Chile’s blueberry industry strengthens its competitiveness with a focus on quality, genetics, and postharvest management

With a global market that continues to expand — while also becoming increasingly demanding — Chile’s blueberry industry faces the challenge of strengthening its competitiveness through higher-quality fruit, new varieties, and postharvest strategies tailored to each destination market. These were some of the main topics addressed during the First Technical Workshop for Members of the Blueberry Committee of Frutas de Chile, held in Chillán.

Chile’s blueberry industry is currently going through a pivotal stage. This became evident during the First Technical Workshop for Members organized by the Blueberry Committee of Frutas de Chile in Chillán, where participants reviewed the results of the 2025–2026 season, along with the main technical, commercial, and logistical challenges facing the sector.

During the event, discussions focused on varietal validation programs, postharvest strategies, Botrytis control, quality verification at both origin and destination, as well as an agroclimatic analysis with seasonal projections for the current year.

Quality as a Competitive Pillar

Andrés Armstrong highlighted that fresh fruit exports increased by 3%, mainly driven by varietal replacement, with new genetics already accounting for 24% of total shipments. However, he warned that the season delivered mixed results due to shipments of fruit that failed to meet market expectations.

“We know we are facing an increasingly competitive market, so raising our standards to remain competitive is essential,” Armstrong stated, also emphasizing the importance of the technology transfer initiatives promoted by the Committee.

In the same vein, Pablo Klagges noted that Chile’s competitiveness will depend on its ability to consistently deliver fruit with high quality, flavor, and firmness, especially in highly demanding markets such as the United States, Europe, and Asia.

The Challenge of Varietal Replacement

Klagges also emphasized that the business has rapidly evolved toward a model dominated by new genetics, displacing traditional varieties such as Duke and Legacy, which have lost competitiveness in terms of fruit condition and size.

However, he warned that the success of varietal replacement does not depend solely on introducing new varieties, but also on integrated agronomic and logistical management capable of addressing challenges such as climate change and rising production costs.

The executive also highlighted that global blueberry consumption continues to show positive projections, with estimates indicating it could reach 1.9 million tons by 2030 — a scenario that presents opportunities for Chile, provided it can maintain high quality standards.

Stricter Controls and Higher Standards

Another key topic discussed during the workshop was the analysis of quality verification processes at both origin and destination. Julia Pinto, together with Nicolás Fernández, revealed that more than 1,300 quality inspections were carried out during the 2025–2026 season, with an increase in non-conformities mainly associated with firmness issues.

According to the speakers, these results were strongly influenced by extreme weather events, including late rains and heat waves.

Regarding destination markets, Asia continues to be the market receiving fruit in the best condition from origin, while the United States and Europe present greater logistical and quality challenges. Therefore, they emphasized the need to strengthen postharvest management and logistical efficiency in order to maintain consistent standards throughout the commercial season.

Postharvest Management and Variety-Specific Handling Strategies

The workshop also included the presentation of several technical studies aimed at improving the resilience of Chilean blueberries in international markets. Among them, the work presented by Francisca González from AgroFresh stood out, focusing on evaluating the performance of the Apolo and Duke varieties under different storage and shelf-life stages.

Likewise, researcher Víctor Escalona from the Postharvest Studies Center (CEPOC) at the University of Chile presented findings on the interaction between methyl bromide fumigation and controlled atmospheres in varieties such as Arabella, Luna, and Loreto Blue.

The results revealed differentiated responses depending on the genetic material, leading to the conclusion that logistics and storage strategies must be specifically tailored to each cultivar.

One of the key findings showed that the use of high CO2 levels — commonly applied to reduce respiration and control Botrytis — may cause premature softening in previously fumigated fruit, depending on the variety evaluated.