Last week came the sixth week of 2019. As of last week, the total export volume of Chilean fresh blueberries reached 98,573 tons, an increase of 2.9% over the same period last year and accounting for 90% of the expected total export volume for this season. The Chilean Blueberry Association brings you the latest production news.

In week 6, Chile’s export volume of fresh blueberries was 4,192 tons, which was much lower than the original estimated level of 7,000 tons. The weather was the main reason for the sharp decline in exports. The continuous high temperature in the south-central and southern regions is not conducive to harvesting. A large number of blueberries are discarded because they are not up to standard after being picked and cannot be exported. According to the weather forecast, in the next few weeks, the main producing areas of Chile's blueberries will still be shrouded in high temperature and intense heat, which will further restrict the export of fresh blueberries. The forecast made by the Chilean Blueberry Association last week that this year's export volume may hit a new historical record of 110,000 tons has new variables. Among the 41.92 million tons of exports in the sixth week, exports to North America were 2203 tons, down 59.7% from last week; exports to Europe were 1,274 tons, down 38.2% from last week; The export volume was 702 tons, down 14.8% from last week.

Regarding organic blueberries, the export volume in the sixth week was only 834 tons (this figure may be further revised in the future), a sharp drop of 56.9% from 1935 tons last week, which also marks the growth of fresh organic blueberries in this season. The export peak is over.

As of the sixth week, Chile’s export volume of fresh organic blueberries reached 11,870 tons in the 2008-2019 production season, an increase of 42% over the previous season. The Chilean Blueberry Association expects that the export of fresh organic blueberries will maintain strong growth in the next few years.