Peru is making a play for the lucrative U.S. blueberry market.
Peru’s Agriculture Minister Jose Hernandez told the Peruvian Congress on Wednesday that exceptional growth of local blueberry crops could turn the country into the leading global exporter of blueberries within the next two years, according to state news agency Andina.
U.S. farmers produced more than 560 million pounds of blueberries for Americans to stuff their pancakes, pies and muffins. But it still isn’t enough to satisfy America’s demand for the sweet fruit that turns children’s lips blue and leaves maddening stains.
The United States imports 235 million pounds of blueberries every year. Over 60 percent of the fresh blueberries originated from Chile, which provides fresh blueberries to U.S. markets during the winter months of mid-November through January, according to the Ag Marketing Resource Center at Iowa State University. Canada provided almost 20 percent of the fresh blueberries coming into the country (ERS, 2015).have to be imported, largely from Chile and Canada.
Peru sees an opportunity to possibly cut into the $530 million U.S. market as well as sell to other global markets.
U.S. farmers produced more than 560 million pounds of blueberries for Americans to stuff their pancakes, pies and muffins. But it still isn’t enough to satisfy America’s need for the sweet fruit that leaves maddening stains and turns children’s lips blue.
The agriculture department expects blueberries to be the nation’s third biggest export product next year.
“We aim at GDP growth of at least 4% and to double agricultural exports to US$10 billion by 2021,” Hernandez told the Congress Budget Commission.
Email: fordonez@mcclatchydc.com; Twitter: @francoordonez.