Mirtillo

Using her in-depth experience, Cindy will share analysis and perspectives on the soft fruit market, providing valuable information for professionals and industry enthusiasts. Join us live on 29 February at 6pm (GMT+1) for a rich and informative discussion.

"The year 2024 started with a stabilisation of prices and an increase in consumption: we therefore open with optimism while waiting to see the production trends in spring and summer": in this exclusive interview with Italian Berry, Slomp comments on the 2023 Italian Berry and Gfk consumption trends.

The Italian Berry Retail Monitor survey took place this week on 20/02/2024 in the urban area of Milan and covered 20 points of sale of 19 brands belonging to 16 large-scale retail groups.

With a very short notice, one of the major German supermarkets has abruptly suspended the supply of blueberries sourced from Chile. Chilean operators are deeply concerned that this decision could have a snowball effect on other German retailers.

The berry retail offer in Genoa this week revealed a serious shortage of redcurrants, available in only three out of the 18 shops visited. The quality was generally unsatisfactory across the whole range, with prepacks on the shelves since the beginning of February.

In 2023, Italian households' expenditure on blueberries increased by 22.9% compared to the previous year, according to updated data from Italian Berry GfK as of 31/12/2023. The overall market value has grown from 99.7 to 122.5 million Euros.

The Italian co-operative Sant'Orsola will be at Fruit Logistica 2024 in Berlin (7-9 February). In its 45th year of activity, it will present a preview of the new red colour and the company's graphical design for packaging. Featured will be the zero-residue raspberry-mirtillo double pack.

In Chile, weather conditions led to a slower development of crops and thus to very concentrated peak weeks. The end of the season is expected to last longer than in the previous season.

From January to November 2023, Morocco supplied a total of 1,400 tonnes of fresh blueberries to South-East Asia (excluding Vietnam). This represents an increase of almost 50 per cent compared to the full year 2022.

According to forecasts by the International Blueberry Organisation, blueberry production will increase from 2M tonnes per year to 3M in 2030. The International Blueberry Conference, to be held in Poland on 7-8 March 2024, will be an opportunity to discuss the future of the blueberry market.