Sebastián Ochoa Münzenmayer takes center stage in the latest episode of Berry Talks, where he is featured as an internationally renowned agronomist specializing in blueberries. His career began in the 1990s in Chile and has since expanded to encompass all major global blueberry-producing regions.
During this interview, Sebastián Ochoa Münzenmayer delves into key topics, including the transformation of Chilean blueberry production from oversupply to a new strategic direction centered on varietal innovation and the enhancement of quality standards. He underscores the significance of crop management combined with the selection of the most suitable blueberry varieties for specific production contexts. Additionally, he explores the role and future prospects of what he regards as the "Big Four" in the global blueberry industry: Peru, Mexico, Morocco, and China.
Berry Talks is a format conceived and produced by an international consortium, featuring Jorge Pedro Rosa Duarte (Portugal), Shiham Zahidi (Morocco), and Thomas Drahorad (Italy).
Following his academic pursuits, Sebastián Ochoa Münzenmayer initiated his career in Chile as a quality control manager for a 150-hectare blueberry production company, situated adjacent to his grandmother's farm. Here, he had the opportunity to personally observe the evolution of the Chilean blueberry industry, which would subsequently experience a substantial boom.
At the age of 28, following an initial career stint as an independent consultant, he ascended to the position of director within a production company. He later broadened his scope to encompass the principal blueberry-producing countries in South America, including Argentina, Chile, Mexico, and Peru, collaborating closely with both producers and breeders.
At this juncture, he made the decision to establish his own consulting firm, which presently oversees blueberry cultivation across 14,000 hectares in 15 different countries.
