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Trucks represent majority of blueberry shipments

Most U.S. domestic blueberry supply is shipped weekly through California, Oregon, and Washington. The first part of the high season is supplied by Central California with harvest in April, and the second half is supplied by Oregon and Washington beginning in June.

Most blueberries are transported via truck across the United States and from Mexico, representing 65 percent of total yearly supply with 28 percent traveling by boat from South America, and 8 percent by air, mostly from Argentina and Chile.

 

Though Mexico has availability nearly all year, shipments intensify from March to May through Arizona, California, and Texas. Peru and Chile export mainly by boat, Peru mostly to the port of Philadelphia, while Chile uses the ports of Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Tampa, FL.

Argentina exports generally arrive by air at the Los Angeles International Airport, which Peru and Chile also utilize, but in small batches.

As demand expands and South American production increases, air transportation is declining because there is now enough volume to fill containers and ship via boat. From 2013 to now, Chilean blueberry air transportation decreased 10 percent.

While Peruvian air shipments have contracted 11 percent since 2015, Argentina—which sent 99 percent of its production in 2014 and 2015 by air—decreased 9 percent in 2017.

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Monica Gallo Riofrio earned an MBA from INCAE in Costa Rica and previously served as a price analyst. She is an agribusiness consultant and contributes her expertise to executive education programs.