Blueberry
Chile: Chilean Blueberry Harvest Affected by Wildfires During W6 (Feb 16)
During W6 in Chile, farms have been unable to reach harvest tasks due to recent road closures caused by forest wildfires. Blueberries present poor conditions due to smoke. Burned soils are unlikely to be used again as they lose their natural effectiveness and needed biological conditions. Soil recovery time varies from two to five years to become productive again, and fruit plantations can take between three to five years to enter commercial production, resulting in a loss of six to ten years. The impact of this event will affect the fruit industry in Chile, particularly for small and medium-sized growers who rely on the timely harvesting and sale of their crops.
Chile: Heat Accelerates the End of the Blueberry Season in Chile (Feb 17)
Chile had high temperatures, affecting the growing conditions of blueberries. Farmers reported finishing around 90% of the Chilean season and presenting a downward trajectory. In the upcoming three weeks, the market will be mainly Mexican and Peruvian.
Chile: Chilean Blueberry Became a Standout Fruit During the Chinese New Year (Feb 19)
Chilean blueberries performed well on the Chinese market in the 2022/23 season. The Chilean Blueberry Committee of Fruit Exporters Association (ASOEX) reported Chile exported 5K metric tons of fresh blueberries to China as of February 14, 2023. Shipments of Chilean blueberries to China peaked between W49 of 2022 and W3 of 2023, which coincided with the Chinese holidays.
Peru: Half Export Peruvian Blueberries to the US (Feb 14)
Peruvian blueberry exports are forecasted to increase by 30% in the 2022/23 season to 287K tons. As of W7, 53% of the exports were destined for the United States, 31% to Europe, 13% to China, and 2% to other destinations.
Taiwan: Successful Blueberry Production in Taiwan After Six Years of Work (Feb 15)
A Taiwanese grower spent six years researching and successfully mass-producing blueberries at the foot of Alishan. In previous years, blueberry production in Taiwan was small, and almost all blueberries on the Taiwanese market were imported from other countries. The Taiwanese blueberry breaks the impression that blueberries can only be imported and aims to supply fresh blueberries domestically with shorter transportation times. Taiwan’s blueberry imports have increased from about 4MT in 2003 to over 2.7K MT in 2022, and the import volume continues to rise. The price of Taiwanese blueberries is approximately USD4/70g box.
Ukraine: Blueberry Producers in Ukraine Plan to Increase the Export of Fresh Berries (Feb 16)
Despite the war in Ukraine, farmers plan to increase export shipments of fresh blueberries in the 2023 season. Market participants reported expanding blueberry plantations in 2022, with the possibility of buying seedlings at an affordable price.
Strawberry
Egypt: Strawberry Yields in Egypt Drop, Acreage Increase Keeps Volumes Stable (Feb 15)
In Egypt, the strawberry season has experienced a productivity decline and quality deterioration of Florida varieties plants. Volumes will remain stable for the season 2023 due to an acreage increase.
Philippines: Farmers Urged to Adopt Elevated Strawberry Farming (Feb 17)
The municipal government of La Trinidad has urged farmers to adopt elevated strawberry farming to triple their regular yield and battle the effects of land conversion, as strawberry farmers had no rent spaces to grow as more farmlands became privately owned.
