period of 2021.
Peru: Peruvian Blueberry Prices on the World Market Are Lower Despite the 28% Increase in Exports (Nov 24)
Although Peru exports 28% more blueberries to world markets, the average prices have been lower compared to 2021. The country reached 33 markets with 217,000 tons of blueberries exported until the end of W46. Shipping 52% to the United States, 31% more to Europe, 14% more to China, and 2% more to other destinations compared to the previous season.
Peru: Peruvian Blueberry Area Increased by 1K Hectares (Nov 25)
In mid-November, sales of Peruvian blueberries were 31% higher than at the same time in 2021. Despite the fact that the export association Proarándanos hinted at a possible crisis in the sector due to the international economic context, the Peruvian blueberry sector continues to grow. In 2022, the area increased by more than 1K hectares to 17.9K hectares. At the end of the season, a yield of 275K tons is expected, 25% more than last season.
Ukraine: Ukraine Is in the First Ten of the Largest Blueberry Producers in the World by Area (Nov 27)
Despite the war, Ukraine broke the blueberry export record in 2022. In the 2022 annual report of the International Blueberry Association (IBO), which ranks the top 10 countries by the area of blueberry plantations, Ukraine took a high 8th place, ahead of Spain and South Africa. Experts estimated the area under blueberries in Ukraine at 5.3K hectares according to the results of 2021.
Strawberry
Japan: Strawberry Season Has Started in Japan Early in November 2022 (Nov 24)
Domestic strawberry season has started in Japan. Major variants include Tochiotome and Benihoppe, which began in early November 2022, and the Tokyo market will soon have more varieties. One of the main varieties is Amao, which just started in W46, and the market had 11% more domestic strawberries than in W45. Low temperatures in October 2022 delayed harvests in some major supply areas of strawberries. Beni Hoppe from some areas in Japan is gradually increasing in the market and is expected to have the most supply from December-January 2023.
Vietnam: KR Strawberries Are Available in the Vietnamese Market in W47 (Nov 25)
KR strawberries are available in the Vietnamese market packed in clamshells. The price of a carton box with 330 grams of 04 clamshells stood at USD 40.39/ctn (VND 1M/ctn) in W47. Vietnamese consumers pay little attention to KR strawberries in W47 since it is often believed that early-season fruit does not taste good, but this season, the size and color for the early season are good.
