The Blueberry Export Association stated that "high temperatures" reduced the blueberry harvest, and the export volume decreased as a result. Chile, in the southern hemisphere, enters autumn in February and temperatures normally come down. However, recently the temperatures reached highs of 33-36 degrees Celsius. This kind of weather has negative effects on fresh fruit plantations and harvests, in particular for snack fruits such as blueberries.
The association further explained that this development may reduce the export volume of blueberries in the remainder of this export season, which would result in a smaller overall export volume in comparison with last year. The estimated blueberry production volume in Chile is around 98,573 metric tons, which would be a growth of 3% in comparison with last year.
