Blueberry varieties: what ships from where
Most blueberry packs do not name the variety, but the variety decides size, firmness and how the fruit survives a long voyage. Here is which varieties each origin ships, and what to ask about them.
Peru, the largest exporter, ships mostly low-chill licensed varieties: Ventura, Sekoya Pop, Biloxi, Mágica and Rocío made up 67.52% of its 2025-26 exports. Chile still ships mostly older highbush varieties, led by Legacy and Duke, while newer varieties gain share. Name the variety in the contract: size, firmness and storage life depend on it.
Why the variety matters
Peru grows more than 65 varieties, but a handful carry the volume. In 2024 varieties from one breeder, Fall Creek, made up 50% of Peru’s blueberry production, with OZblu, Hortifrut, Driscoll’s and Mountain Blue at 4–7% each. Most new varieties are licensed: growers pay royalties, and some varieties are sold only through a closed group of companies or only into certain markets. Older varieties such as Biloxi, Legacy, Duke and Elliott are public.
Breeders do not use the same scales. Fall Creek describes size in words, from small to very large. The University of Florida gives millimetres and firmness in g/mm, Hortifrut gives firmness in Shore units, and Costa’s BluGenix sheets use their own firmness number. The figures cannot be compared from one breeder to another, and they come from the breeders’ own trials, not from export averages.
Low-chill varieties: Peru and other warm origins
Low-chill and zero-chill varieties are bred for warm climates where the bush can stay green all year. They are the base of Peru’s industry, and several are also grown in Argentina.
| Variety | Breeder and licence | Fruit, as the breeder describes it | Where it ships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura | Fall Creek; licensed, low chill | Large, firm, medium blue. Its spread is credited to better quality on arrival | Peru’s largest export variety: 95.17 million kg in 2025-26, 25% of calendar 2025 exports. Also Argentina |
| Sekoya Pop | Fall Creek; sold through a limited group of licensees (15 in 2024) | The programme aims for a crunchy texture and long shelf life, and stresses condition after long-distance transport | Peru’s second: 58.71 million kg in 2025-26. First by planted area in one 2026 count: 6,110 ha, 21% |
| Biloxi | USDA-ARS; public, zero chill | Small to medium, medium blue, balanced sweetness and acidity. Its firmness and post-harvest life no longer suit long journeys | Peru: 42.29 million kg in 2025-26. Down from 60% of Peru’s area in 2016 to 13% |
| Mágica | OZblu, Australia | No breeder variety sheet was found | Peru: 40.45 million kg in 2025-26; 11% of Peru’s shipments to the UK |
| Rocío | Spain’s Royal Berry programme; Hortifrut holds the licence for the Americas | 18–23 mm, 2.5–6 g, 11–12.5 °Brix, firmness 75–80 Shore; large, firm and juicy, “jumbo” in Peru | Peru, weeks 29 to 3 (July to January): 21.69 million kg in 2025-26; 12% of Peru’s shipments to the UK |
| Emerald | University of Florida, 1999; licensed to Fall Creek | Very large, firm, mild flavour; 18 mm and 195 g/mm in university data; holds size over a long harvest | Peru (7% of its shipments to Europe) and Argentina |
| AtlasBlue | Fall Creek; zero chill | Medium to large, firm, sweet and aromatic; “impressive” storage life and firmness in Fall Creek’s lab tests | Peru: 822 ha, 5% of the area in 2024 |
| BiancaBlue | Fall Creek; zero chill | Medium to large, light blue, firm, very sweet, low acid, good retention of bloom | Peru: 282 ha, 2%; Fall Creek Peru names it for the Chinese market |
| Arana | Costa, Australia; Driscoll’s holds the rights in the Americas, Australia and China | Costa says it is larger and sweeter than other varieties, with strong shelf life | 3% of Peru’s 2025 exports. In 2021 it had licensed growers in the US, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, China, Morocco, Israel, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia |
Peru is moving to bigger fruit. Fall Creek Peru’s general manager says Sekoya Pop and Apex are leading a shift to berries above 18 or 20 mm. In Argentina, SENASA lists University of Florida varieties such as Snowchaser, Star and Kestrel alongside Emerald and Ventura.
Highbush varieties: Chile and the northern hemisphere
Chile grows mostly mid- and high-chill highbush varieties. In 2025-26, traditional varieties were 76% of its fresh exports and newer ones 24%. The 2026-27 forecast has new varieties up 39%, to 32% of fresh exports, and traditional ones down 9%.
| Variety | Breeder and licence | Fruit, as the sources describe it | Where it ships |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy | USDA, 1987; public, mid chill | Medium, light blue, excellent flavour, small scar | Chile’s largest variety: 26,811 t in 2025-26. Also Argentina |
| Duke | Public, high chill | Large, light blue, firm, mild. Fall Creek says the flavour seems to improve in cold storage; Cornell says it can be bland if picked late | Chile’s second: 18,413 t |
| Blue Ribbon | Fall Creek; licensed, mid chill | Large, light blue, very firm, sweet and fruity, good post-harvest shelf life | Chile: 6,850 t. Also Argentina |
| Draper | Michigan State University | Large, light blue, exceptionally firm, crisp and sweet; superior shelf life; concentrated ripening | No export share found |
| Liberty | Michigan State University | Medium to large, aromatic; very good storage capacity. Can go soft in high heat at harvest | “The standard mid-late season variety in Europe” |
| Aurora | Michigan State University | Large, very firm, stores well; can be very acidic, and tart if picked too soon | The latest-ripening highbush in northern Europe |
| Elliott | Public, high chill | Medium, tart unless fully ripe; 30–45 days in modified atmosphere, according to Cornell | Once the main variety in Chile’s south; Liberty and Aurora have replaced it as the late standard |
Brightwell (7,404 t) and Suzie Blue (5,682 t) complete Chile’s top five. Their breeder specifications were not part of the research behind this guide.
