Argentina's blueberry forecasts are not positive for exporters this season. According to Alejandro Pannunzio, president of the Association of Blueberry Producers of Mesopotamia (APAMA), estimates are that Argentina will export about 5 million kilos of blueberries, i.e. half of the volume it shipped on average in the previous campaigns. Exports to the United States decreased by 70%. “We were displaced because of the country's lack of competitiveness and due to structural issues in the world,” Pannunzio said.
"10 years ago, there were no competing countries, Argentina was the only one producing blueberries, we were even producing it before Chile. But then other countries - such as Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, Turkey, and Colombia - entered the market with ten times more volumes than Argentina, and the country could not sustain its advantage," he stated.
As a result of that change in the international market, the country lost its competitiveness, Pannunzio stated. In addition, he said, the two types of exchange in our country hurt the fruit sector because the Central Bank keeps half of our exports.
The slowdown in growth, according to Pannunzio, also resulted in outdated varieties. "Our fruit is no longer competitive compared to the fruit from the rest of the world," he said.
“We didn't have the vision to take advantage of our position”
Pannunzio also reflected on the sector's responsibility for the current situation. “We were unable to anticipate future players. We didn't take advantage of the great position we had. We relaxed and we didn't have the vision to leverage our advantage before other countries started planting blueberries.”
“We didn't increase our volumes back then because no one thought that the world would consume so much blueberry. Consumption is disproportionate, but we didn't have the commercial capacity to expand and the profitability was left to the receivers," he stated.
Source: diariojunio.com.ar