It is the first operation that leaves from the renovated airport of Tucuman

Producers who make up the Argentinean Blueberry Committee (ABC) celebrated the first export with more than 50 tons of blueberries that left from the renovated runway of the airport of Tucuman last Saturday. “We are pleased to be able to carry out the first full-load export of blueberries to the United States and we expect to continue in this direction, strengthening the external market”, said Federico Bayá, President of ABC.

The plane used to conduct the first flight to Miami was a Boing 767. Loading time took about an hour and two minutes. “Cargo system and movement of air pallets was flawless. The machinery of Intercargo made everything agile”, said Francisco Estrada, President of Blueberries Producers Association of Tucuman (APRATUC), and who was present during loading.

Blueberry producers were present during the whole operation in real time to verify the functioning of the new facilities. “Everything worked according to the expectations. The new rolling floor, scales and transfer beds for air pallets made work much easier. The new exit door worked also very well since it minimized the internal and external contact of the chamber, decreasing the exposure to insects that might be present in the air”, ABC commented.

The Ministry of Transport of the Nation inaugurated on October 6, 2016 the extension of the commercial platform of the runway of international airport ‘Benjamín Matienzo’ of Tucuman, to which 600 meters were added to the existing 2,900 meters. “Working together with the Government gave us the possibility to get key improvements in infrastructure that speed up and optimize the commercial operations of blueberries”, explained Bayá.

“As a long term objective, we aim also at consolidating ourselves in the English and European markets”, said Baya, who informed that according to estimates from the sector, the export of fresh blueberries would reach 18,000 tons which accounts for a 5% increase compared to 2016 and plans to export 63% of the production to USA-Canada, 21% to England and 16% distributed between continental Europe and other destinations.

“This first flight transported 53 tons, more than it could be loaded in the past (less than 50 tons) because the runway was not long enough to make direct full-load flights”, explained Estrada. And he added: “the new signaling of the runway will make it much safer, enabling take-offs with only 400 meters visibility, something which was unthinkable in previous years”.

Mainly in Tucuman, the production of fruit reached 8,500 tons in 2016, out of which 5,500 tons were for export. They were distributed in a 74% to USA, 14% to England; 10% to Europe and 2% to the rest of the world.

The ABC, which accounts for more than 80% of the exports of blueberries of our country, gathers the regional chambers of the sector which are the Association of Blueberry Producers of the Argentine Mesopotamia (APAMA), the Chamber of Producers of Blueberries and other Berries (CAPAB), and the Blueberries Producers Association of Tucuman (APRATUC).

Here is a link with statistics from the sector: https://argblueberry.com/home/estadisticas/