2023-12-05 01:04:38
As global consumption of this small berry has increased in recent years, South African farmers can benefit from slowing production in Peru, the world leader in blueberry exports.
After two painful years, where prices were too low for South African producers to remain competitive, the 2023-2024 season looks set to be quite good in the country. This season follows the same rhythm as Peru, starting around June, when the northern hemisphere ends its season. However, Lima has experienced difficulties this year, due to a warm winter caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
« Market demand has pushed prices up » explains Brent Walsh, CEO of Berries ZA, the organization which represents the soft fruit sector in South Africa. « So, from a purely monetary point of view, it’s a positive season » he concludes.
Pretoria still remains a very modest producer compared to the Peruvian juggernaut, having produced 30,000 tonnes of blueberries last year. But since 2017, the sector has been expanding, with the majority of fruit exported to the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The South African market faces challenges
However, the country is far from fully benefiting from the market situation, as it faces its own challenges. First, the weather was very humid. But it is above all the problems linked to congested ports, in particular that of Durban, which continue to weigh down maritime exports, pushing companies to turn to air transport. Not to mention load shedding, which increases the costs of preserving blueberries.
The country is also seeing a slowdown in the development of its crops, just like in neighboring Zimbabwe. There, the favorable climatic conditions around Harare attract investors, many from South Africa, and cause production to progress very quickly. But the economic and monetary crisis makes access to financing difficult, which could block the development of the sector.
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