Blueberry producer in Peru says they have "made all the mistakes one could" in the new industry
The learning curve is steep for growing blueberries, but at least growers have a forum like the upcoming International Blueberry Organization (IBO) Summit to share their experiences and plan for the future.
The event will be held on September 20-22 at a conference held jointly by Concordia, Argentina and Salto, Uruguay.
The general manager of the Peruvian company Valle y Pampa, Miguel Bentin, will participate in a panel during the summit to discuss ways in which Southern Hemisphere producers can work together to improve the category and supply to the leading markets of the Hemisphere North.
Bentin said that the Peruvian blueberry industry has come a long way since Valle y Pampa planted their first experimental crop of the fruit in 2010.
"In 2014 we planted 30 hectares, and in mid-2015, we expanded by 10 hectares, so now we have 45 hectares installed", says Bentin.
“We have explored, like almost everyone else, with Biloxi in the early years and then we started looking at other varieties to see their strengths. The new varieties we are treating in our fields are Emerald, Spring High and Ventura.
"The initial yield of the varieties is very good, but we can not do just one analysis, because we have made all the mistakes that one can make with Biloxi, so in the new varieties we have not made the same mistakes in the young plantations, so a comparison would be difficult ".
After learning from these mistakes, he adds that young Biloxi cranberry trees are in better health than those planted previously.
"That's only because of the greater experience and lessons learned from the past".
"The IBO, in general, is a benefit for us as a country, because we are young producers of blueberries and we can share experiences with other industries that have much more time, that are already more consolidated".
"But, in particular, this edition is very interesting because, naturally, it will concentrate on the production of the southern hemisphere, and together with other producing regions of South America, we will be able to try to exchange experiences and find a way to consolidate ourselves to regional level ".
Bentin says this will help to help boost demand for blueberries and make most of the fruit grow one way. "fury".
As for next season, he says that his company and other producers are so satisfied with the state of the fruit.
“There are two blocks - there is the block that is entering its third year, and there are also the new plantations, so there is a combination of two things”.
"The growth will be something close to 100% compared to the previous year, so it is a great growth, but not as high as before, because there are not so many young plants anymore".
Photo: Valley and Pampa
Source: Fruit Portal
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