The first consignment of Argentinean blueberries grown in the region of Tucumán is due to be exported today by air to Miami, in what is estimated to be the first of at least 10 airfreight shipments to the US this month.
The 55-tonne consignment will be exported directly to Miami from Tucumán’s regional airport at approximately 5pm local time, Jorge Feijóo, secretary of production development at the Tucumán regional government, told Argentinean daily newspaper La Gaceta.
To facilitate the move, the local government has made available a makeshift cold storage pavilion at Tucumán airport, comprising cooling equipment capable of making 250,000 rotations per hour to maintain a cool temperature for the berries.
A further pavilion to prevent insects entering aircraft has also been erected by the government, according to Mr Fejióo.
The Tucumán blueberry industry originally planned to airfreight 20 consignments of blueberries to the US this season but a severe frost in early September cut expectations in half.
Overall, only 1,500 tonnes of the anticipated 3,000-tonne crop will be harvested in Tucumán this season.
