Europe is set to receive greater volumes of blueberries from Argentina this season in order to satisfy the ongoing rise in demand across the Continent for the popular berry category.
The South American nation expects to export some 9,500 tonnes of blueberries in 2008/09, of which 40-45 per cent will be absorbed by the European market, according to Alejandro Casado who heads up Argentina’s Berry Producers Association (Capab).
“Overall, we expect the total export crop to rise by 20 per cent in comparison to last season, or maybe more, depending on the weather,” Mr Casado told Fruitnet.com.
Argentinean suppliers are working hard to tap into European demand, Mr Casado said, by ramping up their offer of top quality fruit.
“Europe is a very important destination for Argentina and the entire industry is keen to garner a larger share of the berry market by either shipping via exporters or establishing direct supply links,” added Mr Casado.
The bulk of Argentina’s blueberry export crop is destined for the US and Europe (primarily the UK and the Netherlands), with smaller volumes headed for Japan and China.
