Blueberry prices have risen sharply as El Niño has led to a significant decline in the global blueberry harvest.
The Korean American market industry reports that blueberry prices are at an all-time high. Even the United States, a major exporter, is facing a blueberry shortage due to a drastic production drop in Peru, the principal producer.
“Due to the shortage of blueberries, some markets are having difficulty securing supplies,” said a representative of a Korean market in Los Angeles, adding, “The price of blueberries has increased by more than 40 percent since July, reaching up to $6 per pound.”
At the LA Korean Market, blueberries normally sell for $3 to $4, but now they have jumped to $5 to $6.
The average price per pound of blueberries jumped 43% from $4.09 in July to $5.99 by the end of October as El Niño caused a poor harvest in blueberry-producing countries.
According to the Peruvian Blueberry Growers & Exporter Association, the U.S. is a major consumer of blueberries, accounting for 47% of the world’s blueberry exports.
From May, the start of the blueberry season, to the present, Peru has exported 77.3 million pounds of blueberries to the United States. That’s down 55% from the same period last year.
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, JUNHAN PARK [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
