The 2025–2026 blueberry season presented several challenges for Peru, the world’s leading exporter of this fruit. Both local and international climatic factors shaped a season characterized by lower supply and better returns for growers.
In an interview with Blueberries News, Julio Zavala, general manager of Fall Creek Perú, gave a positive assessment of the season for both the company and the Peruvian industry overall. “The season ended in April. For Fall Creek® Perú, it was a good campaign, both in terms of new project plantings and the productivity of fields planted with Fall Creek® varieties, where materials such as Sekoya Pop® ‘FCM14-052’ and Apex ‘FCM14-057’ stood out,” he commented.
He also highlighted that established fields continue incorporating new varieties, driving the genetic renewal of the Peruvian blueberry industry.
“For Fall Creek®, it was a good year from that perspective, and also for the industry. We began with a projection of more than 400,000 tons, but the climatic conditions recorded between May and June prevented those volumes from being reached,” he explained.
According to Zavala, this lower availability of Peruvian fruit led to an increase in international prices, benefiting growers’ profitability. “The supply of Peruvian fruit declined and, consequently, prices increased. I would say it was a good year for growers due to these climatic conditions and also because of external factors that reduced global supply,” he noted.
The executive added that other producing countries also faced weather-related complications. “We saw very low temperatures in Florida and rainfall in Morocco. Therefore, there were climatic changes that caused supply to fall short of expectations,” he said.
China and Europe drive demand for premium fruit
Regarding destination markets, Zavala highlighted the strong performance of China and Europe’s sustained growth throughout the season. “We began the campaign supplying China with very good prices. China places a significant premium on quality, making this market especially attractive for premium varieties,” he explained.
He also noted that Europe recorded strong growth during the campaign. “The season showed growth of more than 30% in Europe, where the market responded very well. In the United States, exports remained stable, accounting for nearly 50% of the fruit shipped to that market.”
Restrictions on coconut fiber complicated new projects
One of the season’s main challenges was related to the importation of coconut fiber from India, a key input for the development of substrate-grown blueberry projects.
“Senasa detected a quarantine pest in containers of coconut fiber coming from India, specifically in the pallets, and that temporarily halted imports,” Zavala explained.
As a result of this situation, a fumigation process at origin was implemented, and Senasa authorized a list of supplier companies that comply with the new phytosanitary requirements.
“This put the industry under pressure because coconut fiber is a fundamental input for blueberry cultivation. A project consists of an irrigation system, substrate, plants, pots or grow bags. There were no issues regarding plants or containers, but there were problems with the substrate,” he stated.
The executive highlighted Senasa’s role in resolving the situation and allowing projects to continue moving forward. “India is Peru’s main supplier of coconut fiber, therefore what happened was complex for the entire industry,” he noted.
Another factor that impacted the development of new projects was the international geopolitical context and the dependence on imported technology.
“The war also played an important role in project implementation, since there is a high dependence on irrigation systems coming from Israel. It was a significant factor to consider,” Zavala commented.
El Niño generates uncertainty for the upcoming season
Regarding the 2026–2027 season, Zavala warned that there is a scenario of greater uncertainty due to the conditions associated with the El Niño phenomenon.
“Today we are facing an El Niño event, and there are already northern regions where minimum nighttime temperatures are not reaching the levels needed to achieve good flower induction,” he pointed out.
In this context, he indicated that lower production is projected for the upcoming season, especially among older varieties that still account for a significant share of the country’s cultivated area.
“The new genetics show better adaptation to these climatic conditions. However, Peru still has around 10,000 hectares planted with older varieties that require varietal replacement and continue to play an important role in the season,” he explained.
For this reason, Zavala believes there is still uncertainty regarding the export volumes Peru may achieve. “There is uncertainty regarding supply and whether volumes above 420,000 tons can be reached,” he stated.
Finally, the executive emphasized that, despite the climatic difficulties, plant production for new projects is guaranteed. “People are already talking about a coastal El Niño phenomenon in terms of fruit supply, but not plants, because we are covered. We are located in an area where the phenomenon has a lesser impact, and we have secured plant production to supply the projects scheduled for this year,” he concluded.
