A survey conducted among professional operators attending Berry Area 2026 depicts a sector geared towards growth, but still exposed to strong cost pressures and structural production challenges.
Berry Area 2026 survey
Base: 40 professional operators attending Berry Area 2026.
Topic: impact of the main factors on the development of the blueberry category in 2026.
Among the operators attending Berry Area 2026, there is a clearly positive outlook on the development prospects of the blueberry category in 2026. The strongest signal comes from demand growth, indicated as a positive or very positive factor by 97.5% of respondents: a figure that confirms how the market continues to perceive blueberries as a category with room for expansion, both in terms of consumption and distribution.
Immediately after this come new varieties, considered favourable by 90% of the sample, and promotional campaigns, assessed positively by 75% of participants. Market access is also viewed in generally constructive terms, with 70% positive or very positive responses.
Overall, varietal innovation, demand development and commercial value enhancement are currently perceived as the main drivers supporting the growth of the sector.
The most positive factors: demand and varieties drive sentiment
The analysis of the results highlights a first group of factors perceived very favourably by operators. Demand growth dominates the ranking, with 57.5% of responses “very positive” and a further 40% “positive”. Only 2.5% of the sample expressed a neutral assessment, while no negative opinions emerged.
The issue of new varieties also confirms strong confidence in the ability of breeding to support the development of the category: 90% of operators assess this factor as positive or very positive. This is a relevant signal, because it confirms the increasingly strategic role of genetic innovation in improving quality, shelf life, productivity and the commercial differentiation capacity of blueberries.
| Factor | Positive / very positive | Neutral | Negative / very negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demand growth | 97.5% | 2.5% | 0% |
| New varieties | 90% | 10% | 0% |
| Promotional campaigns | 75% | 25% | 0% |
| Market access | 70% | 27.5% | 2.5% |
Prices, water and capital: areas still to be interpreted
The picture is more nuanced for selling prices, access to water, political stability and access to capital. In these cases, intermediate or contrasting assessments prevail, indicating areas that remain open and not yet fully defined.
Selling prices, for example, mainly collect neutral responses: 45% of operators do not express a clearly positive or negative assessment, while 40% consider this factor positive or very positive. The figure suggests that the market appears promising, but not yet entirely predictable in terms of profitability. While completing the questionnaire, one operator commented: “We are seeing that price does not influence demand trends”, therefore still with a positive connotation.
Access to water also divides the sample: 37.5% assess it positively, another 37.5% maintain a neutral position, while 25% consider it a negative or very negative factor. Access to capital, on the other hand, appears above all as an open issue: almost half of respondents, 47.5%, express a neutral judgement.
Italian Berry’s interpretation
The survey provides a coherent snapshot: operators see blueberries as a category still growing, supported by demand and varietal innovation. But the expansion phase is not without constraints. The ability to transform commercial potential into margins will increasingly depend on production efficiency, cost management and the availability of key resources.
The most critical factors: transport, labour and production inputs
The strongest critical issues concern cost factors and production organisation. Transport costs are the most penalising factor, with 80% of negative or very negative assessments.
Immediately after this come labour costs, indicated negatively by 77.5% of respondents, fuel costs, with 72.5%, labour availability, with 70%, and fertiliser costs, with 67.5%.
Weather conditions, although showing a high share of neutral assessments, are also considered a risk factor by more than half of respondents: 55% assess them as negative or very negative.
| Factor | Negative / very negative | Neutral | Positive / very positive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transport costs | 80% | 12.5% | 7.5% |
| Labour costs | 77.5% | 10% | 12.5% |
| Fuel costs | 72.5% | 17.5% | 10% |
| Labour availability | 70% | 7.5% | 22.5% |
| Fertiliser costs | 67.5% | 22.5% | 10% |
| Weather conditions | 55% | 35% | 10% |
A confident but more demanding category
The picture that emerges is that of a category that continues to believe in its potential, but that will need to address certain structural challenges decisively in order to grow solidly. Demand is there, commercial opportunities are there too, and varietal innovation is perceived as a concrete lever.
However, without greater efficiency along the supply chain and without responses to issues such as labour, costs and production volatility, the development path risks becoming more complex. The growth of blueberries, in other words, will not depend only on the ability to sell more, but also on the ability to produce, organise and distribute better.
Results in brief
Most positive factors
- Demand growth: 97.5% positive or very positive
- New varieties: 90%
- Promotional campaigns: 75%
- Market access: 70%
Most critical factors
- Transport costs: 80% negative or very negative
- Labour costs: 77.5%
- Fuel costs: 72.5%
- Labour availability: 70%
- Fertiliser costs: 67.5%
The sentiment collected at Berry Area 2026 returns a confident but realistic view: operators see blueberries as a still dynamic sector, supported by demand and innovation, but at the same time exposed to operational pressures that could significantly affect profitability.
2026 therefore is seen as a year of opportunity, but also of selection: those who are best able to manage quality, efficiency, market access and cost control will grow.
