The global blueberry industry is undergoing a transformation driven by demand for higher-quality fruit. Today, consumers are seeking a superior eating experience, where firmness, flavor, and size have become essential attributes for competing in the most demanding markets.
A premium variety is defined, above all, by its firmness and crisp texture. This characteristic is highly valued across all markets. In this context, breeding programs have taken on a leading role. Among them, the varieties developed by OZblu and Fall Creek® have established themselves as benchmarks within the premium blueberry segment.
Julio Zavala, General Manager of Fall Creek® Peru, explains that Sekoya® is currently the most widely planted premium variety in Peru, with more than 5,000 hectares established. “Then we have the Collection program, aimed at growers who do not operate under this licensing model and instead market their fruit directly to the markets, but who are equally seeking premium varieties,” he says.
Within this program, standout materials include APEX® and FCM 14-057, along with new selections that have shown promising results. “Among them, FCM 17-132 stands out for its excellent adaptation to the Olmos region, while FCE 18-015 is currently being evaluated in different trials. These are some of the new introductions within our premium fruit offering, materials that clearly differentiate themselves from the average varieties available on the market,” Zavala explains.
Roger Horak, founder and Chief Executive Officer of United Exports (OZblu), agrees that firmness is the main attribute that defines a premium variety. “The fruit must avoid any acidic or sour flavors. From there, sensory quality moves along a scale where, the better the flavor, the more premium the variety will be considered. Generally speaking, it first needs to be firm and crisp; flavor then becomes the second most important attribute,” he explains.
After that, fruit size becomes a decisive factor. “When a variety manages to combine these three factors — firmness, flavor, and size — we are looking at a truly premium variety,” he says.
More demanding markets
According to Horak, the demands of different markets are converging toward a common objective: high-quality fruit. “All markets have evolved toward these standards. In the United States, for example, we have seen a very strong preference for large fruit size, which is considered almost as important as flavor and, in many cases, even more important. Retailers tend to prioritize firm, crisp, jumbo-sized fruit, while flavor still does not receive the same commercial valuation.”
However, research conducted by OZblu shows a different trend among consumers. “Our studies indicate that flavor is a critical attribute. That is why we believe retailers will also begin to place greater importance on it in the future,” he says.
The importance of agronomic planning
Having superior genetics is only the first step. For both specialists, the real challenge lies in ensuring that a variety expresses its full productive and commercial potential. “We have seen it countless times: a grower may start with premium genetics, but if they are cultivated improperly or without the right strategy, especially in areas such as irrigation and fertigation, the final result can be very poor-quality fruit despite having started with an excellent variety,” says Horak.
The executive explains that at OZblu, every variety is accompanied by a comprehensive agronomic recipe designed to maximize performance from planting through harvest. “When these recommendations are properly followed, the variety delivers to consumers the quality that its genetics promise. Conversely, when these practices are not respected, quality deteriorates significantly and value is also destroyed.”
In his view, the days when growers received a new variety and had to figure out for themselves how to manage it are long gone. “That involved very high risks, both for the grower and for the long-term reputation of the variety in the market,” he notes.
Fall Creek® shares a similar perspective. Zavala highlights the work of the Grower Support team, which accompanies growers throughout the introduction and validation of each new selection. “Genetics are fundamental because they provide characteristics such as fruit size, firmness, and flavor. However, two additional factors are required for a variety to express its full potential,” he says.
The first is having the right environment for the variety. “We have observed that FCM 17-132 performs exceptionally well in Olmos and Chepén, where warm climatic conditions favor the optimal expression of its genetic potential,” says Zavala.
The second factor is agronomic management. “The genetics come with the plant, but it is the collaborative work with the grower that ultimately allows that variety to reach its maximum productive and commercial potential,” he explains.
The validation of new varieties is one of the most important aspects in ensuring the success of planting. “Growers need to validate each selection under their own production conditions. At times, breeding companies may be tempted to accelerate the introduction of new varieties, but doing so involves risks,” warns Zavala.
Even a variety with outstanding characteristics can fail if there is insufficient knowledge about how to manage it. “It may happen that the climate is favorable, but the grower still does not have the appropriate agronomic practices in place to successfully produce the variety. In that scenario, even a material with great potential could be destined to fail,” says Zavala.
Respecting validation timelines
Zavala emphasizes the importance of technical support during the initial evaluation stages. “When a grower is conducting trials in their fields, mistakes can occur simply because the management practices used for a previous variety do not necessarily work for new genetics. In that regard, the support of Fall Creek’s Grower Support team is essential for achieving proper validation and obtaining reliable information on yield, quality, and agronomic performance.”
He also highlights that validation processes require time. “Sekoya® Pop is a good example. It was selected in 2014 and only now, in 2026, is it showing the full level of consolidation it has achieved in the market. Respecting the timelines required for the development and validation of a new variety is essential.”
Horak agrees that many problems originate even before planting. “The most common mistake occurs during the planning and orchard establishment process. In many cases, growers do not have enough information about how a specific variety should be planted, whether it performs best in soil or substrate, or which type of substrate is most suitable considering the available water quality and environmental conditions.”
For this reason, he believes planning must be significantly strengthened. “We are convinced that success does not depend solely on genetics, but on the combination of the variety, the agronomic recipe, and the entire production process.”
The future of premium varieties
The trend toward differentiation will continue to deepen over the coming years.
“I believe the blueberry market will follow an evolution similar to that experienced by the table grape industry. We will have one category oriented toward frozen products and another focused on premium fresh fruit. Both categories will become increasingly differentiated over time,” Zavala projects.
According to the executive, premium fruit will continue to increase its share of the fresh market, while standard varieties will lose relative importance.
“That is why we encourage growers establishing new plantings to invest in premium genetics rather than standard varieties. That is where the market is heading and where future growth will be concentrated.”
He also observes a strong expansion in consumption habits associated with healthy foods. “Fresh fruit consumption is evolving toward premium products driven by new consumer habits. Today, a healthy snack category is becoming firmly established, and premium blueberries fit perfectly within this trend.”
For Zavala, future competitiveness will be determined by the ability to produce high-quality fruit with high productivity. “Future competitiveness will be defined by the ability to offer premium fruit with high productivity, excellent firmness, and sizes above 18 or even 20 millimeters — in other words, Jumbo and Super Jumbo categories.”
These characteristics, he argues, are essential for reaching increasingly distant and demanding markets in optimal conditions. “To achieve this goal, continuous professionalization across the sector is indispensable. This enables us to compete at a higher level and respond to the requirements of the world’s most sophisticated markets.”
In this regard, he also highlights the role of Senasa in opening new commercial destinations for Peruvian fruit. “Today, Peru participates in the world’s major markets, and Senasa plays a key role not only in safeguarding the industry’s phytosanitary status but also in opening new markets. These efforts are especially relevant for an industry that is professionalizing at great speed and in which the premium category is playing an increasingly important role,” Zavala concludes.
