Industry Spotlight: What’s shaping the blueberry market?

Industry spotlight: What’s shaping the blueberry market?

2024 market momentum and what lies ahead

In the world of blueberries, pricing never stands still. Over the past year, European grower returns have reflected not only local conditions but also broader global shifts in supply. El Niño-related weather disruptions in Peru, the world’s largest exporter, resulted in a 23% decline in export volumes (IBO Report 2024), leading to a noticeable increase in prices. Combined with the changing dynamics of the European summer season, these developments underscore the increasing interconnectedness of the blueberry market.

While challenges remain, there are also clear signs of resilience and opportunity. In Europe, the 2024 summer season began with strong prices. As the season progressed, prices dipped midway before rising sharply again in late summer and autumn due to limited supply. This pattern of a late-season rebound has become a regular feature in recent years. Whether it will repeat in 2025 remains to be seen.

With demand holding steady and supply still under pressure, prices have fluctuated but often recovered, particularly at key moments in the season. As we look ahead to 2025, weather patterns and supply chain developments will once again play a defining role.

Weather watch: an early look at the 2025 season

The 2025 season began on a positive note, with pruning completed on time across most European fields, a crucial foundation for achieving strong fruit quality later in the year.

But while operations are off to a smooth start, the weather tells a more complex story. In Southern Europe, ongoing rainfall is raising concerns about both fruit volume and quality. Central and Eastern Europe have seen scattered bouts of late frost, putting pressure on growers and making effective frost protection more important than ever.

In contrast, Western Europe, including Germany, has so far experienced only minimal frost impact, offering a more stable outlook for the early season.

It’s still too early to know how these conditions will unfold across the entire harvest. As always, last-minute shifts in the supply chain could still impact market dynamics and pricing in the months ahead.

Breeding focus: shaping the future of blueberry production

At Fall Creek®, our breeding programme is guided by the evolving needs of growers. While core traits such as yield, flavour, berry size, crunch, and plant architecture remain essential, two additional factors are becoming increasingly important in Europe: harvest concentration and mechanical harvest suitability.

Harvest concentration, the proportion of fruit that can be picked in a single pass, can significantly reduce labour costs. At the same time, successful mechanical harvesting depends on varieties with specific structural qualities and firm fruit that can withstand the demands of automated picking.

Many of the Fall Creek® varieties introduced in recent years have been developed with these needs in mind. One promising new variety now in final evaluation shows potential for up to 90% of its fruit to be harvested in a single round. Several others with similar promise are progressing through our pipeline. Of course, final selection depends on how well each variety performs across all key criteria.

Ultimately, the true value of a variety lies in its ability to deliver strong yields at a sustainable cost, because in commercial production, the numbers always matter.