Newer varieties sold on shelf life
- Apex. Fall Creek, released 2023. Very large, balanced flavour; Fall Creek says it keeps firmness and quality for 45 days after harvest, from trials in Mexico and Spain.
- AzraBlue. Fall Creek. Very large, firm, sweet and acid; quality holds in storage for 28 to 35 days, according to Fall Creek. Named as an option for Peru.
- Eterna. Costa’s BluGenix programme. 22.3 mm and 4.2 g in year one, crisp and firm, 50 days of storage at 4 °C. The breeder calls its figures indicative.
- KeplerBlue. Fall Creek. Large, firm, stores for weeks. Licensed only in Europe, South Africa, the Middle East and China; its fruit may not be sold into the Americas, so it cannot come from Peru, Chile or Argentina.
- Eureka Sunrise. Mountain Blue. In Europe and Africa it is grown only by BerryWorld’s growers, in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Morocco, Spain and Portugal.
These are breeder claims from single trial sites, not guarantees for a given shipment. For comparison, the USDA storage handbook gives highbush blueberries up to 2 weeks at −0.5 to 0 °C, and up to 6 weeks in a controlled atmosphere. Machine harvesting can halve storage life compared with hand picking.
Variety share by origin
| Peru, 2025-26 | Exported (million kg) | Share of shipments to Europe | Share of shipments to the UK |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ventura | 95.17 | 44% | 29% |
| Sekoya Pop | 58.71 | 15% | 25% |
| Biloxi | 42.29 | 10% | Not in top four |
| Mágica | 40.45 | Not in top four | 11% |
| Rocío | 21.69 | Not in top four | 12% |
| Emerald | Not in top five | 7% | Not in top four |
Peru exported 382.6 million kg in 2025-26. Ventura was also the largest variety in shipments to the US, at 18%, and Sekoya Pop led in “other markets”, at 22%.
- Chile, 2025-26 fresh exports: Legacy 26,811 t, Duke 18,413 t, Brightwell 7,404 t, Blue Ribbon 6,850 t, Suzie Blue 5,682 t, all others 26,840 t.
- Argentina: no shares by volume are published. By region, SENASA names Snowchaser, Emerald, Springhigh and Ventura in the north-west, Emerald, Star, Kestrel and Flicker in Entre Ríos and Corrientes, and O’Neal, Legacy, Blue Ribbon and Ventura around Buenos Aires.
- South Africa: no variety breakdown of exports was found.
What to ask about variety when contracting
- Which variety, week by week. Ask for the varieties and their proportions in each week’s shipments, and agree a substitute for weeks when the first choice is short.
- Is it licensed for your market? Some licensed varieties may not be sold into certain regions, and some are sold only through named marketers.
- Size in millimetres. There is no international size standard for blueberries, so put your own grading in the contract. Blueberry specifications.
- Firmness and sugar, on which scale. Ask how the supplier measures them, and check on arrival. What to check on arrival.
- Match the variety to the journey. For long sea voyages, ask which varieties the breeder rates for storage, and whether the fruit is hand or machine picked. Transit times by sea and air.
- Check the import route too. The variety does not change what the destination requires. Market access by destination.
- Breeders: Fall Creek variety pages (Ventura, Biloxi, Emerald, AtlasBlue, BiancaBlue, Legacy, Duke, Blue Ribbon, Draper, Liberty, Aurora, Elliott, KeplerBlue, AzraBlue, Apex), accessed 27 October 2026; UF/IFAS EDIS HS1245; Hortifrut, Rocío; BluGenix (Costa); USDA ARS, September 2000 (Biloxi); NC State University (Legacy); Cornell Cooperative Extension, “Blueberry Variety Review”, 6 March 2012.
- Licensing and platforms: Blueberries Consulting, 3 May 2022; FreshPlaza, 29 September 2021 (Arana); HortiDaily, 26 January 2023 (Eureka Sunrise).
- Peru: FreshPlaza citing Proarándanos, 7 May 2026; Italian Berry citing Proarándanos, 11 May 2026; Italian Berry, 3 December 2024; Italian Berry, 16 December 2025; Agraria.pe citing Proarándanos, 13 January 2026; FreshPlaza citing Preciso Consultoría, 13 October 2026; FreshPlaza, 26 May 2026; FreshPlaza, 3 December 2025.
- Chile: Comité de Arándanos / Frutas de Chile, crop report, week 8, February 2026; FreshPlaza citing iQonsulting, 12 October 2026.
- Argentina: Elonce citing SENASA, 29 January 2026. South Africa: USDA FAS GAIN report SF2026-0027, 12 August 2026. Storage: USDA Agriculture Handbook 66, blueberry chapter, revised February 2016.