PERU - Camposol, one of Peru’s most noteworthy agro-industrial companies, is setting its eyes on blueberries. With plans to ship approximately 17,000,000 pounds of blueberries from now through next year, the company is looking to greatly expand its operations in the U.S., especially for a crop that is just coming out of the gate.
“Last year, we decided to go big on blueberries,” Chief Commercial Officer José Antonio Gómez tells me. “Five years ago, we started with a 100 acre trial of blueberries. Since then, we’ve invested $150 million in blueberry expansion to help take us to 1,500 acres this year.”
Just recently, Camposol introduced a new packaging design for its blueberry line-up, emphasizing their “premium quality, perfect bloom, perfect color, and taste.” To further promote fresh and healthy eating, the company is partnering with PMA and Sesame Workshop to incorporate Sesame Street characters onto its blueberry packaging by December. This initiative will soon expand to the company’s mango program and other categories in the future as well, Gómez says.
The home of Camposol’s blueberries is located in Peru’s coastal city of Trujillo, where the company’s growers dedicate themselves to cultivating first-class blueberries from August to March. 14,000 employees strong, the company is currently the second largest private employer in Peru. Current estimates predict 10,000 new employees to be added by 2020 as a result of its blueberry business. This would make Camposol the largest employer in Peru, employing, on average, 25,000 workers at its highest periods of production.
“Quality has been fantastic so far this season,” said Gómez. “We’re committed to satisfying our clients in a reliable and consistent manner. One of our biggest priorities is keeping quality as close to perfect as we can.”
With Argentina currently at the peak of its season, the blueberry market has seen high prices since September. Gómez notes that once Chile puts more volume into the market at the end of the year, pricing will adjust to normal figures.
Aside from blueberries, Camposol also produces avocados, asparagus, table grapes, mangos, mandarins, pomegranates, artichokes, and peppers, all of which are exported fresh, preserved, and frozen to key markets in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
With blueberry volume anticipated to increase approximately 200% by the end of next year, this company’s growth since its establishment 15 years ago is nothing short of impressive. I look forward to seeing which new categories Camposol will venture into next.
