The 2024-2025 Peruvian blueberry season concluded with over 320,000 tons shipped to destination markets, representing a 40% increase year-on-year, according to industry data. The majority of the exports, approximately 55%, were sent to the United States, as noted by Fluctuante CEO David Sandoval.
Sandoval emphasized the need for market diversification, stating, “We need to diversify the countries to which we deliver this product and, above all, focus on opening new markets.” He also highlighted that the industry continues to favor temperature-resistant cultivars, primarily Ventura and Biloxi, due to their resilience against climatic challenges. “Producers have continued to focus on Ventura and Biloxi, and have not yet clearly switched to other premium or licensed varieties.”
The CEO explained that the continued preference for these varieties is driven by return on investment considerations. “For us to develop Sekoya and other licensed varieties, we require a lot of investment, and that investment ultimately has to be reflected when selling the fruit.” He also noted that in the U.S. market, supermarkets show little interest in specific varieties, as blueberries often arrive mixed in final packages, with consumer preferences centering on the fruit’s crunchiness, visual appeal, and freshness.
Sandoval questioned whether further investment in licensed varieties is justified, given the high costs involved. “We are in a productive and exporting development phase, we are the first, and that is to be applauded, but in any case, if we don’t promote it, if we don’t say it, the consumer won’t notice it,” he said.
He observed that Asian markets, especially China, pay premiums for licensed varieties, whereas in the U.S., price differences are minimal. “In some weeks, the price of Ventura and Biloxi is even higher than that of licensed varieties,” he added, suggesting that the transition to newer licensed cultivars remains slow.