In this episode of “The Business of Blueberries,” Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Council (USHBC) and the North American Blueberry Council (NABC), continues his conversation about the Peruvian blueberry industry with the general manager of Proarándanos, Luis Miguel Vegas. As a reminder, Proarándanos is the Peruvian Blueberry Growers’ and Exporters’ Association. Vegas discusses Peru’s blueberry market, highlighting the upcoming reports (June Report and August Report) and the industry’s preparations for future El Niño events. Through his weekly crop reporting, Vegas keeps the entire industry equipped with the critical data and strategic insights we need to navigate the market. If you missed part one of our conversation with Vegas, check out episode 243.
“Peru keeps growing in plantings, and that’s compensating for the reduction in productivity in yields because of El Niño … . Every El Niño phenomenon is unique. This phenomenon El Niño is more extreme than the one we had back in 2023… . But we learned and we saw what were the final numbers, for example, in Ventura in 2023. So, we can anticipate better what might we expect by the end of the season, for example, with Ventura’s production, which as everybody knows is the most affected variety here in Peru with the warmer-than-usual climate.” – Luis Miguel Vegas
Topics covered include:Â
- A continuation of the conversation about Peru’s blueberry market with Vegas. Â
- The impact Vegas expects from the latest El Niño event.
- An exploration of the June and August reports generated by Proarándanos, and a discussion of what they signal for the Peruvian blueberry industry.
Crop Report
The Blueberry Crop Report is an update on crop conditions and markets throughout important blueberry growing areas. Today you’ll hear from TJ Hafner in Oregon, Alan Schreiber in Washington, Maria Santiago in Michigan, Luis Vegas in Peru and Sunny Brar in British Columbia. This was recorded on September 3, 2026.Â
