Argentina blueberries off to early start

Shipments of Argentina blueberries got off to an early start in late August, and importers anticipate significantly greater volume than last year.

Argentina growers expect to export approximately 17,500 tons of fresh blueberries this season, said Manuela Leyba, commercial manager for blueberry and lemon grower-shipper Early Crop SA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Of that volume, two-thirds likely will be exported to the U.S. and Canada.

Last season, the U.S. and Canada received only 10,280 tons of blueberries from Argentina, she said, because of an El Niño weather pattern that hindered exports.

Conditions seem to have improved significantly this year.

"Weather conditions will be favorable as far as we can tell," she said. "The forecast seems to be much more propitious this time."

The harvest already was starting, albeit slowly, in late August in the Tucuman area with light exports under way to Brazil, the U.S. and the European Union.

Argentinean growers for Naturipe Farms LLC, Salinas, Calif., were starting to pick light volume in late August, said Jim Roberts, vice president of sales.

The first U.S. arrivals were due the first week of September, which he said was earlier than usual.

He expected a smooth transition from domestic to imported blueberries and a crop out of Argentina that was significantly better than last year's.

"Last year, we had a lot of struggles with El Niño and rain in Argentina," he said. "They had a really poor crop overall."

Tom Richardson, vice president of global development for Los Angeles-based Giumarra International Berry, said this year Argentina will have a more normal winter compared to last year.

"I think we're now past any major frost risk for the season," he said in early September.

Although the season got off to an early start as a result of warm weather, temperatures will drop a bit during September, he said.

Peak season should be in late October, as usual, he said.

Miami-based Crowley Maritime Corp. Inc. already was receiving Argentinean blueberries Aug. 22, said vice president Nelly Yunta.

That was "a little surprising," she said, since the company doesn't usually receive the berries until September.

Crowley plans to have the same program this year as last year.

Yunta said the company will be "working 24/7" to keep up with the volume.

"Weather seems to have cooperated with them," she said.

Watsonville, Calif.-based California Giant Berry Farms received its first blueberries from Argentina by air Aug. 24, said Nader Musleh, executive director of the blueberry division.

Most blueberries are flown in to the U.S. from Argentina, he said, but this year, California Giant will try to arrange for some of the berries to be transported by ship because of the early start to the season and the increased volume.

Nader attributed the early start to favorable growing conditions.

The region experienced a cold winter, which was good for the fruit at that time, and then higher temperatures in early August brought the fruit on earlier.

California Giant expects to receive 1.5 million to 2 million pounds - double last year's volume - because of new plantings, new growers and existing growers providing more fruit.

U.S. supplies have been winding down earlier than last year, he said, so the early Argentina crop is a welcome sight.

The company should receive blueberries from Argentina until the end of November, he said.

Roberts said another reason for the earlier start is that many growers have been transitioning to varieties that come on earlier over the past four or five years.

"Argentina is set up to be earlier than they normally would have been just three or four years ago," he said.

He added that the country could experience an El Niña condition this year, which would mean warm, dry weather, which would be good for the fruit.