Market Trends of Europe Blueberry Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Europe Blueberry Market according to our research experts:
Growing Consumer Preference for Home-grown Berries
The British blueberry season is flourishing in the country due to the rapid growth of the blueberry bush plantations across Europe to meet the increased demand for homegrown fruit among the people. This, in turn, has led to increased overall berry revenue in the country, which is expected to boost the growth of the market studied. Germany has one of the largest blueberry-growing regions named the North German Plain. Lower Saxony is the center of German blueberry cultivation, with about 2000 hectares under cultivation and around 70% of production in the country, which is expected to boost the demand for berries in the coming years.
The FAO database reported an increase in blueberry production in Europe owing to the rising preference among consumers for fruit salads and as ingredients in other products, including fresh fruits, which are used to decorate bakery products. The production of blueberries increased considerably from 53,380 metric ton in 2019 to 48,520 metric ton in 2020 in Spain and from 14,850 metric ton in 2019 to 11,300 metric ton in 2020 in Germany.
The International Blueberry Organization (IBO) stated that Poland's blueberry sector is made up of a massive number of small growers, who it is estimated have an average volume of only 25-35 metric ton. However, around 60% of the country's production is controlled by 5% of the growers, which will further diversify blueberry production in the market.
Increasing Blueberry Consumption in the United Kingdom
According to the International Blueberry Organization (IBO), the per capita consumption of blueberries in the UK market was 0.67 kg per person per year in 2018, whereas the per capita consumption slightly peaked at 0.7 kg per person per year in 2019 and subsequently fell to 0.65 kg in 2020 due to pertinent supply gap in the blueberry availability in the retail shelves. In 2019, the United Kingdom imported 56,524 metric ton of blueberries.
Together with the national production, the average annual consumption reached an estimated 0.8 kg per capita in 2021. As stated by the prominent retail outlets in the country, such as Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Morrison, and Co-op, which gained nearly a 79% share in blueberry retail sales in 2019, the average blueberry sales at the beginning of 2020 went down by 40%. This burgeoning trend continued until the first quarter of the year, thereby affecting blueberry sales to a greater extent. Blueberry production in the country peaked at 2,700 metric ton in 2020, while the rest was met only through imports. The increasing demand for blueberries is further expected to enhance their consumption in the country.
