Argentina has faced an exceptionally harsh winter this year, with temperatures hitting a 60-year low, according to local reports. Despite these weather challenges, the Argentine Blueberry Committee (ABC) is predicting a normal season, with production volumes expected to match those of 2022-23.

ABC Secretary and Buenos Aires Blueberry Producers Chamber (CAPAB) President Jorge Pazos told FreshFruitPortal.com that the sector anticipates a 5% to 10% reduction in early variety production.

"We are projecting 14 to 15 thousand tons to be produced this season, of which 60% will be shipped to destination markets. The remaining balance will go to industrial processing and the domestic market. We already have fruit available in the domestic market," Pazos said.

He highlighted that 90% of Argentina’s blueberry-producing regions are equipped with frost protection systems. However, Pazos acknowledged that damage is inevitable during prolonged frost periods.

“At the national level, the evolution continues to be normal. Growers inform us that production volumes will be very similar to last season, which was good volume-wise and all the fruit was exported by air," he stressed.

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Commercial strategy

The first shipments of the season are expected to begin in late August, around the 20th, with Europe as the primary destination, Pazos said.

Pazos noted that, like the world’s top competitors, Argentine blueberry producers are also exploring varietal changes to improve production. However, Argentina’s blueberry production volumes remain much smaller compared to those of Chile and Peru.

"Argentina’s are a niche fruit, because we have been left quite behind in terms of volume, but we work in niche markets," he explained.

Pazos added that the sector is working to secure sustainable and socially responsible production, "because we were strongly supported by the United States Department of Labor in technical assistance and resources, to work with protocols related to the eradication of child labor".

"We seek to give the markets that message, that we participate in a responsible agricultural program, and that makes it a good qualification on the part of the consumer," he said.

He emphasized that this does not mean that the quality or quantity of the fruit will change, rather "it is to give consumers the certainty of a product that comes from orchards guaranteed in a responsible production".