If you’re tired of the many shortages, prepare yourself for the newest decline in blueberries!
Reports indicate that American supermarkets are grappling with a shortage of blueberries due to a meager harvest caused by extreme heat in Peru. It is worth noting that Peru holds the distinction of being the world’s largest blueberry exporter. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that Peru has been adversely affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon, which occurs every two to seven years and leads to elevated global temperatures.
In the current year, El Niño has induced warmer and drier weather patterns in South America, resulting in a significant blueberry shortage. This scarcity has led to a reduction in supplies by up to 70%. In the past week, the quantity of blueberries imported to US stores from Peru was less than half of what it was during the same week the previous year.
With the blueberry harvest dwindling to approximately 390 million pounds, blueberries have become an expensive delicacy. Since the start of September, blueberry prices have skyrocketed by up to 60%, reaching nearly $6 per pound. Over the past two months alone, the cost of a container of blueberries has risen by $2 per container due to the decreasing supply.
Nevertheless, Kasey Cronquist, the president of both the US Highbush Blueberry Council and the North American Blueberry Council, has revealed that the blueberry industry is actively engaged in developing new blueberry varieties that can better withstand high temperatures. As North America’s blueberry-growing season begins in the spring and production increases in the ten major blueberry-producing states, including Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Michigan, California, New Jersey, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, and Minnesota, it is anticipated that the shortage will subside, leading to a decrease in prices.
