Growth of Peruvian blueberry exports

The blueberry is one of our 'superfoods' that is gaining ground in the international market for its delicious flavor and nutritional properties, and this is reflected in the significant growth of its exports.

According to the Perucámaras Business Research Center ('Centro de Investigación Empresarial', CIE), Peruvian blueberry exports reached US$ 306.8 million by October 2018, an increase of 24% over the same period in 2017. This result was due to the volumes shipped, reaching a total of 40,580 tons in October this year, an increase of 51% compared to 2017 figures.

Largest exporting region

At the national level, the department that produces and exports the highest volume of this super fruit is La Libertad, with a total of 76.4% of total shipments of blueberries abroad, followed by Lima with 8.3% of shipments, Lambayeque with 7.2%, Ancash, 3.3%, Ica, 2.5% and Piura, 2.4%.

La Libertad exported this product for a value of US$ 158.3 million as of September this year, which represents an increase of 53.3% compared to the same period in 2017. This is reflected in the volume of sales which reached 23,098 tons, an increase of 104.1%.

Main target markets

From January to October 2018, the main national blueberry export market was the United States with a value of US$ 156 million, equivalent to an increase of 43.1% over the same period in 2017. On the other hand, shipments to the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and China totaled US$ 67.4 million, US$ 27.8 million and US$ 22.3 million respectively.

Projections

The Chamber of Commerce of Lima ('Cámara de Comercio de Lima', CCL) announced that exports of Peruvian blueberries would see continuous growth of over 12% for the next four years, due to increased demand from our country's main markets and higher yields per more hectares planted.

"The Peruvian blueberries are recognized abroad as healthy, a situation that will be taken advantage of by our exporters who already have enough production to meet an increase in demand," said Carlos Posada, executive director of Idexcam-CCL. He also indicated that "we are certain that our main markets such as the United States, Hong Kong, the European Free Trade Association and the European Union will demand more of this product in the coming years."

About blueberries

Blueberries belong to the genus Vaccinium and are especially rich in vitamin C. In addition, they are a good source of fiber, which helps improve intestinal transit. They also possess potassium, iron and calcium, astringent tannins and various organic acids. However, what really characterizes these fruits is their abundance of natural pigments (anthocyanins and carotenoids) of antioxidant action.

If you want to know more about this super fruit, visit the Super Foods Peru website: https://peru.info/es-pe/superfoods/detalle/super-arandano

Source: Andina