Production expected to increase by 25 per cent in 2023 due to new acreage and higher-than-anticipated Q1 exports
Peru is poised to see a surge in blueberry exports in the first quarter of 2023. Produce consultancy firm FreshFruit Peru said the social unrest that hit the country at the end of 2022 had forced companies to delay harvesting, leading to a build-up of fruit that will now have to be picked and shipped over the coming weeks.
Overall, exports are projected to rise by around 25 per cent in 2023 to more than 365,000 tonnes.
The increase is not only the result of the bigger volumes being harvested in the first three months of the year, but also of new acreage entering into production in the second half of the year.
However, FreshFruit Peru said the increased volume would not be matched in value terms due to falling international prices. It expects total revenues to reach US$1.7bn in 2023, an increase of 21 per cent on last year.
Peru exported a total of 292,000 tonnes of blueberries with a value of US$1.405bn.
