Field Insights for Agronomists and Progressive Berry Growers: Key Takeaways from Peru

During my recent technical tour of arándano (blueberry) production sites in Peru, I engaged directly with farm managers, lead agronomists, and teams driving the country’s rapid transition to soilless, substrate-based berry cultivation.

Across operations of all scales, I listened as growers shared their real-world experiences—discussing not only their historic challenges with traditional soil but also their strategies for optimizing high-value fruit yield, quality, and consistency in substrate systems. This close collaboration enables us as substrate suppliers to deliver precisely engineered solutions, whether for on-site blend customization or the adoption of advanced preblended products like Gro-Med Blue Berry Superior Mix Coco Coir Bags.

Peru’s exponential growth in hydroponic and soilless berry acreage stands as an industry benchmark. Innovators here are leveraging coco coir and modern substrate systems to secure impressive yield increases and premium fruit quality, all while facing market volatility and supply chain constraints. A recurring theme across multiple farms was how access to consistent-quality substrate is now a critical factor in planting schedules, crop planning, and overall profitability.

At Gro-Med and Vaighai, we see each grower’s technical feedback as core R&D—guiding substrate performance improvements and support protocols tailored for both precision propagation and large-scale, multi-crop greenhouse production. Our investment in three high-capacity coco coir grow bag factories (producing over 9 million bags annually) and robust solar-drying infrastructure positions us to guarantee timely, reliable delivery—even during adverse climate periods—across major South American and global berry hubs.
With four decades of experience, Vaighai’s substrate portfolio serves leading horticultural, floriculture, and propagation sectors in over 75 countries. We specialize in producing custom-blended, crop-tailored substrate mixes for commercial berry operations, nurseries, and substrate manufacturers pursuing scale, uniformity, and sustainability.

If you’re expanding or upgrading berry operations to soilless or hydroponic systems—whether transitioning from soil to high-tunnel pots, or adopting next-gen pop-up grow bags—connect with me for region-specific best practices, technical documentation, and benchmarking data from leading growers worldwide.

Let’s collaborate to advance soilless production, maximize fruit quality, and ensure future-ready, resilient supply chains for the soft fruit sector.