Area under blueberry production in the north-western Argentinean area of Tucuman is expected to reach 1,000 hectares this season.

This is up from 800ha last season and the majority of plantings are still just three years old or less. However, this season has been complicated so far due to adverse weather conditions. Winter frosts damaged the early varieties which led to an estimated 10-20 per cent crop reduction overall in the region. And in later varieties, the low temperatures damaged blossoms to the extent that in some varieties up to 95 per cent of fruit failed to set.

The harvest was also delayed because of the cold snap - in some parts of Tucuman by up to a month, although plantations on higher land experienced higher average temperatures by 0.5°C to 1°C.

“This season the variety pattern has also shifted with Misty and Millennia - usually early fruiting varieties, fruiting later this season,” agronomist Héctor Jaldo told the Argentinean press. “Whereas varieties such as O’Neal and Star that are normally later fruiting, were already 70 per cent through their harvest by the first week in November.” It will be several years more before the best variety selection for the region emerges, he added. Misty, O’Neal and Sharpblue were the early favourites in the region, which has been cultivating the fruit for just six years, but now Millennia, Bluecrisp, Gulf Coast, Emerald, Jewel, Star and Sapphire are also growing in popularity among producers.

October has proved a strong month for export fruit with a lack of production in the northern hemisphere ensuring good prices, Jaldo reported.

Topics