Berries ZA, the industry body of the South African blueberry industry, has been looking after the needs of growers since its establishment in 2011. The association serves as the voice of growers, assisting with issues related to government, media, and logistics. 

Additionally, it captures data to address growers' needs based on research. Currently, Berriez ZA, while it's not mandatory for growers to join, has 93 primary grower members. 

Elzette Schutte, Operations Manager of Berries ZA, told Freshfruitportal.com that another key focus point is market access, an area that presents numerous hurdles in South Africa. 

Uniting the industry under a common goal

South Africa's blueberry industry existed before the establishment of the industry body. In the late 90s and early 20s, there were already farmers growing blueberries, very excited about the promise of a profitable product.

"Very quickly, people started realizing that the industry was going to take off and they could not do it on their own; however, nobody knew Peru would become such a blueberry monster," Schutte said. 

The significant increase in planted hectares occurred between 2015 and 2018, growing from approximately 400 hectares to around 3,000 hectares in a relatively short period. However, there was uncertainty about the actual number of hectares planted, the number of growers, and the varieties being used.

"Somebody had to capture all that data and put it together, and that's what we came in to do," Schutte explained. "This industry body was created out of that necessity, and now that we are here, we can help by providing this information and much more," she added. 

Market access

Berries ZA has been working diligently to gain access to the Indian market. 

According to Shcutte, if they can gain that access, "we will start to see more hectares planted again, because we have to work together to get this industry further." 

South African blueberries are produced in over 2,6o0 hectares, exporting around 25,000 tons per season. 

"We anticipate the same for this season; however, you never know with blueberries what weather events could affect production," Schutte said.  

The main export destinations for South African blueberries are Europe and the United Kingdom, as well as the Middle East. 

Main challenges for South African blueberries

The biggest challenge for South African blueberries, according to Schutte, is competing with Peru's product in the same markets. 

When Peru hits the market, South Africa is at the peak of its season, which makes it very challenging to compete with the volumes coming from the South American country. 

"Peru has market access to plenty of countries that we don’t, so they can move a lot of volume to our main markets which puts prices under pressure," Schutte explained. 

In this regard, she said developing early genetics for specifically market windows is critical for South Africa, but it's also an additional challenge. 

Additionally, they are far away from markets, which makes shelf life an issue. "Therefore, planting genetics that have the feet to go on the water and aim for overall 5 weeks shelf-life especially when we use sea freight, we need to make work."

Infrastructure, especially in ports and railways, also poses a significant barrier for the industry. While the government has stated that it is investing large amounts in this, the results have yet to be seen. 

"At the moment, our ports are underperforming, so once we pour money into infrastructure, it will be easier for us," Schutte said. 

Standout quality

Something that sets South African blueberries apart, according to Schutte, is their "exceptional" quality, derived from optimal growing conditions. 

"Our opportunity and at the same time our challenge is to keep developing and growing to export excellent quality," she said.

Overall, our access to clean water is a challenge in South Africa; although we have enough space, water will always be a limiting factor for the South African blueberry industry to continue growing.

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