The agro-exporting company based in the United States, founded in Lambayeque, Agrovision, has recorded one of its best years in Peruvian blueberry exports abroad. The company plans to continue its expansion in Peru, which represents its main operation among the eight countries in which it operates.
The CEO and co-founder of the company, valued at over 1 billion dollars, Steve Magami, in a recent interview with Forbes, highlights the importance of blueberry quality to maintain competitiveness and foresees that the future of the Peruvian industry lies in varietal renewal.
Raised in a health-conscious family, Californian Steve Magami studied biology before pursuing a career in finance as a private equity investor. This path led him to Peru, where the country’s resilient culture—reminding him of Iran, his parents’ homeland—and the agricultural export boom with flagship products like asparagus and table grapes revealed an exceptional investment opportunity.
Thus, in 2012, he co-founded the agro-exporting company Agrovision, based in the coastal desert of Lambayeque, within the Olmos project. Here, the company decided to focus on the cultivation, research, packaging, distribution, and commercialization of blueberries, a fruit that at the time had only a few hundred hectares cultivated but has now led Peru to be the world's leading exporter for the sixth consecutive year.
Expansion and Technological Innovation
"We have significant investments in new blueberry plantations that are not yet mature. Obviously, our volumes will grow significantly over the next four years without the need for additional investments," explains Magami.
However, the company's focus remains on producing high-quality (premium) blueberries, characterized by larger sizes, superior flavor, and greater crispness. To this end, the company uses patented Sekoya varieties.
Additionally, artificial intelligence has played a crucial role in improving production quality and predictability, ensuring a stable 52-week supply for retail customers and optimizing the supply chain in Peru. These high-level technological innovations, led by Magami, have required investments of over 600 million dollars in the countries where the company operates.
Over the past three and a half years, Agrovision has expanded its plantations across eight countries, but Peru remains its main market with 2,100 hectares of blueberries cultivated. In 2023, the company exported over 28 million kilograms of blueberries, a significant increase compared to the previous year, which was affected by the Yaku weather phenomenon.
In 2024, the company surpassed 400 million dollars in global sales, consolidating itself as the world’s leading premium blueberry exporter, according to its estimates.
Expansion in Peru and New Logistics Hub for Asia
Agrovision's interest in Peru remains strong. The company recently acquired a 1,100-hectare plot of land adjacent to its Olmos operation. "We will not do exactly the same thing with this land. It will be something different. In the end, we will also cultivate blueberries here, but with different technology," said Magami, promising to reveal details throughout the year. Furthermore, for 2025, an expansion into another region in southern Peru is planned.
In this context, the new Chancay port represents a strategic opportunity for Agrovision, reducing transit times to Asia from 40 to 24 days. "This is a radical change for the entire agricultural industry. It is just the beginning. We will see how this will impact not only China but the entire Asian market. Peru has a great opportunity to expand its protocols in Asia thanks to this new port," explains Magami.
The Chancay Port (Peru)
Main Destination Markets
Currently, the United States is Agrovision’s main market, absorbing 55% of exported premium Peruvian blueberries. Here, the company is gaining increasing recognition with the The Fruitist brand, already present in major retailers. China is the second most important market, with nearly 20% of exports, where Agrovision markets its products under the Bigsky brand.
The Peruvian blueberry industry set a new export record in 2024, reaching 312,195 tons (+38% compared to the previous year), according to Proarándanos. However, Magami believes that the sector's future will not depend on increasing cultivated areas (currently 19,914 certified hectares, just 400 hectares more than in 2023, according to Senasa), but on replacing less competitive varieties with higher-quality ones.
"Peru will begin to replace blueberry varieties to improve consumer experience, quality, and shelf life. It will not be as important how many hectares we cultivate, but how much high-quality product we export. This information is not currently disclosed, but it should be. We should have a system to classify quality and determine the percentage of exported product divided into high quality, medium quality, and low quality," adds Magami.
Diversification with Other Berries and Cherries
Blueberries were Agrovision's first product in Peru, but the company aims to transform the consumer experience in the produce department, leveraging its global presence and control of the entire value chain. For this reason, it is expanding its range with other berries that show growth potential similar to that of blueberries.
"We believe we can apply the same model to other berries and potentially to cherries, which currently represent a global market of over 50 billion dollars and continue to grow," says Magami.
To this end, the company has started cultivating raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. The latter are being developed in Chile, where Agrovision recently acquired ZurGroup, a major cherry producer and exporter.
This expansion, along with the growing demand for high-quality healthy snacks, has attracted investor interest, leading the company to a valuation of over 1 billion dollars after raising 100 million dollars in a funding round last August.
Source: Forbes
