After the El Niño year and the subsequent post-El Niño season of the past two years, sample volumes of blueberries from Peru were expected this year. “The past two years we saw extremely high prices in September and October, and everyone was ready for a normal year with a good supply,” says Debra van den Oever of Berries Pride in De Lier. “The fear at the start of the season was how to move all these volumes, but to everyone’s surprise, that fear proved unjustified, because we have had very good prices and even weeks with higher prices in Europe than in America and China. For instance, around week 35, we had the situation that berries (14+) with high acidity in the 12×125 gram format fetched $4/6kg FOB Peru in China and, converted in the Dutch market, $7/9kg.”

© Berries Pride
Jose Castilla de los Santos, Debra van den Oever and Michael Aagaard of Berries Pride

Blueberry potential infinite
“And with the good productions, this has led to a 48 per cent increase in blueberries shipped from Peru to Europe from week 18 to 46, departure from Peru, until last week. Yet the volumes have been absorbed remarkably well by the market. This shows that blueberry consumption is still growing. The potential of blueberries is also infinite in my view. There are still so many countries unfamiliar with the product, and more and more marketing countries are emerging. For instance, in a country like Uzbekistan, blueberries are only just appearing on the map. At the moment, those countries still regard blueberries as a luxury product, but I expect that if we start appealing to other target groups, volumes will increase and consumption can still grow significantly.”

“When it became clear this summer that Peru would enter the market with large volumes, European retailers responded well by planning promotions. This remains very important because you don’t want to push these extra volumes onto the spot market. Especially in Germany, which remains a major buyer, there have been a huge number of promotions,” says Debra. “You also see that blueberries are increasingly being offered in larger packaging. There are many 500-gram packs, in Germany even 750 grams, and we also offer a kilo pack ourselves, which is ideal for families, for example. We pack the overseas berries here in the Netherlands with our machines, but during the Spanish and Moroccan season, growers can pack directly in the field in the final packaging, reducing handling and costs.”

Responding to consumer taste preferences with new varieties
“The season in Peru still started quietly because production of Ventura blueberries had slowed somewhat. This remains the best-known blueberry, but the great thing is that today, with the new varieties, we can respond more effectively to customer taste preferences. These days, for instance, we also sell a lot of Sekoya Pop for customers who prefer a crunchy berry. We have Bianca for customers with a sweet preference and Abril for those who want aromatic berries. This allows us to tailor the offer to each market. The Scandinavian market, for instance, prefers a firm berry with some acidity, while in Eastern Europe people favour the sweetest berries. The beauty of Peru is that growers can replant quickly, so within a relatively short period, the new varieties, which are often more resistant to weather changes, become commercially available.”

© Berries Pride
Ventura and Sekoya Pop

“Peru experienced high humidity in May, June, and July this year. As a result, the plants developed very slowly physiologically and essentially went into dormancy. Depending on the variety and pruning, we are now seeing volumes dropping more sharply than expected and, as a result, we may not reach the sample volumes that were initially anticipated. Each variety responds differently. Especially with Ventura, the second flowering looks weaker, and productivity has decreased. This is also why some growers have already decided to prune early.” Berries Pride is fully committed to spreading cultivation north and south. “As much as 70 per cent of production takes place in the north, but we deliberately choose to maintain a good balance between the north and the south, where the climate differs. This allowed us to maintain good volumes even during El Niño.”

From a few boxes in 2013 to 3 million kilos a year
In a short period, Peru has emerged as the world’s largest exporter of blueberries. “This year, there are 26,000 hectares of blueberry plants in Peru. New test plots are being established in blocks of 100 hectares at a time. That is why this development is moving so quickly,” says Debra, who, with a Dutch father and Peruvian mother, has a natural link to both countries. “I love witnessing this development. We started with a few boxes in Peru in 2013 and are now heading towards 3 million kilos annually. As Berries Pride, we try to differentiate ourselves with new varieties and grades. This year, for instance, we launched the 20 and 22+ grades, which specifically cater to customer taste preferences and applications, such as for children or consumption on the go. Our wholesale customers often prefer slightly larger berries as well.”

© Berries PrideMeanwhile, the Chilean blueberry season is also just around the corner. “The season is starting a week earlier, and peak volumes from Chile will arrive between weeks 4 and 7. We no longer source from Chile ourselves, since we managed to bridge the season between Peru and Morocco four years ago. That works well for us because of the consistent quality and logistics from Peru. Given the declining supply from Peru, we expect a good transition. From Chile, we expect a similar season to last year, although that also depends on demand from the US market,” Debra continues. From the Netherlands, she says, it is difficult to play a role in exporting Latin American berries to the Chinese market. “Many growers have offices there themselves. And with the new port of Chancay, transit time Peru–China has been reduced significantly. Previously, it could take up to 40 days with delays; now it has been shortened to just over three weeks. I do think the beauty of the Chinese market is that they are, in fact, the most honest and transparent about what they think the berries are worth. They don’t like sour berries, and if you supply them, as a supplier, you are finished.”

Better Together
“Thereby, as a group, sustainability is in our DNA. We continually research the impact of climate, water, and the environment in the countries where we source. Berries Pride’s slogan is Better Together, and that starts with our care for people and nature. We enjoy beautiful products from around the world every day and therefore feel a responsibility to ensure that future generations can continue to do the same. With every new partnership, the basics have to be right. Our partner growers are now 99.8 per cent socially certified and 95 per cent water certified. But we look beyond certifications alone. Among other initiatives, we have had Human Rights & Environmental Due Diligence carried out with the help of an independent organisation in the high-risk countries where we source in order to identify the main challenges per country. One of the issues that emerged strongly in several countries was access to clean drinking water in local communities. Together with a grower cultivating both blueberries and avocados in Peru, we launched a project on how we can improve WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) in the living conditions of local communities. We cannot make a difference alone, but we can make a difference together, Better Together.”

For more information:
Debra van den Oever
Berries Pride
Jogchem van der Houtweg 9
2678 AG De Lier
Tel: +31 1745 27517
M: +31 6114 77389
[email protected]
www.BerriesPride.nl