Chile's Blueberry Committee estimates 95,107 tons of fresh blueberry exports for the 2026-27 season, up 2% from last year and marking a third consecutive year of growth. New replacement varieties are the engine — expected to reach 30,305 tons, a 39% surge, while traditional varieties are projected to fall 9%. By this season, one in every three fresh export boxes will contain next-generation genetics.
The context is important: Peru's blueberry season is collapsing under El Niño pressure, and Chile's committee says that gap is creating commercial openings for Chilean fresh fruit. Executive director Andrés Armstrong was clear that these opportunities should be used to strengthen Chile's quality positioning — not as a reason to ship lower-grade fruit. Chile also faces a 12.5% tariff surcharge in the U.S., which shifted shipment mix toward organic (up 12%) and pushed Europe to capture half of all Chilean fresh blueberry exports.
For U.S. buyers, Chilean blueberries will be critical fill-in supply as Peru undershoots. Worth monitoring whether the new-variety quality advantage — firmer fruit, better shelf life — translates to premium pricing or simply replaces volume that would have come from Peru.