Polish blueberry market
On the global market, import prices of blueberries are subject to a decline during the season, which is perfectly shown, for example, by the prices of these fruits on store shelves - in December, these berries can be purchased at a similar price as in July or August. The global trend, which experts have already pointed out, is worrying, i.e. the increase in production costs while blueberry prices are stagnating. This trend causes the efficiency and productivity of plantations to come to the fore, which leads to an intensive exchange of varieties.
Production
In terms of average blueberry yields, Poland, - with a result of 5.75 t/ha - is quite average compared to various production regions. In the world, the average yield was estimated at 8.9t.ha. In Chile, an average of 9 t/ha is harvested, and in Peru even 14t/ha. These data show how much competition there is on the market and what opportunities there are in other regions. The value of blueberry production in Poland amounts to approximately PLN 1 billion annually, or approximately 2.5% of the value of world production, estimated at approximately USD 10 billion. In 2022-2023, the balance of Polish trade in blueberries was negative and amounted to EUR 6.4 million, which means that the value of their import was greater than export. The data on the scale of domestic blueberry plantings are interesting. A comparison of 2018 and 2022 shows that the area of its cultivation in Poland has doubled: from 5809 ha to 11899 ha (8334 registered farms), but the average area of plantations has decreased twice, to 1.42 ha in 2022. This means that although the total production area is growing, this is mainly happening in small farms that are not focused on industrial-scale production.
Source: Jagodnik May/ June 2024