A surge in blueberry plantings in north-western Argentina is leaving growers nervous that overproduction will damage their returns.
Plantings in Tucumán last year rose from 150ha to 600ha. Argentina has some 3,000ha in total under production of the crop which brought in $30 million last year in export earnings. The main growing regions are Concordia and Entre Rios which account for 50 per cent of the national crop, but Tucumán is catching up fast.
“If production is increasing but not consumption, naturally there will be oversupply,” said Salvador Eduardo Gallo, president of the Tucuman blueberry association Apratuc. “We hope the situation does not become as serious as it is for lemons.”
Tucuman has an advantage on international markets producing 60 per cent of its fruit in October when there is limited supply from other sources. But the variation in prices internationally - $14 a kilo down to $3 a kilo in October 2005 - is a cause for concern. “Here everyone talks about prices, but you don’t sell the whole crop at the same price,” said Gallo, who believes there has been too much hype regarding the economic potential of the crop. “Limiting production now is impossible - you can’t stop anyone who wants to plant blueberries,” he said. Looking for new markets and ensuring quality will be the best options and Apratuc is already working on quality protocols to address issues from plant health to fruit quality.
No comments yet